ESPN to Launch Custom Video Player on YouTube Next Month...and Why it Matters

YouTube has been striking deals with programmers like ABC, ESPN, Sony, Lionsgate, and MGM this year, and now it’s also letting many of those programmers use their own video players and sell their own ads on the site.

ESPN will be the next programmer to use its own video player starting in July.  This development was reported in May. 

Here is my overview on the opportunities for publishers to use their own players on YouTube.  Expect more to come.

Daisy Whitney

Editor's Note:  Daisy's New Media Minute is produced and sponsored separately from Beet.TV.  We are pleased to publish her segment regularly here.  AP

Video Transcript

I'm Daisy Whitney and this is the New Media Minute presented by NATPE. This episode is sponsored by The platform, a media publishing site used by video sites, cable companies, and mobile businesses. You can visit theplatform.com for more information. And also by Digitalsmiths and you can learn more about that company's video search and publishing products at digitalsmiths.com.

YouTube is on a new kick to be everyone's partner and everyone's friend, striking deals with programmers like ABC, Sony, Lionsgate, BBC, MGM, and as part of those deals to carry shows or clips, YouTube is letting many of those partners use their own video players on the site instead of the traditional YouTube player. Sony has been doing this since April with its Crackle.com player embedded on YouTube's site. CBS has done this in the past too, and the next one will be ESPN's starting in July.

So what's the attraction for a programmer in using its own video player? More control of the way the show looks, more control of the ads, and the ability to better measure the traffic, which, in turn, means the ability to better sell the ads. In fact, YouTube may find the way to finally make money and maybe turn a profit lies in these deals marquis programmers because actually, many of them are selling the ads on YouTube themselves with YouTube simply getting a cut. And so why not have someone else do the work for you?

The key to success that I see is getting more programmers to drink the Cool Aid. Now if Britain's Got Talent, for instance, had sold ads against the very first Susan Boyle video, which has had well over sixty million official YouTube views, well, the British programmer and the site would have made a lot of money off of her. As it is, no one made that much money off of Susan Boyle and that is a big shame for the web.

I hope you'll come to the NATPE LA TV Fest July 8th and 9th for lots of great sessions and insight in the digital media business. I will be there; I would love to see you. Friend me up on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and check out Susan Bratton's podcast DishyMix on iTunes and also This Week in Media on iTunes; I hope you will like those.