MUMBAI: After entering into a deal, MGM has begun posting TV episodes and full-length movies to YouTube from Monday, it is learnt. However, the content would be very limited.
As per the deal, MGM will partake of YouTube‘s Video ID copyright protection system and may, in some cases, elect to leave pirated clips up alongside advertising that provides revenue to MGM.
The initial offering will include the old-school version of American Gladiators, action movies like Bulletproof Monk and The Magnificent Seven, and clips from popular movies such as Legally Blonde.
MGM already has a YouTube channel - which says the studio has actually been a member of the site since October 2005. As of Sunday evening, the channel only has three pieces of content, all trailers of Valkyrie posted in the last month or so. Also, for now, the channel allows embeds (many other major media companies disable them).
Hulu also offers MGM content, and has done so ever since it initially came out last year. One of MGM‘s largest shareholders, Providence Equity Partners, also ponied up Hulu‘s $100 million in outside funding.
Insiders say that other studios that might start posting full-length content on YouTube soon include Time Warner and Sony.