Full-Length TV Shows Come to YouTube

A new feature has arrived on YouTube giving you the ability to view full-length TV shows. Simply named ‘Shows‘, you’ll be able to watch any TV program from Channel 4 following the signing of a 3 year contract with Google, the owners of YouTube. The new addition to YouTube went live late lastnight and sees some 5,000 videos of which about 4,000 are full-length.

A selection of shows available are: The IT Crowd, Whose Line Is It Anyway, The Inbetweeners, Father Ted and Drop The Dead Donkey alongside links to other channels on YouTube such as The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and other popular channels that offer TV Episodes to watch.

YouTube were able to sign smaller contracts with various broadcasters but this is the first of its kind, with the contract signed, YouTube can access and broadcast any program from the Channel 4 archives, both past and current. This deal marks the beginning of a new era for YouTube allowing them to show full catch-up episodes for up to 30 days after TV broadcast.

You can access the new ‘Shows’ from the new link under the search on YouTube’s homepage, you are then greeted with the plethora of videos, including the links to various media channels on YouTube whom aren’t participating in ‘Shows’ but it’s still good promotion on YouTube’s behalf.

There’s a fair amount of rumours being kicked up about YouTube negotiating with other broadcasters in the UK including ITV and BBC, although to the extent of the truth of these rumours is unknown, I guess only time will tell.

With YouTube to still make a penny of profit, it’s possible that these long term deals with broadcasters will encourage advertisers, thus making the revenue-sharing models more lucrative for broadcasting companies looking to strike a deal with YouTube. I’m eager to see how ‘Shows’ is received by the YouTube community and if the rumoured negotiations are infact true.