YouTube To Cut Funding To 60% Of Channels
One year on from YouTube’s original Channel initiative, an attempt to make YouTube more similar to mainstream television, the viral video hosting site is about to stop funding the large majority of sponsored channels.
In December 2011, YouTube gave 160 companies up to $5 million each to create a branded channel, the advertising proceeds from which would be given to YouTube until the original funding had been reimbursed.
YouTube promised to feature each channel prominently on their homepage and relinquished all rights to any content shown. Meanwhile, the channel had to release their footage exclusively on YouTube for the first year.
Now that first year is up and YouTube have decided that instead of continuing to fund all the channels, the majority will be cut loose. The channels that have their funding cut will still be able to create new content and upload it, but it is doubtful that the quality of the content will stay the same.
At first, the success of each channel was measured by the amount of views it amassed, but in the past few months YouTube have notified their content creators that the total viewing time for each channel is more important.
In August, Eric Meyerson explained the reasoning behind the change in focus:
“If viewers are watching more YouTube, it signals to us that they’re happier with the content they’ve found. It means that creators are attracting more engaged audiences. It also opens up more opportunities to generate revenue for our partners.”
Channel administrators are now able to see an estimation of how long people have watched their content, thanks to a change to the channel page’s layout last month.
YouTube’s second year of channels will almost certainly reaffirm their intention of imitating traditional television. It is also unlikely that the amount of content will decrease, with YouTube looking to sponsor new channels abroad.
In its second iteration, YouTube is releasing original channels in Europe, with brands in France, Germany and the UK all set to gain sponsorship deals.
YouTube are yet to release any details of which brand channels are facing the chop, but the ratings on independent websites deadline.com and adage.com make it pretty clear.
Which channels do you think will make the cut?
Contact us on Twitter or leave your comments below.
Will Sigsworth
Follow us @SocialMediaF & @WillAtSMF
www.socialmediafrontiers.com
In December 2011, YouTube gave 160 companies up to $5 million each to create a branded channel, the advertising proceeds from which would be given to YouTube until the original funding had been reimbursed.
YouTube promised to feature each channel prominently on their homepage and relinquished all rights to any content shown. Meanwhile, the channel had to release their footage exclusively on YouTube for the first year.
Now that first year is up and YouTube have decided that instead of continuing to fund all the channels, the majority will be cut loose. The channels that have their funding cut will still be able to create new content and upload it, but it is doubtful that the quality of the content will stay the same.
At first, the success of each channel was measured by the amount of views it amassed, but in the past few months YouTube have notified their content creators that the total viewing time for each channel is more important.
In August, Eric Meyerson explained the reasoning behind the change in focus:
“If viewers are watching more YouTube, it signals to us that they’re happier with the content they’ve found. It means that creators are attracting more engaged audiences. It also opens up more opportunities to generate revenue for our partners.”
Channel administrators are now able to see an estimation of how long people have watched their content, thanks to a change to the channel page’s layout last month.
YouTube’s second year of channels will almost certainly reaffirm their intention of imitating traditional television. It is also unlikely that the amount of content will decrease, with YouTube looking to sponsor new channels abroad.
In its second iteration, YouTube is releasing original channels in Europe, with brands in France, Germany and the UK all set to gain sponsorship deals.
The video hosting site is further imitating television with a new app that allows content from mobile platforms to be streamed directly onto Google televisions.
YouTube are yet to release any details of which brand channels are facing the chop, but the ratings on independent websites deadline.com and adage.com make it pretty clear.
Which channels do you think will make the cut?
Contact us on Twitter or leave your comments below.
Will Sigsworth
Follow us @SocialMediaF & @WillAtSMF
www.socialmediafrontiers.com
YouTube To Cut Funding To 60% Of Channels
Reviewed by Unknown
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012
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Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Rating:
Unknown
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