Could the immensely popular video sharing site YouTube be in trouble? It seems that industry research analysts are casting shadows of doubt into the future of the company, with concerns over YouTube's ability to make a profit with their services. As a very new company, YouTube has seen massive growth in a short period of time, and sees over 13 million visitors a month. Advertising has been used sparingly on YouTube to encourage people to use it more often, and the company mentions that they will slowly introduce more advertising to keep the company afloat. While this may turn people off to the service, the majority of Internet based companies that offer free services use advertising to support themselves. The article mentions the possibility of other sites competing for YouTube's traffic, and makes parallels between YouTube and the Napster of the 90s:
"In the late 1990s Napster...achieved similar cult status (as YouTube) but was quickly abandoned when it attempted to become a legitimate business," Martin wrote.
YouTube has seen some interest from larger media companies like NBC, which may ultimately be the saving grace for them. What lies in YouTube's future?