YouTube movie rental launch delayed by Disney, Fox, Paramount
An initiative by Google to launch movie rentals through its YouTube service will reportedly arrive without the catalogs of some of the movie industry's most prominent studios, who are infuriated that the search giant continues to allow users to access video piracy sites through its search results.
According to a report by The Wrap, both Fox and Paramount have confirmed an intention to "not move forward with any deal at this time," while Disney has not signed on and is but is thought to be similarly opposed.
Warner Bros., Sony and Universal have already signed deals to participate in the new YouTube rental service, viewing its potential 130 million monthly users as a "massive new potential audience for renting movies," according to the report.
"It?s unproven as to whether this audience through this medium will pay for content," the report cited an unnamed Sony executive as saying, "But it?s a huge audience. And it?s an audience that pays for video."
The holdout studios are upset that Google has "not taken adequate steps to stop supporting piracy sites," and reportedly one executive has specifically warned Google that it "needs to stop supporting pirate sites by linking them in searches and advertising on them."
Google hopes to convert its YouTube operations, acquired in late 2006 for $1.65 billion, from an expensive experiment into a more profitable enterprise. The company recently shuttered its own home-grown Google Video, converting its remaining material to YouTube.
Google began serving ad-supported films and TV episodes from MGM, Lions Gate and CBS in 2009, and launched a "beta" movie rentals program earlier this year, open to a variety of publishers who want to monetize videos via variable on-demand pricing.
The launch of YouTube's commercial movie rentals program is now hanging on obtaining deals with all the major labels. In contrast, Apple launched its TV business and subsequently its movie downloads with just a few initial launch partners, largely centered upon its close partnership with Disney. It has since signed up all the major TV and movie studios, although it has shown less interest in supporting the work of indie filmmakers.
Google's major competitors include Apple's iTunes, which both sells downloads and rents streaming downloads of commercial movies and TV shows but does not rent non-commercial videos (providing only free access to podcasts and iTunes U content); Amazon, which streams rentals of 5,000 commercial movies and TV shows via a web browser; and Netflix, which streams subscription content of a wide selection of devices, including game consoles, iOS devices and other dedicated appliances in addition to web browsers.
According to a report by The Wrap, both Fox and Paramount have confirmed an intention to "not move forward with any deal at this time," while Disney has not signed on and is but is thought to be similarly opposed.
Warner Bros., Sony and Universal have already signed deals to participate in the new YouTube rental service, viewing its potential 130 million monthly users as a "massive new potential audience for renting movies," according to the report.
"It?s unproven as to whether this audience through this medium will pay for content," the report cited an unnamed Sony executive as saying, "But it?s a huge audience. And it?s an audience that pays for video."
The holdout studios are upset that Google has "not taken adequate steps to stop supporting piracy sites," and reportedly one executive has specifically warned Google that it "needs to stop supporting pirate sites by linking them in searches and advertising on them."
Google hopes to convert its YouTube operations, acquired in late 2006 for $1.65 billion, from an expensive experiment into a more profitable enterprise. The company recently shuttered its own home-grown Google Video, converting its remaining material to YouTube.
Google began serving ad-supported films and TV episodes from MGM, Lions Gate and CBS in 2009, and launched a "beta" movie rentals program earlier this year, open to a variety of publishers who want to monetize videos via variable on-demand pricing.
The launch of YouTube's commercial movie rentals program is now hanging on obtaining deals with all the major labels. In contrast, Apple launched its TV business and subsequently its movie downloads with just a few initial launch partners, largely centered upon its close partnership with Disney. It has since signed up all the major TV and movie studios, although it has shown less interest in supporting the work of indie filmmakers.
Google's major competitors include Apple's iTunes, which both sells downloads and rents streaming downloads of commercial movies and TV shows but does not rent non-commercial videos (providing only free access to podcasts and iTunes U content); Amazon, which streams rentals of 5,000 commercial movies and TV shows via a web browser; and Netflix, which streams subscription content of a wide selection of devices, including game consoles, iOS devices and other dedicated appliances in addition to web browsers.
Comments
Google's plans to launch movie rentals through its YouTube service have been delayed by studios upset that the search giant has been directing users to piracy sites. ...
As much as I'd love to see Google fail in this endeavour, that's a pretty lame (and slightly outrageous) excuse. It amounts to saying "we will give you our business only if you stop doing business with people we don't like."
What's next, the USA unilaterally censoring the entire Internet?
oh wait ...
"It’s unproven as to whether this audience through this medium will pay for content," the report cited an unnamed Sony executive as saying, "But it’s a huge audience. And it’s an audience that pays for video."
Wait... what? Oh.
In contrast Apple launched with just a couple of partners? That's not a contrast. That's the same thing.
True, but that started back in late 2006 when the AppleTV was first announced. I think that unusual announcement was to get more studios onboard for its release which ended up making the product one of Apple?s biggest commercial failures of the 21st century.
Now iTunes, Netflix and Hulu seem to serve most people?s streaming TV and movie needs. I think that means Google needs more than a few scrapes in order to make this a hearty service.
Also, I think using the YouTube brand is a bad idea. It?s known for being a place for free videos, not for paid content. There is a perception they need to change if they want this to work.
In contrast Apple launched with just a couple of partners? That's not a contrast. That's the same thing.
No, Google is trying to get everyone on from the start, which is why it hasn't launched yet. Apple knew that wasn't possible when it trail-blazed the digital movie market years ago.
That is a contrast, not "the same thing."
As much as I'd love to see Google fail in this endeavour, that's a pretty lame (and slightly outrageous) excuse. It amounts to saying "we will give you our business only if you stop doing business with people we don't like."
What's next, the USA unilaterally censoring the entire Internet?
oh wait ...
While I agree with your second point about the outrageous excuse the movie industry is giving towards Google, why would you wish for them to fail? Even as an avid iTunes user, which I'm guessing you are, you would want this new system to succeed and flourish, if only to add competition to Apple's own service. Competition results in innovation, typically lowers prices, and provides better experiences to all users of any service. Just look at Netflix as a prime example - they're so successful that they made a deal to put Netflix on AppleTV, if only because Netflix offers a great experience that Apple simply does not offer. Users benefit.
I'm both an iOS and an Android fan. I love the experience on both platforms. While I can chose only one on my phone, I want both of these platforms to continue to innovate and keep each other on their toes. Its why I root for Windows Phone and WebOS as well.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't know why anyone would want to watch anything of any decent length - like a movie - on YouTube.
I'm wondering whether YouTube on the AppleTV will play rented content too. That could be interesting.
I can't even get YouTube to play a 3-minute cat video without pausing to load (which rarely happens in any other streaming media player I use - iTunes, Netflix, or ABC's player on the iPad).
Yeah, that would be an issue. It needs to work well.
Time will tell.... or should have already right since this service has been going a while (in the US), just not with the big names....?
As much as I'd love to see Google fail in this endeavour, that's a pretty lame (and slightly outrageous) excuse. It amounts to saying "we will give you our business only if you stop doing business with people we don't like."
What's next, the USA unilaterally censoring the entire Internet?
oh wait ...
Yeah. How outrageous. How dare Sony, Disney or any other firm be upset that Google is telling people to go and steal their products from unauthorized sources. It isn't as if its taking money out of their pockets or something.
Oh. One other point. We all have a choice about who we do business with. Why would you be upset if Disney chooses not to do business with Google. It is their choice after all. Or would you change the rules so that we are all told who we will be forced to do business with? Whether we want to or not.
Yeah. How outrageous. How dare Sony, Disney or any other firm be upset that Google is telling people to go and steal their products from unauthorized sources. It isn't as if its taking money out of their pockets or something.
Oh. One other point. We all have a choice about who we do business with. Why would you be upset if Disney chooses not to do business with Google. It is their choice after all. Or would you change the rules so that we are all told who we will be forced to do business with? Whether we want to or not.
Since when has filtering been effective at stopping piracy? Why don't you ask apple about that and the pirated apps that exist even in their store?
As much as I'd love to see Google fail in this endeavour, that's a pretty lame (and slightly outrageous) excuse. It amounts to saying "we will give you our business only if you stop doing business with people we don't like."
What's next, the USA unilaterally censoring the entire Internet?
oh wait ...
Since when has filtering been effective at stopping piracy? Why don't you ask apple about that and the pirated apps that exist even in their store?
It isn't a matter of stopping piracy (at least for this topic and discussion). The issue is who a company chooses to do business with and the reason for that decision. Those companies believe that Google is encouraging and/or facilitating piracy of their products and have decided, for now, to not do business with Google. Their choice. Their reasons. Their right.
Or would you take that right from them?
Those companies believe that Google is encouraging and/or facilitating piracy of their products and have decided, for now, to not do business with Google. Their choice. Their reasons. Their right.
Or would you take that right from them?
While this is true, it is hard to disagree with Disney etc when you have Google cutting fan videos because they are using copyrighted video or audio and yet full movies or at least links to them are being posted
Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't know why anyone would want to watch anything of any decent length - like a movie - on YouTube. I can't even get YouTube to play a 3-minute cat video without pausing to load (which rarely happens in any other streaming media player I use - iTunes, Netflix, or ABC's player on the iPad).
i think just as another poster on here said that Google needs to create another web app or website and link the Google crap to that but keep the hi-end movie stuff separate on another channel
youtube has so much crap and junk and I'm not sure i trust entering my credit card info on a youtube page-
i think just as another poster on here said that Google needs to create another web app or website and link the Google crap to that but keep the hi-end movie stuff separate on another channel
youtube has so much crap and junk and I'm not sure i trust entering my credit card info on a youtube page-
When I think "youtube" I think user uploaded videos of kittens being cute, guys getting hit int he crotch, or other funny/cute stuff. Google should make a new site for Hollywood videos. I don't like the mix of professional and user uploaded material on the same site.
With Facebook and YouTube being valued at billions of dollars I do wonder about the direction of humanity sometimes. Talk about the "idiot box"... There were great thinkers of the past centuries that imagined what a grand library of what human knowledge and meeting of the minds could do.
This is the result:
The silver lining is the Internet giving voice to the repressed and the previously unheard (sometimes for good reason *cough*).
i think just as another poster on here said that Google needs to create another web app or website and link the Google crap to that but keep the hi-end movie stuff separate on another channel
youtube has so much crap and junk and I'm not sure i trust entering my credit card info on a youtube page-
Apple isn't making it's Movie Cloud available to home movies.
YouTube was created for Home Movies.
Google should have anticipated this years ago.
Apple isn't making it's Movie Cloud available to home movies.
YouTube was created for Home Movies.
Google should have anticipated this years ago.
Whilst I can't help but think this will be a raging success... I totally agree it doesn't make much sense on the YouTube website, just look at the name: YouTube.
just look at the name: YouTube.
That's where HollyTube begins eh?