Streaming services are coming to YouTube. The Google-owned video platform is bringing movie and TV streaming together. The company is rolling out a new Primetime Channels feature to directly get shows and movies from more than 30 services into the YouTube interface. YouTube has signed up 35 partners for the launch, from big-name streaming services like Paramount Plus and Epix to niche offerings like The Great Courses and Magnolia Selects. Interestingly, NBA League Pass is also coming soon on the platform.
Each one will operate like any other YouTube channel, with a curated homepage and videos. Those videos will appear in the Movies and TV section of the YouTube app, in search results, recommendations, and elsewhere around the platform. Users can leave a comment and like or dislike the video. The movies and shows will have only one distinguishing characteristic, a neon green “Watch now” button if you subscribed for a service or “Pay to watch” if you’re not signed up.
YouTube has around two billion people using the service every month, most of them already have a Google account, and many have already connected their credit cards. Therefore, this would be an essential strategy shift for YouTube. In addition, it is a natural fit for YouTube because people spend time watching trailers, recaps, and other content.
Erin Teague, the head of sports, movies, and shows at YouTube and the leader of the Primetime Channels project, “You’ll watch trailers on YouTube and leave YouTube to start from scratch on the streaming service. So we were like, ‘What would happen if we just collapsed that experience and made it convenient to watch all this content in one place?’”
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