Online

YouTube To Offer Both Paid And Ad-Supported Movie Rentals?

The Wall Street Journal reports that YouTube is deep in discussions with the movie studios to offer both paid (likely $US3.99) and ad-supported movie rentals. This would include new releases, which would be new to YouTube.

Lion’s Gate, Sony and Warner Bros are all reportedly discussing such a service with Google (who owns YouTube), although details are thin. Negotiations are still ongoing, so a lot of major issues are still unresolved: Will downloads be available? Which films would be ad-supported versus a flat fee? What about TV shows? But if YouTube could get a solid, competitive system going, they’d have a fair chance at competing with Hulu, iTunes and Crackle and maybe even turn a profit one of these days. [WSJ]

Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)

  • TheCrudMan

    @Keeter:
    ZOMG I CAN'T BELIEVEZ ROSEBUD WAS HIS SLED THAT WAS SO MAD GEH.

    TheCrudMan

  • TheCrudMan

    I am so sick of ads on YouTube. I go to YouTube to watch a trailer for a game or something and have to sit through an ad...IN ORDER TO WATCH AN AD. This is craziness and has to stop.

    TheCrudMan

  • ellito

    @diverguy: Probably

  • roy: You´re the best,

    @Kyle Mohr: SECOND REPLY

    I NEED MA NEKKED CHIX?

  • EnochLight

    @Kaiser-Machead: LOL - drama prairie dog never gets old.

    EnochLight

  • Jux

    @glaeven:
    Because we can, can, can
    Yes we can, can, can, can
    Can, can, can, can, can
    Oh, oh
    Oh, oh
    Oh, oh
    Oh, oh
    Oh, oh
    Oh, oh

    Everybody can, can

  • bustedchain

    @Kaiser-Machead: That vid says it all... but I see your prairie dog and raise you a...

    bustedchain

  • diverguy

    Likely blocked everywhere but the US.

    diverguy

  • laxman15

    I think this is great news. Hulu for TV, YouTube for movies and stupid, useless videos. I can finally say goodbye to DirecTV and their stupid laggy as hell DVR

  • endless06

    @glaeven: why go to the park to fly a kite when you can just pop a pill?

    endless06

  • Colonel Jack O'Neill

    I watch a lot of Hulu, and ads during the tv shows are O.K, but ads during a movie is annoying.
    If it comes to youtube the same time as the DVD comes out, then I can tolerate the ads.

  • Brisco_County_Jr

    With Movie Studios being part of the site along with user movies, will it be renamed from YouTube to YouAndThemTube?

  • Kyle Mohr

    @Keeter: FIRST REPLY

    THIS VIDEO SUX WERE DA NEKKED CHIX?

    Kyle Mohr

  • puffnstuff

    @glaeven:

    because

  • Keeter

    This is perfect! I tried Hulu, but wished I could watch a movie with 2,000 idiotic comments underneath it. Finally I can fulfill my dreams.

  • ryno365

    @glaeven:

    why not?

    ryno365

  • Kyle Mohr

    This reminds me of the dumbest Facebook group "Don't turn Facebook into a paying site". Some idiot is going to turn this around and think that you have to pay $4 to watch any video on YouTube, I just know it.

    Kyle Mohr

  • (Starman) AnalysisDialysis

    Well, here's hoping KeepVid will still work... =P

    (Starman) AnalysisDialysis

  • glaeven

    why?

    glaeven

  • Kaiser-Machead

    Oh my...

    Kaiser-Machead

  • ryno365

    Goodbye blockbuster. You won't be missed.

    ryno365

  • MaiaPhorcys

    If this isn't a reason for the cable company to push metering then I don't know what is.

    MaiaPhorcys

  • croush1211

    @TheCrudMan: You're supposed to just view the other ad as a trailer also. "Coming tomorrow, when you go to the McDonalds at the end of your street... the new McCafe Mocha Latte!"

  • Underscore_Lysdexia

    Queue Youtube only being available to the US once that thing comes out

    Underscore_Lysdexia

  • OCEntertainment

    Look, not that I'm not all in favor of more internet-based media, but isn't this kind of the opposite of the point of YouTube? I mean YouTube was supposed to be a platform for the everyman broadcast. A place where you could garner a public audience no matter how awful your video/vlog is.

    I suppose the combination of a solid video streaming platform and a solid brand is appealing to some folks. It just doesn't fit, IMHO.

  • Experiment626

    Ha. No thanks, Youtube. I got Hulu and Netflix already.

  • Vroomtrap

    @OCEntertainment: Key word: was

    That was back when Chad and company were running it. Google needs to do something to try and make money off of it.

Post Your Comments

Got something to say? There are two ways to comment:

1. Guests

Click here to comment instantly.

2. Facebook Users

Click below to comment using your Facebook account.

We're looking for comments that are interesting, substantial or highly amusing. If your comments are excessively self-promotional, obnoxious, or even worse, boring, you will be banned from commenting. All comments are moderated.