Really no surprise here – Sky has ruled out sticking its VOD on YouTube because YouTube doesn’t offer the kind of subscription option Sky knows and loves so much, Telegraph.co.uk reports.
In the coming UK VOD arm’s race, YouTube has put itself at an advantage over Hulu, SeeSaw, MSN and perhaps even shared iPlayer by landing ad-supported C4 and Five for its Shows section.
Telegraph.co.uk: “Sky said that it will continue to offer clips of its shows on YouTube but will not allow internet users to watch any full-length programmes for free.” Sky’s own Sky Player requires a Sky subscription.
But perhaps Sky, which now acknowledges it needs to be on platforms other than its own DSAT, need not fret for too long. After recent reports YouTube is considering adding a premium subscription option to satisfy such content owners, Reuters reports the site’s partnerships chief David Eun as being open to the idea.
Still, if you actually read the report, Eun says nothing of the sort, and YouTube would be better off making a success of the free TV before it complicates matters.