Channel 4 brings 4oD to YouTube

The deal will make Channel 4’s 4oD video-on-demand service available via YouTube, giving users access to long-form original and archive programming such as Skins, Hollyoaks and Brass Eye free of charge.

The three-year revenue-sharing deal will see ad-funded content begin to appear on a branded YouTube channel in the coming months and will be fully available by early 2010.

Channel 4 will sell advertising around its content and also around non-Channel 4 content for the first time.

According to the companies, it’s the first time a broadcaster has placed a comprehensive catch-up schedule on YouTube.

new media age revealed in May that YouTube was in talks with broadcasters and content owners including Channel 4 to stream long-form content in the UK (nma 21 May 2009).

Jon Gisby, director of future media and technology at Channel 4, said the deal would consolidate the broadcaster’s lead in commercial video-on-demand services.

“It will grow our share of the audience and enhance our advertising sales proposition. It will create new ad inventory for Channel 4 Sales in digital media and will help us realise our ambition to be the UK’s leading sales house for video-on-demand,” he said.

Nikesh Arora, president of global sales operations and business development at YouTube-owner Google, said, “Channel 4 has been visionary in its online strategy and is consistently at the forefront of new uses of YouTube to engage its viewers and unlock new revenue streams.

“This significant agreement brings Channel 4’s great full-length content to the YouTube community, helping Channel 4 to grow its online revenues and continue investing in the creation of high quality original content,” he added.

Channel 4 was the first broadcaster to sell pre-roll ads around YouTube clips and the first to incorporate an offline sponsor into an online YouTube package with Lucozade’s Big Brother sponsorship (nma 3 June 2009).

This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk