YouTube spending $100 million for original content channels

Written By: Nadia Ibanez

Rumors are spreading today that YouTube is reportedly launching about 20 different “channels” that would feature hours of original content each week on sports, entertainment, arts and others. The channels would be web pages built around the content and Google’s YouTube will reportedly spend nearly $100 million to get this new project up and running. YouTube is in also in talks with Hollywood talent agencies to attract content makers to develop material for the channels.

While all of the details on the new “webisodes” are still unclear, YouTube hopes that their fans and users will start using the website in the same way they would watch regular television. Hulu is currently one of the big players who have effectively brought TV viewers to the web to watch their favorite shows and reruns. Hulu is independently run and owned by NBCUniversal, News Corp., The Walt Disney Co. and a private equity firm.

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YouTube may be following Netflix’s lead, who just signed a deal to bring the first four seasons of AMC’s Mad Men to Netflix this summer. Netflix has also tied up streaming rights to the show’s upcoming fifth and sixth seasons, with a potential to rights for the seventh season.

The original programming is slated to appear on YouTube this year. Let’s see if YouTube will become the latest and greatest outlet for people to watch TV on the Internet.