CBS Goes Full-Length on YouTube

Written by Ryan Lawler

Friday, October 10. 2008 at 03:10 PM EDT Post a comment

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CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) continued its super-syndication online video strategy by adding some full-length content to its video channel on YouTube Inc.

The broadcaster added full-length episodes of vintage television shows Beverly Hills 90210, Star Trek: The Original Series, and MacGyver, as well as recent episodes of daytime soap The Young and the Restless.

In addition to YouTube's standard 400x300 video and full-screen options, the new CBS episodes are available in a 16:9 'theater view.'

Episodes include pre-roll, post-roll, and mid-roll ads. According to a Reuters report, CBS will handle the advertising relationships but will share revenue with YouTube. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Prior to this deal, the vast majority of video on YouTube -- even that from broadcasters like CBS -- was made up of short clips. But with the addition of the new "premium" episodic content, YouTube may be positioning itself against sites like Hulu LLC , the joint venture of NBC Universal and Fox Broadcasting Co. and known for its full-length TV and film content.