Clips from BBC shows such as Doctor Who and Top Gear will be shown on YouTube in the future, the BBC and Google announced this morning.
Three free, but advertisment-supported, BBC-branded channels will be available on the YouTube video sharing website following a deal between Google-owned YouTube , the BBC , and BBC Worldwide .
Clips from BBC News will also be featured, alongside snippets of new shows and specially commissioned content linked to popular series such as Life on Mars and Doctor Who. Exclusive video diaries from BBC stars such as David Tennant and John Simm will also be featured.
Available programming from BBC Worldwide includes material from Top Gear, Spooks, The Catherine Tate Show, The Mighty Boosh, and a range of factual programmes such as those presented by David Attenborough. Around 30 clips with up-to-the-minute news and analysis from BBC World will also be featured. There will be some advertising linked to the channels.
The BBC aims to link the promotional clips with its proposed on-demand iPlayer service . Viewers will be able to comment on and rate clips, as well as post video responses to the BBC and other viewers.
Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, said: "This ground-breaking partnership between the BBC and YouTube is fantastic news for our audiences. YouTube is a key gateway through which to engage new audiences in the UK and abroad.
"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," Thompson said.
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."
