Channel 4, YouTube Announce Long-Form Content Deal

LONDON: Channel 4 is to make its long-form original content available for free on YouTube in the U.K., with a library of about 3,000 hours available at any given time to British Internet users.

Channel 4 will make its 4oD VOD service of new content available on YouTube shortly after the TV broadcast. The lineup will include Skins, Hollyoaks, The Inbetweeners, Peep Show, Brass Eye, Derren Brown, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Teachers and others. C4’s shows will begin appearing on YouTube in the coming months, available solely to U.K. users, free of charge and supported by advertising. The three-year deal sees the two companies sharing ad revenues; the terms of the rev share were not disclosed. Channel 4 will have a branded presence on YouTube and will be able to sell advertising around its content on the site. The agreement also allows Channel 4 to sell advertising around some non-Channel 4 content on YouTube for the first time. YouTube will help Channel 4 develop its advertising sales proposition in digital, including the use of YouTube’s demographic targeting tools. Channel 4 has already been selling pre-roll advertisements on YouTube clips.

Nikesh Arora, the president of global sales operations and business development for Google, said: "Over the past few years, fans have had access to increasing amounts of professional programming online as TV companies experiment with new ways of distributing their content. Channel 4 have been visionary in their online strategy and are consistently at the forefront of new uses of YouTube to engage their viewers and unlock new revenue streams. This significant new agreement brings Channel 4’s great full length content to the YouTube community, helping Channel 4 to grow their online revenues and to continue to invest in the creation of high quality original content.".

Andy Duncan, Channel 4’s outgoing chief executive, added: “Channel 4 was the first broadcaster anywhere in the world to make all its commissioned content available online and we’ve consistently pioneered in this field. This strategic partnership is another important milestone for us and we’re delighted to be combining the power of the ‘4’ brand and the appeal of our content with YouTube’s unrivaled reach and reputation online. Making our programs directly accessible to YouTube’s 20 million U.K. users will financially benefit both Channel 4 and our independent production partners and help bolster our investment in quality British content. It demonstrates our ability to strike dynamic commercial partnerships to help underpin our future as a commercially funded, not-for-profit multi-platform public service network.”