Google nears launch of paid YouTube subscriptions, report says

In its quest to pull in premium content, Google is apparently ready to roll out its first set of paid YouTube channel subscriptions.

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The information comes from a Financial Times report over the weekend that suggests the company could be rolling out paid subscriptions for over 50 different premium channel partners. The subscriptions will reportedly set you back about $2 per month, per channel.

We heard rumblings about paid YouTube subscriptions back in January, with the video service rumored to have been in discussions with several of its channel partners about a new subscription-based program. It was also said that those subscriptions would range between $1 and $5 per month, which is in line with the FT report.

Google is currently making plenty of money on YouTube videos, but the company realizes it’s hitting a brick wall when it comes to gaining the kind of content that people desire from other video services. The company has already spent upwards of $200 million to market and cultivate premium content through its channel partners, but so far it’s still not lucrative enough for those partners. The subscription would likely be another source of revenue both for Google and those content creators.

We’re reaching out to YouTube for further comment about the paid channel subscriptions and will update this post with any new information.

Via CNET; Photo via Korosirego/Flickr