Lionsgate inks a deal with YouTube to monetise its video content

Posted by Samir

October 22, 2008

Lionsgate has inked a deal with YouTube with an idea of satisfying the user group who often post clips of its popular films like ‘Dirty Dancing,’ receiving millions of views. The aim is to and monetise the same.

The famous studio will be making excerpts from literally several hundred of its hit film and television productions that will be available on a branded YouTube channel to let users share, upload, embed and mash up the clips. Premium content partnerships division head, YouTube, Jordan Hoffner stated his firm is in talks for similar deals with other studios.

This pact is noteworthy for its feature of user flexibility especially at a time when Viacom is tangled in a copyright infringement battle with YouTube parent firm Google.
Eric Schmidt, the Google chairman-CEO, broke the news while taking part in a Q&A session with Abbey Klaassen, Ad Age Digital editor, during Ad Age’s Madison + Vine conference.

Lionsgate’s president of digital media Curt Marvis said, “Revenue generated with any piece of our content is recorded and documented. Splits are yet to be determined, but there will be a trail of knowledge. I think that is still being discussed.”

The Lionsgate vice chairman, Michael Burns, stated the channel would include links, giving users the opportunity to buy the full-length movie or television show.

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