Streaming services are coming to YouTube. The company is rolling out a new feature called Primetime Channels that will bring shows and movies from more than 30 services directly into the YouTube interface. It’s a big bet for YouTube that it can be the cable bundle of the future and that its unparalleled audience will make streaming services buy into the idea.
YouTube’s Primetime Channels bring streaming movies and TV into the YouTube app
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. (Another service, NBA League Pass, is coming soon.) Each one will operate essentially like any other YouTube channel, with a curated homepage and a bunch of videos. Those videos will show up in the Movies and TV section of the YouTube app, as well as in search results, recommendations, and elsewhere around the platform. You’ll be able to leave a comment and like or dislike the video — all that’s missing is view counts.
Really, the movies and shows only have one distinguishing characteristic: a neon green button that says “Watch now” if it comes from a service you subscribe to or “Pay to watch” if you’re not signed up.
It’s all extremely YouTube-y, as if YouTube just turned a bunch of movie studio executives into creators — which is precisely the idea. For a number of reasons. For one thing, “it is frustrating to have to hop from app to app to manage your subscription across apps,” says Erin