Robert Kyncl

Global Head of Content Partnerships, Google

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/27/2012 12:01:00 AM

Google’s long-standing efforts to grab a piece of the $300 billion global television industry have always stumbled over the issue of content, with TV networks and major studios reluctant to give the 800-pound gorilla of the online world a toehold.

Google hired former Netflix executive Robert Kyncl in 2010 to help overcome that problem, and his efforts have already paid off. While Google’s YouTube has been the biggest online video player for years, its short, user-generated content isn’t very advertising-friendly. So Kyncl has been pushing to add more professional content, inking deals with Hollywood studios for Google rental service and spending $100 million in an effort to launch nearly 100 YouTube channels of original content. This may just be the start of bigger plans for multichannel services delivered to Google’s Android tablets, TVs and smartphones.