Reports: YouTube Considering Subscription Channels

Could offer some channels for a monthly sub fee as early as the second quarter

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/29/2013 5:38:51 PM

As Google expands its investments in content, YouTube is exploring the idea of offering some channels for a monthly subscription fee.

Ad Age first reported the effort, citing anonymous sources, which said some channels might charge a subscription fee of $1 to $5 a month and that around 25 services might launch as early as the second quarter of 2012.

YouTube did not immediately respond a request for a comment on the effort or what kind of content they might be looking for.

Company executives have, however, been talking about a number of different business models for the YouTube channels for some time. In February 2012, during the AllThingsD media conference, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar noted that they were exploring subscription models and he made similar comments to Reuters in June 2012.