YOUTUBE'S first major move away from being a video-sharing site and towards an online TV destination begins early tomorrow when it begins free streaming of Indian Premier Cricket League matches.
The Google-owned YouTube yesterday unveiled eight sponsors, including HSBC, Hewlett Packard, Coca-Cola and Samsung, as sponsors of the initial 56 matches.
YouTube does not disclose the dollar size of the sponsorship packages but interviews with executives have indicated that because this initiative is a new one they are not asking advertisers to pay over the odds. At least 32, 30-second ads will appear during the play in each match watched live or on demand later.
The cricket deal is part of YouTube's ambition to become a destination for internet users as a place not just to upload content but watch it, in the form of movies, sport and concerts, said Leigh Terry, managing partner of media buyers OMD.
''Rather than just going to YouTube and searching for a video, they hope to become a destination, much like a portal where people can go for a variety of content, not just sports. I have a feeling that this is just going to be the first [of others] to come.''
Julian Lee
