Monday January 22, 2007
The BBC is in advanced negotiations with Google to make programming available via a branded channel on the search giant’s video-sharing site, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.
It is understood that BBC executives are keen that the deal, which involves BBC Worldwide and the BBC, is eventually expanded to include putting content on Google-owned YouTube.
BBC Worldwide is understood to be looking at commercial options for the agreement, such as a share on contextual advertising that will run alongside BBC content.
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This would mirror the type of deal that YouTube has in place with US sports organisation NHL.
The BBC will use Google Video as a vehicle to raise the profile of its content by posting clips of popular programming.
The two companies are expected to announce the agreement to coincide with a trip by the Google chief executive, Eric Schmidt, to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.
Last July, Google rolled out eight country-specific versions of Google Video in Europe and signed up content partners including ITN, IMG Media (the sports company that handles events such as Wimbledon), A&E (which owns the History Channel) and Buena Visa International Europe.
Under the original deals the partners have used the platform for promotional purposes.
Channel 4, for example, has a branded promotional channel plugging Ugly Betty.
However, if BBC Worldwide’s deal included access to the US version of Google Video, which has pay-per-view and pay-per-download options, a wider range of commercial options could be considered.
Several large broadcasters in the US have similar arrangements with Google-owned YouTube including CBS, which claimed 200,000 extra viewers for The Late Show with David Letterman after clips from the show were posted on the video-sharing website.
The differentiation of deals between Google Video and YouTube is set to become a moot point. According to sources, the issue of running two brands and operations in the video-sharing sector is close to being “resolved” by Google chiefs.
A spokesman for Google said that the company never comments on market speculation.
