YouTube Originals Will Be Free by 2020

Zookster

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Dec 19, 2004
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Ad-supported of course. From the Variety article:

YouTube has concluded that its investments in original programming should have a home on the free, ad-supported side — not just tucked behind a paywall.

In a shift in strategy, the Google-owned video platform said that starting next year it will move to make all of its new original programming available for free for anyone to watch. With the change, YouTube is moving toward more mainstream celebrity-driven and creator-based reality fare, while it will continue to greenlight scripted productions.

Until now, YouTube Originals have mainly been available on its YouTube Premium subscription service, although YouTube also has expanded the shows and movies it makes available on an ad-supported basis.

“As we look to 2019, we will continue to invest in scripted programming and shift to make our YouTube Originals ad supported to meet the growing demand of a more global fanbase,” a YouTube rep said in a statement. “This next phase of our originals strategy will expand the audience of our YouTube Original creators, and provide advertisers with incredible content that reaches the YouTube generation.”

The company calls the new YouTube Originals strategy its “Single Slate,” which will combine ad-supported and subscription VOD programming initiatives. By 2020, YouTube’s original shows and movies will be available in free windows for all YouTube users. In the near term, some original productions will remain behind the paywall, including next year’s season 2 of “Cobra Kai,” an offshoot of the “Karate Kid” movies.

YouTube to Make New Originals Available for Free, Ad-Supported Viewing With ‘Single Slate’ Strategy

The YouTube Originals Cobra Kai, Impulse, and Origin have been quite good. And I am looking forward to Wayne, releasing in January (I've linked the trailer). But it's definitely not enough to justify paying $12/mo if you aren't a frequent YouTube user and want a commercial-free experience on all their video content and are also interested in the music service. It's good that some of their better shows will get a bigger audience and hopefully help justify renewals for the ones that deserve it.
 
I finally finished Origin last night and thought it was as good as any sci-fi show on broadcast or the other streamers (except The Expanse; nothing is as good as The Expanse right now). With Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) as the showrunner, Origin was very well made with a great group of actors. Definitely worth watching if you have YouTube TV or are a YouTube Premium sub or just want to redeem a free month.
 

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