In 2016 – yes, that was six years ago – YouTube thought it would be a good idea to focus more on “original” content. In other words, programs created exclusively for the platform and strategically placed behind a paywall. After all, streaming services like Netflix had shown that this could work well. YouTube started with the show “Scare PewDiePie” because the Swede was one of YouTube’s biggest stars at the time.
It is now 2022 and YouTube’s Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl has just announced via Twitter that the focus on so-called original content will be “reduced” in the future.
In reality, it looks like they are shutting the whole thing down, with the exception of the Black Voices and YouTube Kids initiatives. It remains to be seen if the vast majority of YouTube viewers will notice any difference. Given that YouTube is already incredibly large and popular, and offers a lot of good content that you will not find anywhere else, it seems unlikely that most people need any more incentive to visit the site.
With the current thirst for series among the countless streaming alternatives, it is also almost inevitable that good series with high production costs can find a new “home.” This has already happened with the series Cobra Kai, perhaps the best original production created on YouTube, but now available on Netflix.
