YouTube ‘in premium content talks with Hollywood’

YouTube has reportedly started new content talks with Hollywood and indie producers in an effort to bolster its premium programming efforts.

According to a Reuters report, YouTube executives have been “making the rounds” in the last two months, with one unnamed source claiming the Google-owned video site could offer between US$1 million and US$3 million for a series of programmes.

A second source said that YouTube is interested in TV network-quality web shows that are shorter than 30 minutes in running length.

YouTube first made its first big push into original content back in 2011, courting professional producers and spending a reported US$100 million to bring 100 premium content channels to the site. It later expanded the channels scheme to Europe, though the initiative has since been scaled back.

Since then online rivals Amazon and Netflix have both been active in the original online content space, with the latter producing big-budget programmes such as Orange is the New Black and the Emmy Award-winning House of Cards.