Following rumors for the better part of the year, YouTube has finally made the official announcement regarding a set of forthcoming channels aimed at creating a higher quality YouTube with channels that could rival those of cable television (though Google maintains it is not trying to replace cable just yet).
Google says more talented creators and original entertainment are joining YouTube’s existing channel lineup, and that this will include channels created by “well-known personalities and content producers from the TV, film, music, news, and sports fields, as well as some of the most innovative up-and-coming media companies in the world and some of YouTube’s own existing partners.”
“These channels will have something for everyone, whether you’re a mom, a comedy fan, a sports nut, a music lover or a pop-culture maven,” says Robert Kyncl, Global Head of Content Partnerships.
“Our goal with this channels expansion, along with the grants and educational programs we’ve launched in the past year, is to bring an even broader range of entertainment to YouTube, giving you more reasons to keep coming back again and again,” he adds. “And for advertisers, these channels will represent a new way to engage and reach their global consumers.”
You may recall that Google was said to be trying to acquire Hulu, though Hulu took itself off the market.
This announcement comes on the heels a big Google TV update announcement, further emphasizing Google’s push into the living room. More on that here.
Of course YouTube is far bigger than Google TV, and probably bigger than it ever will be, and there are a lot more avenues into the living room that YouTube has access to, not that you have to be in the living room to enjoy quality content.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how good these channels are, and if they can gain the kind of viewing that well-known TV networks get.
Google says the first of the channels will appear next month, with more coming over the next year.