UK to get YouTube film streaming service?

Google is reportedly planning to launch a subscription based film streaming service on YouTube, according to the New York Post.

The New York paper cited executives who have been briefed regarding the movie streaming plan as its sources, saying that the plan is to offer unlimited streaming for a subscription fee.

Having been "talking with Hollywood studios for months", Google is said to have $100 million put aside for deals with studios and other content providers, suggesting it's a pretty serious pursuit.

All for advertising

The search specialists have been looking to expand YouTube as an advertising platform by investing in longer content that will keep users on the site for lengthier periods of time; so far, these experiments have included streaming live sports and music concerts.

But now its sights are set on film - presumably, Google's dream scenario sees thousands of viewers hooked on the six-day-long experimental opus, Cinématon.

The movie service would be similar to streaming options already available on LoveFilm in the UK, and via Netflix in the States, while the UK has been mentioned as a particular focus for the streaming service's launch.

Hollywood studios could be looking to YouTube to help stamp out piracy with the new, above-board scheme, particularly since Google itself has been threatened with disconnection by the MPAA for its staffs' illegal movie downloads.

Via Reuters