According to a fresh report, YouTube is in talks with some of Hollywood’s biggest movie studios to make more new releases available through the site. What might be problematic in many users’ eyes is that YouTube and the movie studios are also weighing the idea of charging a rental fee for access.
The idea makes sense to some degree; studios can’t be expected to give away their content available for free at the same time they’re trying to sell it on $20 discs. Furthermore, almost three years after acquiring it, Google can’t be blamed for trying to squeeze a profit out of YouTube.
Still, the Wall Street Journal reported, “People familiar with the matter say that new movie rentals are likely to be around $3.99,” and that’s a sizable payment towards what Netflix charges on a monthly basis. Plus, the idea of paying for anything on YouTube would require some attitude adjustments.
Anyway, YouTube’s said to be discussing the concept with Lions Gate, Sony, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Warner Brothers, and any decisive move remains a long ways off. A three-month test involving 10,000 Google employees is at least one thing that would occur before rental options come to the average user.
If you either love or hate the thought of paying to see new movies on YouTube, speak up, because public opinion is likely to have a big influence on what happens.
