BBC on You Tube

Channels: BBC Worldwide | BBC

Well we’ve known it was coming for a while but now the BBC have formerly announced a partnership with You Tube.

The idea is that there will be two BBC branded entertainment channels on the social video site as part of a BBC and BBC Worldwide partnership to promote the corporations content around the world.

The Beeb have been removing video files from You Tube over the last few weeks and This video has been removed at the requestion of the British Broadcast Corporation (or something along those lines) has started to become a familiar site.

Now they will be putting their own files on there. But they’ve missed a trick as they don’t allow clips to be embedded on another site which is VERY annoying as I’ve just discovered tumblr.

The press releases describes it as a non-exclusive partnership. “This non-exclusive partnership will create branded BBC “Channels” on YouTube operating under separate BBC and BBC Worldwide agreements.”

It will also act as a promotional tool for the iPlayer which means a commercial version (for international users) can’t be that far away – interesting.

“The partnership reflects YouTube’s commitment to work with content owners to make compelling video accessible online, and the BBC’s commitment to increase reach through the partnership, to bring new audiences to the proposed BBC iPlayer service, and to secure commercial revenue via BBC Worldwide, its commercial subsidiary, to supplement the licence fee.”

It seems that it will be mainly clips, promotional trailers and most interestingly specially commissioned video just for the You Tube audience including a video diary from David Tennant.

From the BBC: Clips of new shows and specially commissioned promotional content linked to popular series such as Doctor Who and Life On Mars. At launch, the YouTube community will be able to enjoy a range of specially- created video diaries including David Tennant and Freema Agyeman, who’ll take viewers around the set of Doctor Who; John Simm going back in time for Life On Mars; and Clive Myrie on the streets of the red zone of Baghdad.

From BBC Worldwide: An entertainment channel called “BBC Worldwide” showing clips from material such as Top Gear, Spooks, The Catherine Tate Show, The Mighty Boosh and a range of factual programmes including those presented by David Attenborough. The channel will include a limited amount of advertising.

From BBC World: the BBC’s international commercial television channel: Around 30 news clips per day will be offered, with up-to-the-minute news and analysis from around the world. The advertising-funded clips will be available to users outside the UK only.

Mark Thompson has said “The partnership provides both a creative outlet for a range of short-form content from BBC programme makers and the opportunity to learn about new forms of audience behaviour. It’s essential that the BBC embraces new ways of reaching wider audiences with non-exclusive partnerships such as these.”

Eric Schmidt, CEO and Chairman of Google, said: “We’re delighted to be joining forces with the BBC to bring the best TV programming available to the YouTube community.

“We will continue to invest in our platforms and technologies to help our partners make the most of the enormous opportunities presented by the billion people now online.”

Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube, said: “We’re constantly looking for innovative ways to bring the best content to our community.

“The BBC is a premier source for quality programming, and we’re excited that they are leading the way in enabling two-way dialogue and real engagement with an entirely new audience. We hope to open up an entirely new audience for their content, while deepening their relationship with their existing viewers.”