It’s a simple question – would you pay to stream an episode of a TV show on YouTube? It would cost the same as on iTunes and Amazon but it would be a one-off rental deal, with no download or ownership option. Well, would you?

YouTube Diversifying

Yesterday I wrote about how YouTube was launching its first ever offline advertising campaign in the U.K. Meant to promote the new TV content from Channel 4 and other broadcasters, it clearly spelled out YouTube’s intentions to succeed with professional content.

Now, just a day later and MediaMemo is claiming that YouTube is in early negotiations with networks and studios about offering shows through YouTube for a price. This comes three months after similar reports emerged but with movies being the order of the day.

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YouTube’s move into the realm of professional and full-length content continues apace. And it’s now launching its first ever offline advertising campaign to promote the ‘Shows’ section of the U.K. version of the site.

The Past

When YouTube began it was, like every young online video startup, a lawless place with all sorts of content. But that couldn’t continue, and Google’s buyout along with Viacom’s $1 billion lawsuit meant the site had to ‘go legit’, with copyrighted content a no-no.

This meant that UGC was focused on almost solely, with YouTube building a reputation as THE place to go for amateur-shot videos.

But that alone wasn’t going to see Google spin a profit from its massive investment. So YouTube aimed to place more professionally produced, copyrighted content on the site. Alongside both the deals that made it legal and the advertising to (hopefully) pay for it.

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The Italian prosecutors currently pursuing Google and its executives through court in Milan are seeking jail sentences for all four of the accused in a case concerning a UGC video uploaded in 2006. At stake in the case is the very freedom of the Internet.

The Blame Game

Bullying in all its various forms is a disgusting act that should be stamped out at all costs. However, when the people doing the bullying, in this case of a disabled teenager with Down Syndrome, upload a video of them doing it, are they to blame or is it the site owner?

That’s the question currently being asked, in essence, in a Milan court. Four Google executives have been brought to trial on charges of defamation and failure to exercise control over personal data over the video uploaded to the now-defunct Google Video in 2006.

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British viewers now have a new section of YouTube named ‘Shows’. It contains clips and full episodes from 60 partners, with more promised to follow. The bulk of the content comes from Channel 4, which is running the venture alongside its own 4oD.

Professional YouTube

YouTube has been seeking to add full-length episodic content and movies to its line-up for a while now. And it’s starting to see the fruits of its labor, at least in the U.K.

While UGC is still a huge part of the Google-owned site, and will no doubt continue to be, YouTube knows that professional content is essential if it’s to become profitable.

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Every month new viewing figures for online video are released and they tend to follow a similar pattern – YouTube at the top, and everyone else scrabbling for top 10 positions. However, this month saw something different, with Facebook surprising everyone by jumping to third.

Online Video Stats

Nielsen, as well as a number of other companies, measure the number of streams viewed on online video destinations every month.

October was no exception, although the figures were more interesting than usual. mainly because while the top two of YouTube and Hulu remained the same, there were some big changes after that. And it could be the start of a trend set to get stronger over the next few months/years.

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Citizen journalists have increased both in number and importance in recent years. And Google is now seeking to bring some order to the chaos of how amateur footage is delivered online with YouTube Direct matching citizen journalists with news media organizations.

Citizen Journalists

There was a time when news coverage was strictly professional, delivered by paid reporters, photographers, and cameramen. And then everything changed with digital cameras and video cameras standard on cellphones.

Now, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be a citizen journalist, reporting the news as it happens in front of them. Twitter and social networks are an important facet of this trend, as is online video and in particular YouTube.

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YouTube is now offering viewers the chance to watch videos in Full HD or 1080p high-definition.

This is an important move not just to support the increasing number of home video cameras with HD options but also to give professional content creators confidence that the platform is right for their work.

YouTube Video Quality

When YouTube first launched four years ago, video quality (360p) on the site wasn’t great. But that wasn’t what the site was about so it didn’t matter. YouTube was there to offer a free and easy way for people to host video online. And it did that so well that Google paid $1.65 billion for the site a year later.

But times move on, as does technology.

YouTube first started offering a ‘High Quality’ (480p) version of some videos, and while the difference wasn’t vast it was noticeable. Then in December 2008 YouTube launched ‘High-Definition’ video, which took the clips to a native 720p.

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