YouTube has announced plans to produce a raft of original programming beginning this year, as the Google-owned video site moves to counter the rising tide of premium streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.

The difference in YouTube's approach to original content is that its shows will be free to view on its website and apps through an ad-supported format, rather than being tied to the company's ad-free $9.99 YouTube Red subscription service.

youtube logo
The company will make a multi-million dollar investment in more than 40 original shows and movies in the next year, according to sources who spoke to Bloomberg. YouTube hopes that high-profile stars will feature in the content and that this will in turn attract bigger advertisers to sponsor the programming.

"We're working with YouTube stars and big celebrities that we know have global appeal, advertiser appeal and are largely established on the platform," Susanne Daniels, YouTube's head of original content, said in an interview.

YouTube has signed up comedian Kevin Hart and TV host Ellen DeGeneres as its first two high-profile celebrities. Hart's show will be a workout-based series, while DeGeneres' program will give fans a peak backstage into the making of her talkshow.

Katy Perry and Demi Lovato also announced behind-the-scenes shows with YouTube, while TV and radio personality Ryan Seacrest confirmed his involvement in a music competition called "Best.Cover.Ever", which will debut on the site later this year.

YouTube's original content plans were announced at the annual digital NewFronts conference in New York on Friday.

Tag: YouTube

Top Rated Comments

KieranDotW Avatar
105 months ago
Sounds like a complete bastardization how youtube's original purpose: original content from everyday people. YouTube was never meant to be a place for a-list celebrities, nor were its users supposed to attain celebrity status
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
masochist Avatar
105 months ago
For those of you saying it'll flop: you're not the target audience. The target audience is the person who watches cable TV, all day, every day. The person who cares about celebrity gossip (it's inconceivable to you and me, but people like that exist). There are surprisingly many people like that; tabloids and celebrity news TV networks wouldn't be in business if there weren't. That's who this is targetting, not the person watching House of Cards.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
105 months ago
Sounds like a complete bastardization how youtube's original purpose: original content from everyday people. YouTube was never meant to be a place for a-list celebrities, nor were its users supposed to attain celebrity status
Things change... No person or company stays the same. This is nothing new.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T Coma Avatar
105 months ago
Well it *is* YouTube, so at least we know they'll maintain that committment to a well-balanced variety of opinions, politically and otherwise. I mean, other than restricting whatever they tell us is "dangerous," of course. :rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6836838 Avatar
105 months ago
YouTube is too heavily censored now. It's all about bitchute now.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jacksmith21006 Avatar
105 months ago
They have over 1 billion hours of content viewed each day and over a billion active users. But the 1 billion is a 100% YoY growth over 2015. Which is an acceleration.

With this user base only makes sense to create their own content. They also have a ton of data to figure out what to produce.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Apple Will Reportedly Be More Cautious About Announcing New Features Well in Advance

Sunday May 18, 2025 2:50 pm PDT by
Apple plans to mostly stop announcing new features more than a few months before they are ready to launch, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett. The pair of reporters revealed this noteworthy tidbit towards the bottom of a lengthy report about Apple's artificial intelligence shortcomings today. This alleged change in strategy comes after Apple was forced to delay its more...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple's Next-Gen Version of Siri Is 'On Par' With ChatGPT

Monday May 19, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple has big plans to improve Siri over the next few years, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett report. Some Apple executives are now reportedly pushing to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as "on par" with recent...