YouTube Is Ready to Go Global with Premium Content

YouTube, which last month introduced premium television and film programming in a section called "Shows," is ready to expand the distribution of the programming into several of its existing international operations.

A YouTube spokesperson told Beet.TV that YouTube is ready to distribute premium content across its global sites and that this will happen at request of its content partners.

A story in the Financial Times reports that Hulu is seeking more international fare for the U.S. service and is in talks to launch Hulu in 8 international markets. 

Hulu was first to market and has had extraordinary success in the United States.  The global competition with YouTube is about to begin.  Unlike Hulu which is negotiating to launch global operations, YouTube is well established, having expanded in 9 markets nearly two years ago. YouTube is now in over 20 countries.

One of our favorite television shows on YouTube is the BBC's Life of Birds by David Attenborough.  I've grabbed a screen shot above. Many of the programs on "Shows" do not provide an embeddable player. The BBC does not.

How to Get Around YouTube

Instructive piece about how best to find your way around YouTube by Josh Lowensohn over at CNET's Webware.

Andy Plesser, Executive Producer