Hot on the heals of Channel 4, Five has become the second UK broadcaster to make a selection of programmes available through YouTube.
Channel Five has signed a three-year deal with the popular video sharing website to allow viewers to catch up on some of its soaps and other popular programmes up to 30 days after transmission.
Available almost immediately after transmission, the Australian soap Neighbours along with Home and Away and popular UK offerings such as The Hotel Inspector and The Gadget Show will all be available on demand.
In total, around 250 hours of Five programming will become available through YouTube. At the moment however, the line up will not include popular US TV shows such as CSI and FlashForward. Five are confident that they will come to an agreement with the US right holders to make them available at some future date.
As well as expanding their audience, the major broadcasters see collaboration with YouTube as a way to circumvent the illegal uploading of programmes to the video sharing website.
Channel 4 have recently signed a similar agreement with YouTube and both the BBC and ITV are in negotiations to make selected content available.
These type of agreements looks like a good deal for all parties. YouTube are anxious to increase advertising revenue (from what has been a loss making site up to now) through quality content; the major broadcasters have a medium through which they significantly increase viewer numbers and will also generate advertising revenue themselves through material they display on YouTube.
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