YouTube is launching Primetime Channels, a new feature that will bring premium streaming services to the platform.
A third-party hub for streaming subscriptions is coming to YouTube, which customers can sign up for to get TV shows, movies, and sports from their favorite channels, Engadget reports.
Primetime Channels Introduces Showtime, Paramount Plus, And Others
The Google-owned company announced that a storefront of 34 streaming services would be available for any YouTube user soon.
This premium feature will let customers get channels like Showtime, Paramount Plus, AMC Plus, and others on its main app, along with their favorite video content creators.
It is notable, however, that major streaming platforms, like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max, are absent from the lineup of streaming services YouTube is welcoming.
According to Variety, the feature is available for users in the United States starting today, and they can sign up for Primetime Channels in Youtube's Movies and TV section.
Primetime Channels will include trailers, interviews, footage from behind the scenes, episodes, and movies that will show up on the homepage and recommendations section.
Furthermore, those who subscribe to the service will be able to search for films and shows from the featured channels through YouTube's search panel.
Users will be also able to like, dislike, and comment on the video, Engadget writes.
However, unlike other videos on YouTube, movies and shows on the app will show a Watch Now button for subscribers or a Pay to Watch option if users are not signed up for the feature.
It is also important to note that users can not simply carry over their existing subscriptions on these channels to YouTube, and they should exclusively sign up to YouTube TV to stream these channels.
YouTube's Streaming Service Entry Is A Pivot For The Company
With this new feature, it is clear that YouTube is attempting to compete as one of the leading streaming hubs in the industry.
According to Deadline, this is a step away from the platform's original programming and traditional strength that prioritizes creator-driven content.
This might be because of the company's first year-to-year decline in advertising revenue since its 2017 launch of YouTube TV.
However, Hollywood is largely uninterested in this idea, as YouTube is reportedly trying to make its own content to replace traditional cable services with YouTube TV.
While giving users a chance to get all of their video fixes in one place at once seems like a good idea, The Verge writes that it will risk pushing content creators further down the homepage.
Despite this, the company sees Primetime Channels as an opportunity to expand globally, especially in areas where streaming infrastructure is hard to create.
With this, YouTube hopes to roll out the new streaming service feature internationally to make itself the center of entertainment in the future.
