When it comes to watching trailers and teasers of upcoming films or TV shows, YouTube is the place to go to. But when the actual film or show is released, people flock to streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and others. There have been patchy attempts by Google to allow folks to rent movies on Youtube, as well as some original show debuts. But none of that had made Youtube a serious streaming content. But that could end, with Youtube’s new streaming subscription services, ‘Primetime Channels’.
With Primetime Channels, YouTube is bringing in the option to let viewers sign in, browse, and watch their favourite films and TV shows from a range of streaming services. So far, it has teamed up with over 30 channels that you can buy to access and view directly through YouTube, including Paramount+, The Great Courses, Magnolia Selects, Starz, AMC+, and niche-oriented channels, which will soon be joined by NBA League Plus for the sports-lovers.
If you are interested, then go to YouTube’s Movies & TV hub to sign up, following which the channel will appear on the YouTube homepage. Once you do so, you will get a personalized experience that includes not only recommended shows and movies, but also trailers, behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews.
But note that this maiden version of Primetime Channels is solely for viewers in the US (for now), though YouTube does have plans for its global expansion.
With Primetime Channels, YouTube is working on its way to become a one-stop-shop for all things that are digital, viewable, and are in the form of videos.
It is unlikely that the move, though a bold one, will backfire on YouTube, which already boasts of an impressive user base, many of whom watch snippets or trailers of films and shows.
This means that one can watch the latest MrBeast challenge or listen to an Ed Sheeran song, while catching up on Star Trek: Picard or Marvel’s Moon Knight, all from YouTube itself and not having to shift to other platforms and services.
Apparently, YouTube’s Erin Teague feels the same. “You’ll watch trailers on YouTube and leave YouTube to go start from scratch on the streaming service,” Teague, who is head of sports, movies, and shows at YouTube and the leader of Primetime Channels, said. “So we were like, ‘What would happen if we just collapsed that experience and made it convenient to watch all this content in one place?’”
“We are excited to expand our partnership with YouTube to offer customers of Paramount+ another way to stream the content they love,” said Jeff Shultz, Chief Strategy Officer and Business Development Officer, Paramount Streaming. “This new feature gives us the opportunity to expand our presence on YouTube, broadening our reach and giving consumers even more choice when it comes to streaming the best in entertainment.”
Each channel on Primetime Channels will have a curated homepage, and its videos will show up both in the Movies and TV section, as well as in search results, recommendations, and elsewhere around the platform. Since it combines the search results of your searches and preferences both while streaming a movie or a show, or watching unrelated videos elsewhere on the platform, expect to see them pop up in your recommendations alongside what you watch on YouTube as well.
