YouTube to make all originals available for free viewing supported by advertising – Variety

YouTube has concluded that its investments in original programming are best placed on the free side, funded by advertising, not behind a paywall.

In a change of strategy, the video platform owned by Google, announced that from next year, it would offer free to anyone all its original programming. With this change, YouTube is moving towards more celebrity and creator-driven reality pricing, and away from more expensive script productions.

Until now, YouTube Originals was primarily available on its YouTube Premium subscription service, although YouTube has also expanded the programs and movies offered on an advertising basis.

"As 2019 approaches, we will begin to ensure that all of our YouTube Originals ads are ad-supported to meet the growing demand for a more global fan base," said a representative. YouTube in a release. "This next phase of our original strategy will expand the audience of our original YouTube creators and provide advertisers with incredible content that will reach the YouTube generation."

This initiative will enable YouTube Originals to be available to the approximately 2 billion platform users worldwide. According to YouTube, this will give YouTube creators and other talent the opportunity to reach an even wider audience.

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YouTube Originals included big-budget shows, such as the sci-fi thriller series "Origin" by British bank Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind Netflix's "The Crown"; "Cobra Kai", an emanation of the movie "Karate Kid"; and Step Up: High Water, based on the film franchise of the same name.

The YouTube Originals lineup has been a key value proposition for YouTube Premium, priced at $ 11.99 per month, which also offers ad-free and offline viewing. This year, according to the video platform, YouTube has expanded the YouTube Premium service – originally launched in the United States as YouTube Red – in 29 countries and showcased more than 50 shows.

In the future, YouTube Premium will no longer be original and exclusive content as a reason to pay for the service.

According to YouTube, the strategy of inserting originals featuring local YouTube stars into the subscription video-on-demand service has worked: this programming has led fans to sign up for the service and offer creators a new canvas for longer projects. The original programs included the sitcom "Foursome"; television series about the murder "Escape the Night" with Joey Graceffa; and the dystopian films "The Thinning" with Logan Paul and Peyton List.

This summer, at the Association of Television Critics, YouTube announced the renewal of the programs "Impulse", "Step Up: High Water", "Mind Field", "Foursome", "Ryan Hansen solves crimes at the television "," Kevin Hart: What the Fit "and" Cobra Kai ", all of whom are expected to return in 2019.

Last year, YouTube expanded its range of originals to include ad-supported programming. This included the Kevin Hart program, produced in collaboration with Lionsgate, in which he was experimenting with various workout routines, as well as shows featuring Ellen DeGeneres and YouTube's Slow Mo Guys. In September, YouTube collaborated with Will Smith to stream his free jump to the Elastic Band over the Grand Canyon to raise funds for a charity.

In 2015, YouTube launched its initial catalog of original series and films, which included the Scare PewDiePie reality adventure series and Rooster Teeth's "Lazer Team" sci-fi action comedy – available only for subscribers.

In the picture above: the original YouTube series "Cobra Kai"