Late last week rumors began to emerge about which movie studios would start offering content on YouTube. Now, after spending months sweet-talking movie executives and rebuilding relationships in Hollywood, it has been confirmed that MGM will be the first studio on board.
While the initial lineup may not be all that compelling, the deal is a crucial step forward for YouTube, which dominates user-generated content (and copyright infringing content as well) but has also been facing stiff competition from premium content sites such as Hulu. The partnership will kick off with a channel featuring episodes from American Gladiators and films like Bulletproof Monk, and The Magnificent Seven.
As a part of the agreement, MGM will also monitor its copyrighted clips uploaded by users, and have the option of pulling them down or letting them be and share the ad revenue.