Manchester City signs deal with YouTube

The deal gains the club rights-control over the approximately 100 videos it makes each month, and enables it to tailor advertising on its YouTube page which currently attracts some 3 billion views per day worldwide.

Richard Ayers, head of digital, Manchester City said in a statement that the club was interested in extending its reach and accessibility to its audiences. “We’re also looking forward to exploring the differentiating factors of YouTube, like using annotations, making bespoke interactive video and, more than anything else, becoming part of the thriving YouTube community,” he said.

As digital TVs become a reality, YouTube has been making a move to secure content for its platform – making it a TV channel to contend with. Last week, Google finalised deals with well-known personalities and major media companies for original content to run on YouTube, reported the Wall Street Journal.

The internet company is investing over US$100 million in cash to secure content, and has so far reached agreements with media companies like Warner Bros and News Corp’s Shine Reveille unit – involved in TV shows such as Ugly Betty. 

Sources told the Wall Street Journal that YouTube plans to gain revenue from advertising, splitting it with its partners after it has recouped its initial investment.