27
Aug
2010
Techradar: YouTube has announced improvements to its free on-demand movie service, after signing deals with a number of major distributors.
YouTube has tapped up the likes of Sony Pictures, Lionsgate and MGM and will be showing classic content through the site.
Although YouTube has been offering free movies for some time, the titles available have ranged from the obscure to the bizarre.
The new deal will mean that more recognisable movies like The Buena Vista Social Club will be made available.
Free films
“This is one of many efforts to ensure that people can find all the different kinds of video they want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to full-length films and TV shows,” explained YouTube head of video partnerships, Donagh O’Malley.
“We hope film lovers enjoy the range of titles in this free library, whether catching up on a mainstream hit or delving into the vast archive of classic films from decades past.”
YouTube has also announced a deal with Blinkbox, which will offer more than 150 movies of its archive for playback on the site.
This is the latest in a long line of link-ups the site has been doing, but the first for movies.
So far YouTube has been heavily investing in its TV output, signing deals with Channel 4 and Five.
Hopefully getting BlinkBox on board will be the start of something special for www.youtube.com/movies.