YouTube expanding, print and press shrinking?
It was already raking in millions of unique visitors each month, even being known for its vast collection of much funny, yet fuzzy, video content. Now it’s getting even bigger. YouTube has not only begun to expand its library of full-length movies and TV shows, but it’s freshening up its advertising and adding several new content partners, Fox News reported.
The new longer videos are available at http://www.youtube.com/shows. Just look for the new tab “Shows” on the YouTube Home page.
Of course, this move was designed to generate more profits. What moves today aren’t made for money anymore? Not to mention many other sites have already made much of this same content available in full format. Hulu.com and SideReel.com are but two examples of hundreds out there.
Most of the free content will be older programs and movies like “Beverly Hillbillies” and “Cliffhanger.” Still, free is free, and if it’s free, it’s for me…right?
According to Fox News, revenue generated from ads will be shared with YouTube’s at least dozen content providers.
And let’s not forget who owns YouTube…none other than the online mega magnate Google. So Google teamed up with YouTube. That makes a powerful combination, two of the biggest names on the Internet. Knowing this, it may be surprising to discover that Google has owned YouTube since 2006, with the famous online video spot yet to make any headway as a major marketing vehicle since Google bought it out for $1.76 billion, as Google reports show.
Either way, the new YouTube will likely only continue to press onward toward a more online media-centered world. With TV and movies available online for free, a provision that’s growing exponentially by day, my biggest concern is what appears to be inevitable: the complete deterioration of print media. It’s already taking place with newspapers and magazines. Thousands of people have been laid off to cut costs with the soaring rise in electronic media outlets.
Is this jump toward what only seems to be a Jetson’s fantastic, futuristic way of life (anything and everything available at the touch of a button or hologram screen) really for the better? What are we losing in the process?
Movies and television online today…what’s online tomorrow?
Brittany @ May 21, 2009