NBC removes YouTube channel

by Brad Linder Oct 21st 2007

NBC has apparently killed its YouTube channel in a move that could indicate that the new NBC/News Corp venture Hulu will be launching soon.

NBC is taking a multi-pronged approach to online video. While you'll be able to watch clips and possibly full length videos on Hulu, the network also plans to launch an ad-supported download service. You can also pay to download NBC content from Amazon Unbox.

But we have to say, eliminating the YouTube channel seems like a bad idea. While Saturday Night Live clips including Lazy Sunday and (anatomical part) in a Box were huge hits on YouTube, the network probably got more publicity from the clips than YouTube.

The best way to drum up publicity for your TV programs and to generate online revenue from advertising/direct downloads is to offer up your content in as many places as possible -- especially the places where the eyeballs are already hanging out like YouTube. Hulu may or may not become a huge success. But millions of people are already using YouTube. And the site is making it easier and easier for content owners to monetize their videos. So why pull a sure thing in order to pave the way for an untested new service?

Tags: nbc, online-video, youtube

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

kojo87 said 11:21PM on 10-21-2007

that would explain it. when i tried to watch the "People Getting Punched Just Before Eating" video that was from NBC it said i had to accept the user's friend request. thats really kinda lame.

Sam said 3:58AM on 10-22-2007

true that, mike, youtube quality does suck, which is the result of a. people posting crappy resolution videos from their mobile phones and b. google not wanting to spend the dough for high resolution video players because they need a cost effective model for everyone to view it.
But Hulu can go suck it for all I care.

michael said 8:32AM on 10-22-2007

Maybe because YouTube kind of sucks with their video quality, too many crazy commentors, pretty low-end video tools unlike Brightcove and MSN Video, and a ton of reasons why some people are disliking YouTube, ever since Google bought it.

But I agree, moving out of YouTube completely isn't a good idea. At least they should have provided a video to show why they're moving to Hulu, or whatever it's called, and get people to see it there.

Sam said 8:33AM on 10-22-2007

ok nbc, just kill everything but your own service, way to be nice to the consumer. if Hulu fails, and it probably will fail due to a. its silly name b. no marketing whatsoever c. there are already established audiences on youtube, itunes, etc that want to watch content like this and d. has a silly name/advertising within its content. What NBC needs is a 14 year old nerd to take off his smelly shoe and slap some executives in the face and give them the 411 on how content is provided in the 21st century.

whiskey said 1:46PM on 10-22-2007

Google for (anatomical part) in a box uncensored version.
You get the youtube player on google by pressing the watch here and it will say that you cannot view the movie.
Firefox users: select text starting from the link above the player and end where the watch in youtube link is and right click the selection.
Use View selected source and seek for the videoid...
use the following link to download it
http://74.125.1.27/get_video?video_id=VIDEOID&origin=ash-v211.ash.youtube.com
This might as well be the last time you get to watch that video anyways...

I just hope that NBC chooses to open their content to NonUS costumers, because right now NBC.com throws me with a message that i should live there to watch it (even though i have NBC on my basic cable package).

whiskey said 2:40PM on 10-22-2007

just remove the extra spaces
< script type="text/javascript" src="swfobject.js" >< /script >
< p id="player1" >< a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">Get the Flash Player< /a > to see this player.< /p >
< script type="text/javascript" >
var s1 = new SWFObject("flvplayer.swf","single","340","280","7");
s1.addParam("allowfullscreen","true");
s1.addVariable("type","flv");
s1.addVariable("file","http://cache.googlevideo.com/get_video?video_id=1dmVU08zVpA");
s1.addVariable("image","http://img.youtube.com/vi/1dmVU08zVpA/default.jpg");
s1.write("player1");
< /script >
I wonder how much time will they still be on youtube and google cache... I wonder if this grants me access to videos for which i do not have access (because they are "private")...

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