YouTube in talks over full-length UK shows – Rumour

YouTube is reportedly holding talks with ITV, Channel 4 and Sony Pictures about hosting full-length content in the UK. The move is the latest effort by the Google-owned site to beef up its premium content. It also signals heightening competition in the UK video on-demand (VoD) market, with rival Hulu reportedly gearing up for a UK launch in September.

YouTube is aiming to launch the full-length service in the UK, expanding its coverage to five other European territories, reports New Media Age, citing a source at Sony. The major film studio recently signed a long-form content deal with YouTube in the US.

ITV and Channel 4 insiders are also said to have confirmed the talks, although neither company will comment publicly on the matter. A YouTube deal would not be exclusive for either broadcaster, and would still allow the broadcasters to strike separate UK content deals with Hulu, reports the Daily Telegraph.  

The push for premium content is part of YouTube's wider strategy to boost its ad revenues. Last month, the video site rolled out new navigation tools designed to clearly mark premium content in a bid to lure more advertisers and compete with premium content provider Hulu. YouTube also announced US deals with Sony Pictures and a number of other programme makers including Endemol, the Documentary Channel and Bandai.

Commenting on the changes, a Google spokesperson said that the site was in active negotiations with a number of other premium publishers and that it is "looking forward to announcing more content partnerships in the near future".

In securing more long-form content for the UK, YouTube shows it is keen to capitalise on the collapse of planned VoD platform Kangaroo, a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4. The Competition Commission rejected the project earlier this year on grounds that it would be anticompetitive.

Current reports claim that Hulu has set its sights on a September launch for the UK. The platform, jointly owned by News Corp, NBC Universal and Disney, attracts large audiences in the US, and is reportedly in talks with BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4. However, sources claim negotiations have stalled over who gets the rights to sell ads on the UK broadcasters' content.