As was rumored for some time, YouTube has started charging for content, with paid channels making their debut. The pilot scheme gives qualifying partners the opportunity to erect paywalls, but will viewers pay in the numbers needed to make this worthwhile?

Paid YouTube Channels

YouTube has rolled out its first paid content, with a pilot scheme which sees 50 channels offering subscriptions costing $0.99 per month. All offer a 14-day free trial, and there are discounts for longer subscriptions.

The pilot scheme includes channels as diverse as Jim Henson Family TV, UFC Select, and GayDirect. In the coming months YouTube is promising a wider rollout which will see partners able to set up their own paid offerings.

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Amazon has taken on the episodic version of Zombieland in order to add to its Instant Video lineup. Which further cements the feeling that television networks are becoming a resource we could well do without, either now or in the near future.

Amazon Takes On Zombieland

Amazon is developing a TV series based on Zombieland, a hit movie starring Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and a cast of unnamed zombies. Oh, and featuring a cameo by Bill Murray.

Zombieland began life as a proposal for a TV series, with CBS buying a pilot. The network decided not to proceed, so writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick turned it into a screenplay for a movie which was eventually released in 2009.

There have been rumors of a sequel, which then morphed into rumors of a TV show based on the movie. That looks like it’s going ahead, but funding is coming from Amazon rather than CBS or any of the other big U.S. networks.

Zombieland looks set to be an Amazon Prime exclusive, but with the project only just getting underway it could be some time before it sees the light of day.

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Netflix has signed a new deal with Disney which will see first-run movies from the media company streaming through the service from 2016. This is a big deal for Netflix, and its shares immediately rose after the news was revealed.

Blurred Lines

The lines between release windows and methods of viewing content are being blurred more and more as time goes on. We’ve already seen films released on demand as well as, or sometimes even instead of, in theaters.

This trend is set to continue, especially as the streaming companies find more money to offer traditional media companies for their wares. Money talks, even (or perhaps especially) when it comes to the big players.

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Up until now there has been one noticeable absence from the programming line-up offered on Hulu. But a new deal struck between Hulu and CBS means all the major networks are now on board. Just as Hulu seems to be heading into choppy waters.

Hulu Bags CBS

ABC, NBC, and Fox have been on board the Hulu ship since it set sail in 2007. These three networks are all partners in the initiative, and they’ve added other networks and channels to the line-up over the course of the five-year voyage.

CBS opted to remain behind and offer its content on its own terms on its own site. However, it has previously licensed The CW slate of programming to Hulu, as well as offer some content through Hulu Japan.

After a new deal was struck, CBS content will now be found on Hulu from January 2013. Hulu Plus subscribers will get first dibs on the programming, with a selection of shows also being rotated through the free Hulu service.

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Rumors are building that Microsoft is preparing to make a bid for Netflix. Rumors that have helped the Netflix stock price jump considerably. But does the unsubstantiated rumor make any sense, or is it just a shot in the dark?

Microsoft Buying Netflix?

The rumors that Microsoft was preparing to buy Netflix reportedly spread like wildfire around Wall Street last week, with the tipping point likely to have been Netflix CEO Reed Hastings stepping down from the Microsoft board of directors. An incoming acquisition bid could be the reason for this move, but there are many other possible reasons too, including the fact that Hastings is too busy to fulfill his role.

CNET is reporting that the rumors claimed Microsoft is willing to pay $90-per-share to get Netflix. Which seems reasonable, especially as the company is now on the rise again after its troubles of 2011. The rumors meant that Netflix stock rose by over 10 percent on Friday (Oct. 26).

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Google’s experiment in turning YouTube from the prime destination for videos of funny cats into something more worthy has been successful in its first year. So more channels, including some for international audiences, are on the way.

Original YouTube Programming

This time last year Google announced it was bringing original content to YouTube in a big way, with 100 premium channels being given a budget and told to go away and produce quality shows. New media companies, YouTube stars, and bona fide celebrities were all involved.

A total sum of $100 was handed out, and once channels made the money back from advertising revenues, they then took their cut. Everyone was set to be a winner, and generally speaking that’s the way it has turned out.

According to a post on the Official YouTube Blog, the top 25 original channels are now averaging more than one million video views every week, while the number of people subscribing to these channels has double year-on-year.

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Netflix is set to continue its slow but sure expansion into international territories with a push into the Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland before the end of 2012. The finer details are sketchy, but the company’s intentions are as clear as day.

Netflix’ International Expansion

Netflix is a very American company, starting out in the U.S. and building a huge userbase of people eager to pay a few dollars each month to receive a smörgåsbord of television and movie offerings.

Despite some missteps along the way, Netflix is still doing well. And at the end of 2010 it expanded across the border into Canada with an offering that got a mixed reception.

In 2011 it expanded down into Latin America, and then at the beginning of 2012 it took a giant leap across the pond to launch in the U.K. and Ireland.

So, where to next?

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