YouTube is reportedly going to soon feature paid subscription-only channels.
Google has been exploring options to generate more revenue from its services, YouTube in particular. More ads (skippable and non-skippable) are definitely noticeable on YouTube. And now reports suggest the largest video sharing site will be soon introducing new paid subscription-only channels.
Citing multiple people familiar with the plans, AdAge claims YouTube team is already in talks with several video producers to come up with channels that would require a fee for viewing. First producers that are supposed to come with paid channels are Machinima, Maker Studios, and Fullscreen while Google is looking for more partners.
The paid channels would priced between $1 and $5 a month. Google is also planning to charge for other features on the site such as libraries of videos, financial advice shows, self-help and live events.
Google is likely to begin with about 25 such paid channels, which are expected to be launched by the second quarter of this year.
"We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models," a Google spokesman said in a statement to AdAge. "The important thing is that, regardless of the model, our creators succeed on the platform. There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we're looking at that."
Paid video on YouTube has been often rumoured, especially after the company hinted it was considering paid services for its users. At the AllThingsD media conference last year, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar revealed plans to poaching second or third-tier cable networks.
