(Photo by Olly Curtis/Future via Getty Images)
UPDATE 8/19: Eager for YouTube to make its original content viewable without a premium subscription? The wait is almost over.
YouTube's original series, movies, and live events will be available for free starting Sept. 24. Here's the catch: non-paying viewers will see ads when watching this content, and "only select episodes may be available for streaming [for free] at any time," YouTube said.
Premium members can watch YouTube originals without ads and download content for offline viewing. They also get access to all available episodes in a series right when they premiere and exclusive bonus content like director's cuts and extra scenes.
Note that some YouTube originals will remain exclusive to Premium members; to check out the full list, head here and click on "Availability of YouTube Originals."
Original Story (5/3):
Interested in YouTube's original content, but don't feel like paying to watch it? Soon you won't have to.
On Thursday, YouTube Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl said the company plans to make all its original content available for free with ads for a period of time, according to TechCrunch. We first caught wind of the plan in November, and now YouTube has confirmed it.
"While every other media company is racing to put their content behind the paywall, we're headed in the opposite direction by making our original content available for free," Kyncl reportedly said during a presentation to advertisers at the company's annual Brandcast event.
Currently, you need a YouTube Premium subscription, which costs $11.99 a month after a 30-day free trial, to watch the company's originals. Soon, that will change.
The first season of Cobra Kai, a comedy-drama series based on The Karate Kid, will be available for free with ads from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11, TechCrunch reported. After that, YouTube plans to make the second season available to everyone for a period.
YouTube probably "isn't fully abandoning paid subscriptions yet," TechCrunch noted, but "everything on its slate should be available for free at some point."
YouTube is also planning a bunch of new content, including something with Justin Bieber, a documentary about Paris Hilton, coverage of Lollapalooza, and an interactive special called A Heist with Markiplier, the report noted. Besides that, YouTube has renewed Cobra Kai and Kevin Hart's What The Fit for third seasons.
Besides giving you unfettered access to YouTube's original series and movies, a YouTube Premium subscription lets you watch without ads, download videos for offline viewing, and listen to audio in the background when you open another app. Subscribers also have access to "millions of songs without ads" via YouTube Music.
YouTube inks streaming deal with Major League Baseball
Get Our Best Stories!
Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
