The world’s largest video hosting site will be coming up with a transaction-based model that offers interested users flexibility in both choice and payment when it comes to Video-On-Demand (VOD) movies. Users are expected to pay a purchase fee only when they watch movie streams on Youtube channels, and this is could be a warm contrast to existing subscription models.
There has been no mention of an actual date the service is expected to take flight so far but tentative dates may be thrown out in the coming weeks. Given Google’s usual haste and efficiency, it wouldn’t be surprising if the service gets up by next week.
YouTube isn’t the first big player to explore the online VOD market, as Apple has already established a strong and firm hold of the existing market with iTunes back in 2008. iTunes strengthened their media support 3 years ago by adding a video rental service that includes movies from the industry’s biggest players Sony, Warner Bros, Fox, Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and even smaller studios such as Lion’s Gate. YouTube has clearly announced their ambition in typical Google fashion by getting the same big names to license their movies on their service as well.
YouTube has signed up a number of high-profile media executives, including former Netflix boss Robert Kyncl. Two Paramount executives, Alex Carloss and Malik Ducard, have also joined YouTube recently, along with Universal Sports chief Claude Ruibal.
Although it remains to be seen whether YouTube will be a formal challenger to Apple’s current reign with few details on the stream technology, streaming speed, movie release dates and especially price, their transaction based model should be a warm welcome to the current saturation of subscription based rental services. Youtube should expect to match Apple’s pricing –which goes as low as $2.95 for their iTune movie rentals. The movies will be available on the same day and date as they can be rented at video stores or iTunes, far ahead of other subscription streaming services such as Netflix.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/finally-youtube-launching-streaming-movies-2011-4
Enjoyed this article? "Like" it on Facebook and drop us a comment!
