YouTube Now Offers Streaming Services Subscriptions with Primetime Channels

YouTube has introduced today Primetime Channels, a new way to subscribe and view content from third-party streaming services within YouTube. Prime Channels are launching in preview today in the US today with over 30 partners including Showtime, Paramount+, AMC, and more.

“Primetime Channels adds even more content that you just can’t miss to our collection of thousands of movies and shows available for rent or purchase, or for free with ads,” explained Erin Teague, Director of Product Management at YouTube. Google wants YouTube to become a central hub to enjoy shows and movies, and Primetime Channels build on the 2 billion YouTube users already using the platform to check out movie trailers and more.

“People already come to YouTube to watch trailers for highly anticipated movies, or clips of scenes from their favorite TV episodes. Now you can continue watching directly on YouTube. And you will continue to have choice and control over your accounts with the ability to manage all of them in one place,” Teague explained.

YouTube Primetime Channels seem to pretty much replicate the add-on channels that recently became available on YouTube TV, Google’s separate streaming television service that remains exclusively available in the US. However, YouTube has over 2 billion users worldwide, while YouTube TV just has 5 million subscribers.

Once you subscribe to a Primetime Channel on YouTube, its content will appear in search results next to regular videos, and YouTube’s recommendation algorithm will also take into account your Primetime Channels subscriptions. Primetime Channels will also have dedicated homepages on YouTube with curated trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast interviews.

Google is already working to bring the NBA League Pass and more partners on board, and there are also plans to expand YouTube Primetime Channels to more international markets. However, the biggest streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+ are very unlikely to support this new distribution model. Other streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV have also started offering add-on channels, though they currently have a much smaller audience than YouTube.