HBO Launching YouTube Channel

Full Episodes of In Treatment, Clips from Flight of the Conchords, Entourage, The Wire, Extras, Real Time with Bill Maher to Be Featured

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/25/2008 11:38:00 AM

HBO announced that it is launching an official branded YouTube channel. The channel will feature full episodes of recently launched psychoanalyst series In Treatment, as well as clips from most of the network’s original programming, including Flight of the Conchords, Entourage, The Wire, Extras and Real Time with Bill Maher.

The channel will also feature promotional content from HBO Films and HBO Documentary Films.

HBO is using the YouTube channel primarily as a means of promoting the network to an audience that may not otherwise get a chance to sample its programming. The channel will not feature advertising, a spokesperson for the network said.

“We are delighted to bring HBO content to the YouTube community and fans of our shows,” said Joseph Giraldi, director of digital distribution and partnerships for HBO, in a statement. “We invest significantly in developing HBO programs and are always searching for new promotional platforms. We are thrilled to continue this tradition by offering the global YouTube audience access to our wide variety of content.”

In addition to the clips and episodes, HBO said it expects to launch YouTube-exclusive content in the near future.