YouTube to Launch an Online Store for Streaming Video Services
The Wall Street Journal cited its sources as saying that YouTube intends to launch an online store to sell subscriptions to streaming video services from other companies. YouTube's management is currently in talks with several entertainment companies and is discussing sharing subscription revenue with its streaming partners. The project is slated to launch this fall.
The project's internal name is Channel Store, and it has been in the works for at least 18 months now.
As more and more consumers abandon cable or satellite TV and switch to subscription-based streaming services, the launch of its Channel Store will allow YouTube to join rivals like Roku, Amazon, and Apple in distributing content on a subscription basis.
The source does not provide details on the terms YouTube is discussing with other companies, but it is noted that they vary depending on the service. At the moment, it is not reported which services will be available at the launch of the Channel Store and in which countries it will be available.