YouTube adds 60 new global video channels

0

YouTubeGoogle’s YouTube is funding a new batch of video producers to join the 100 it launched over the past year. This time, the focus is international, adding programming from partners in the U.K., France, Germany and the U.S., including Endemol and BBC Worldwide.


Robert Kyncl, VP/global head of content announced the news of around 60 new channels in such categories as entertainment, sports, comedy, music, news, auto, beauty, health and cooking in a blog post entitled “YouTube’s original channels go global.”

The new launches will add to the approximately 100 U.S. original content channels already available. Financial details weren’t disclosed, but YouTube shelled out an estimated $150 million to launch the original channels.

New creative partners, says The Hollywood Reporter, include independent TV production powerhouse Endemol, BBC Worldwide and UFA/Fremantle. Among the new channels are The Jamie Oliver Food Channel built around the British TV chef, Endemol’s Short Cuts: The Short Movie Channel, nature channel On Earth from BBC Worldwide, dance music channel Mixmag TV, royals news and gossip channel The Royals, Guinness World Records: OMG, fashion channel Fashtag, comedy channel Bad Teeth and health/wellness offer Body Talk Daily from U.K. content producer All3Media.

Said Kyncl’s blog post:

A lot has happened since we announced nearly 100 new original channels coming to YouTube: 7-year-old Ruby taught Amy Poehler about feminism. Rainn Wilson interviewed Deepak Chopra in the back of a mysterious van, and Phil DeFranco’s SourceFed became one of the hottest comedy news shows on the Web or TV. What do all these moments have in common? They’re being created for you on YouTube. And, when we look at the numbers, you’re liking what you watch:

Our top 25 original channels are now averaging over a million views every week

800 million of you are watching 4 billion hours every month, that’s up from 3 billion hours earlier this year

The number of people subscribing has doubled y/y

And partners this year are reaching the 100k subscriber mark 5x faster than they were just two years ago

Given the success of these and the tens of millions of other amazing channels already out there, we still know there’s more great content to find, follow and fall in love with on YouTube. That’s why today, we’re excited to launch a new generation of original channels coming from France, Germany, the UK and the US.

From local cuisine, health and wellness and parenting to sports, music, comedy, animation and news, this new lineup of original channels will have something for everyone. They are backed by some of the biggest producers, well-known celebrities and emerging media companies from Europe and the U.S.

You can get a sneak peek of the all the coming new channels here. So go and find something to love and stay tuned as this new generation of channels roll out in the months ahead.

See The Hollywood Reporter story here