Channel 4 is bringing over 1000 hours of content from its shows to YouTube, including popular shows like Location, Location, Location and SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Channel 4 is a British public-service television network that is free-to-air and is funded through advertising. It seems that the platform is looking to continue using advertising as its main form of funding, with The Guardian reporting that it is aiming to reduce its dependence on traditional TV.
That is why the company is now partnering with YouTube, which is also used most often by a younger audience, with the platform seeing over 1.7 billion unique visitors each month.
Channel 4 will be able to sell advertising around the programmes while giving viewers the chance to catch up on their favourite shows for free, with the convenience factor of it being available anytime they want.
No other UK broadcaster has struck a deal like this before with YouTube and some are saying that this could be the new era of television, as more people move away from traditional TV to streaming services such as Netflix and Disney Plus, with YouTube itself also now offering YouTube TV, which includes features like live TV and on-demand video.
Alex Mahon, chief executive of Channel 4, said: “Together with YouTube, we have created a powerful consumer channel full of our brilliant Channel 4 content. This will engage even more viewers through the enhanced reach and digital scale of YouTube.”
“Innovative strategic partnerships are Channel 4’s speciality and this new relationship with YouTube is another which will ensure we continue to keep growing our reach with young audiences and build on our unrivalled digital success,” Mahon went on to say.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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