Deals, Mergers, Funding, Partnerships and Aquisitions in the Internet TV, IPTV and Web Video industry
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.

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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.