YouTube has been expanding its reach in the media industry, and its latest effort is to make deals with media companies to feature their shows and films, which will be shown through an ad-supported hub.
YouTube's Future Plans
Should YouTube pursue this course, it will become a part of the Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television industry (FAST). YouTube will be a competitor with the likes of Roku, Tubi, and Pluto TV if they choose to launch content that matches current channels'.
YouTube has already confirmed that it's already launching the hub out with a small audience to test the waters. They mentioned that the company is always looking for new ways to provide viewers with ways to watch content that matters most to them.
According to Engadget, YouTube is planning to make deals with Lionsgate, A+E Networks, and FilmRise. This gives viewers a service that could provide free films and shows to watch with the small price of simply watching ads.
The company is evidently dedicated to broadening its reach in media, and it has been a while since YouTube was confined to streaming through its website. They are also not new to the channel streaming scene, since the release of YouTube TV.
They have already teamed up with primetime channels like Showtime, Starz, Paramount+, and AMC+. To add to YouTube's growing list of expansions, they also acquired the streaming rights to NFL's Sunday Ticket which is a seven-year deal.
What's the Difference with YouTube TV?
For one, YouTube TV is a subscription service, which means you'll have to pay monthly or annually to access its content. Also, since you're already paying for a subscription, you're not required to watch the ads. You can skip right through it.
Compared to what YouTube is planning, it'll function like cable TV. After a certain amount of time, you'd be getting ads and they can't be skipped like TV commercials. It's a small inconvenience when you get to watch shows for free.
Although, YouTube TV will likely still offer more than the hub that the company plans to launch. YouTube's expansion might just be so they can stream shows and movies that would otherwise go unnoticed on their subscription platform.
Since it's still in its early stages, there is no information on what kind of content will be streamed on the hub. It's highly unlikely that they will show content that would drive away subscribers from YouTube TV, so don't expect too much.
The best way to access the TV shows, movies, and live TV that you want to watch is still YouTube TV as of now. If you're in doubt, just note that YouTube TV is currently the top service when it comes to the number of paid subscribers, according to Digital Trends.
As of June 2022, it announced that it has around five million subscribers, which was around three million back in October 2022. It's probably due to the fact that the service offers a lot of content, is easy to use, and offers streaming live TV in 4K.
