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Google‘s YouTube is ready to invest more in original programming from some of its most successful creators, the video site said in a blog post late Thursday.
“We’ve decided to fund new content from some of our top creators, helping them not only fulfill their creative ambitions but also deliver new material to their millions of fans on YouTube,” said Alex Carloss, head of YouTube originals, in the post, entitled “Investing in creativity.”
He didn’t detail how much YouTube would spend or which creators would get funding at a time when various digital players have been investing in online video. But he mentioned “successful creators with large fan bases like Bethany Mota and Epic Rap Battles of History” who, he said, have become household names.
“As any creator will tell you, making compelling new content isn’t easy, and we expect to learn a lot through this process,” Carloss said. “We’ll experiment with new formats and ideas. We’ll get our hands dirty. We’ll make some mistakes. Together, we’ll (hopefully) create some fantastic new content on YouTube. But one thing is certain: there’s no one we’d rather go on this adventure with than our creators.”
Over the past four years, YouTube has seen “a dramatic transformation,” he explained, highlighting the quality of current original content offered by the site. “We’ve seen teenagers who began by vlogging in their bedrooms emerge as media heavyweights with passionate followings and shows that draw more fans than similar shows on cable TV,” he wrote. “And we’ve seen partner revenue continue to grow at a healthy pace, giving our creators the chance to do what they love by finding their fanbase on YouTube.”
Carloss also shared some insight into the site’s audience trends, saying that “daily watchtime” continues to grow at 50 percent annually.
His post concluded by highlighting all the new opportunities the digital age opens up for creatives. “It’s been an incredible few years for YouTube. And with YouTube stars jumping from their bedrooms to billboards in Times Square, we think there’s never been a better time to be a creator.”
Email: Georg.Szalai@THR.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
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