YouTube, NBC Reach Promotional Pact
Social video site YouTube said it had signed a deal with NBC Tuesday that will bring promos of the networks prime time lineup to the site this fall. Also expected to debut on YouTube are Internet exclusives, as well as behind-the-scenes content.
An official NBC channel would be created on YouTube that will house all NBC-related programming. Exclusive content from "The Office" will be the first to appear, followed by content from "Saturday Night Live," "The Office," and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
The list of clips would likely not include "Lazy Sunday," a "Saturday Night Live" clip that has become a cult favorite on the Web. NBC lawyers demanded YouTube remove the clip from their site after it appeared there early this year.
"We are delighted to work with NBC on an official basis," YouTube CEO and co-founder Chad Hurley said. "Bringing more entertaining and exclusive content to YouTube helps further our goal of providing the best video entertainment experience on the Internet."
To kick off the partnership, NBC is launching a contest for users to submit 20-second homemade promotional clips for hit show "The Office." The winning video would air during an episode in August, the network said.
YouTube's quick action to remove unauthorized clips probably helped along the official deal. "We applaud YouTube for their continued willingness to work with us to remove any unauthorized NBC content and protect our copyrighted material," NBC Universal chief marketing officer John Miller said.
According to YouTube, some 70 million videos are viewed per day on the site, which is the 17th most visited property on the Web.