YouTube pulling out of high-budget TV shows on the verge of Apple video service debut [u]

Posted:
in General Discussion edited March 2019
Just as Apple is preparing to announce its own video streaming platform, Google's YouTube is effectively abandoning efforts at high-budget scripted TV shows, a report said on Monday. [Updated with denial by Google]

YouTube's
YouTube's "Origin."


Two shows -- "Overthinking with Kat & June," and the science fiction series "Origin" -- have been canceled, and the company is no longer accepting pitches for new scripted projects, according to Bloomberg sources. The pilot episodes of YouTube Originals are typically free to watch, with the rest being gated behind a YouTube Premium subscription. It's uncertain what will happen to other shows like "Step Up: High Water."

Presumably the shows weren't generating expected revenue and viewer numbers. While frequently advertised, none of them have caught on in the same way as other streaming-only titles like Netflix's "Stranger Things," Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale," or Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

YouTube likely doesn't need high-budget Originals to succeed, given that it's considered the de facto platform for most internet video -- personalities like Casey Neistat and Marques Brownlee have become rich even without large budgets or studios behind them.

In an an event today at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1 p.m. Eastern, Apple will reveal its long-anticipated video service mixing original high-budget shows with subscriptions to outside services like Starz, Showtime, and HBO. The latter could cost $9.99 per month each.

AppleInsider will be live from the event at Steve Jobs Theater, with updates as they happen.

Update: Google denied Bloomberg's claims in a statement to AppleInsider.

"Bloomberg's claim that YouTube has cancelled plans for high-end dramas and comedies is highly inaccurate," a spokesman said. "The YouTube Premium model remains the same. We have a full and robust slate of originals, including several scripted projects that are currently in production. We are widening our development filter and actively developing formats and series with global appeal. We are continuing to grow our flourishing SVOD business -- while also opening the aperture to a global audience through a new ad-supported model that will be in place for all of our series and events by the end of the year. We are already touting our single slate strategy to advertisers and will be unveiling a robust slate of new and returning originals in the coming weeks."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    I’m always being nagged by YouTube to sign up. Not gonna happen.
    razorpitcornchip80s_Apple_Guyhmurchisonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    I’m always being nagged by YouTube to sign up. Not gonna happen.
    When you use Youtube or is it "other places"? Or are you talking about YouTubeTV instead?
    edited March 2019 razorpitmicrobe
  • Reply 3 of 22
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    WHAT?!? Google dumping lots of money into something and then yanking the rug out from under it with no warning? That's unheard of. /S
    edited March 2019 leavingthebiggdarren mccoyMacPron2itivguySpamSandwichravnorodomStrangeDaysrazorpitsportyguy209hmurchison
  • Reply 4 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    DAalseth said:
    WHAT?!? Google dumping lots of money into something and then yanking the rug out from under it with no warning? That's unheard of. /S
    Well it got attention for the YouTube TV service which might be all it was intended to do. If you don't try you don't know...
    edited March 2019
  • Reply 5 of 22
    Yikes! I totally forgot Google’s video streaming effort. The media definitely hadn’t written about it and most likely will let this latest killed effort fade away without clickbait headlines, over the top hyperbole, analysts claiming Google is doomed or lost its way or is trying to do too much outside its core strength, etc. 😉
    DAalsethwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Yikes! I totally forgot Google’s video streaming effort. The media definitely hadn’t written about it and most likely will let this latest killed effort fade away without clickbait headlines, over the top hyperbole, analysts claiming Google is doomed or lost its way or is trying to do too much outside its core strength, etc. ߘ馬t;br>
    Popularity:
    https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/youtube-tv-is-more-popular-than-directv-now-playstation-vue-sling-tv-more-according-to-tivo/

    Subscriber numbers:
    https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/03/05/youtube-tv-has-over-1-million-subscribers.aspx

    No one is getting rich from it yet. The models for media delivery may change yet again. 
    edited March 2019
  • Reply 7 of 22
    Well that's a bummer.  I was looking forward to another season of Impulse.  Maybe it will be the exception... /s
    fasterquieter
  • Reply 8 of 22
    NemWanNemWan Posts: 118member
    Cobra Kai is great but many people watched it with their free trial and they'll pay for one month to watch Season 2.
    fasterquietercharlesatlaswatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 22
    I hope somebody else takes Impulse and Cobra Kai if they are abandoned. Loved both of those shows.
    beowulfschmidtwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 22
    I hope somebody else takes Impulse and Cobra Kai if they are abandoned. Loved both of those shows.
    I watched Cobra Kai when I bought a month to watch Impulse.   I was surprised when I watched Cobra Kai and actually like it.  They managed to make Johnny more sympathetic, and Daniel more of a douche, and made it reasonable. :)
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 22
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Even Jeff Bezos recently stated that Amazon is going to shift their priorities in the Prime Video service. I think the field has gotten way too competitive for these companies. Apple and Netflix can still afford to pour billions into new content.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Well that's a bummer.  I was looking forward to another season of Impulse.  Maybe it will be the exception... /s
    Impulse is safe, still on the schedule according to the rumor's source. 
  • Reply 13 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    I hope somebody else takes Impulse and Cobra Kai if they are abandoned. Loved both of those shows.
    Both are safe for at least another season according to Bloomberg who reported the other cancellations. 

    FWIW this isn't exactly a new report. The head of Youtube already noted last year that the budgets were not open-ended on the premium shows, and they'd eventually be moving to an ad-supported but free to view model.
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/youtube-pull-back-scripted-programming-ad-supported-push-1164256
    edited March 2019
  • Reply 14 of 22
    DAalseth said:
    WHAT?!? Google dumping lots of money into something and then yanking the rug out from under it with no warning? That's unheard of. /S
    The amount of money Google wasted on abandoned projects probably outnumbered Apple's Titan project. LOL.
  • Reply 15 of 22
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    I’m always being nagged by YouTube to sign up. Not gonna happen.
    Yeah likewise, the YT iPad app asks me every single week...They just won't take "no" for an answer. 

    These bozos won't even release a native Apple TV app that understands the Play button or uses a scrubber that doesn't suck -- and they think I'm going to want to pay them for it? Lol... Clearly an engineer-run company that continues to fail to understand people.
    edited March 2019 bageljoeywatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 22
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    Apple needs Disney.  If they launch a premium service without them, they’re wasting their time...

    Netflix has the midrange option nailed down.  And, Amazon (with low margins) will dominate the low end.

    Youtube has pay-walled of their better content, so I’ll never see it.  They need an ad supported option...
  • Reply 17 of 22
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    I’m always being nagged by YouTube to sign up. Not gonna happen.
    I signed up, but I'm going to quit. $15 a month for what? it's way to much money for what little you get. The nagging is so annoying and was getting worse and worse. I like being able to turn off the screen and just hear what's playing, but that's not worth $15 a month either. Now with No more Originals, not like I watched any of them, the price point is even worse.
  • Reply 18 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    jbdragon said:
    I’m always being nagged by YouTube to sign up. Not gonna happen.
    I signed up, but I'm going to quit. $15 a month for what? it's way to much money for what little you get. The nagging is so annoying and was getting worse and worse. I like being able to turn off the screen and just hear what's playing, but that's not worth $15 a month either. Now with No more Originals, not like I watched any of them, the price point is even worse.
    I'm guessing that's what YouTube is discovering. People don't mind ads enough to subscribe and be done with them. Personally I subscribe which gives me music AND videos ad-free, did the same with Hulu when I used 'em which I don't anymore. 
  • Reply 19 of 22
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Looks like more people are going to be laid off. 

    Did anyone notice that Google is abandon their little fiber to the home project. It sounds like they went cheap on getting fiber to people's home but cutting slits in the road and now things are falling apart.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    maestro64 said:
    Looks like more people are going to be laid off. 

    Did anyone notice that Google is abandon their little fiber to the home project. It sounds like they went cheap on getting fiber to people's home but cutting slits in the road and now things are falling apart.
    Yup, the last city they went into they had to go back and dig the cables a little deeper. Didn't help that ATT did everything they could including ignore municipal mandates to keep Google Fiber off the existing poles. ATT knew they'd lose apparently but figured (correctly?) that perhaps if they made it expensive enough...
    edited March 2019
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