YouTube To Show Off Originals For Its Subscription Service

YouTube's gearing up to reveal some of the programming it's funding on October 21st during an event in Los Angeles, according to Recode. These new programs will reportedly feature a handful of its biggest stars, and Recode's sources said that at least some of the content will only be accessible to future subscription customers. A new report published by The Wall Street Journal indicates that the service has just welcomed much bigger players, though. If it's true, then YouTube has been able to convince Time Warner Inc.'s Turner cable unit, 21st Century Fox's Fox Sports, A+E Networks Inc. and Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal to add some of their shows to the $10-per-month service. It's also currently negotiating with Walt Disney Co.

Some of the companies apparently weren't thrilled to sign the deal, as they believe they should get a bigger cut than ordinary YouTubers due to being bigger brands. (The WSJ noted that the creators that signed up to be part of the subscription offering will collectively get 55 percent of the revenue it generates.) However, YouTube allegedly threatened to cut them off entirely, even from the free version of the website, if they don't participate. A previous Recode report claimed the 2-in-1 subscription option could be launched as soon as late October. That lines up with the upcoming event in LA, though YouTube hasn't confirmed anything yet.