Programming from Five, such as Neighbours, Home And Away, The Hotel Inspector and The Gadget Show, can be found within YouTube’s recently announced UK Shows section, which brings together more than 3,000 hours of full-length programming and clips from its professional content partners at YouTube.com/shows. The strategic partnership marks the second time a broadcaster anywhere in the world has made a comprehensive catch-up schedule available on YouTube. The first such deal, with Britain’s Channel 4, was announced in October.
All programmes will be available only in the UK, free-of-charge and supported by advertising, shortly after broadcast in TV. Five will have a branded presence on YouTube and its sales team will be able to sell both display and video advertising around the content available on the site. YouTube’s Content ID copyright system allows Five to automatically detect unauthorised user uploads that contain Five content and block or monetise these as it chooses.
Dawn Airey, Chairman and Chief Executive of Five, said: “This is a tremendously important deal for Five because in one fell swoop it extends the reach of our content beyond linear TV and our own existing websites to a new audience of younger, upwardly mobile and web-savvy individuals – an audience that advertisers are equally desirous of attracting. Importantly it extends the availability of legally available long-form content online thereby dealing a blow to web piracy.”
Five will also use YouTube as a platform to engage with fans of some of its biggest shows. For instance, in the New Year UK residents will be able to audition via YouTube for a guest role on the popular soap opera Neighbours.
The deal is non-exclusive, allowing Five to continue to distribute Demand Five content via its own websites including http://demand.five.tv/ and other third party sites and services.