In 2015, Google introduced for the first time YouTube Premium (then known as “YouTube Red”), which removed advertising from YouTube videos in exchange for a monthly subscription.
YouTube also started producing exclusive content known as YouTube Originals, to attract subscribers compared to Netflix and other streaming platforms.
YouTube Originals never took off. Now, The company announced that it will terminate this service to favor other investments.
Our investments can have a greater impact on more creators when applied to other initiatives such as our Creator Shorts Fund, Black Voices Fund and live shopping schedule, to name a few.
YouTube will continue to round out shows already in production, but there will be no more big-budget series or movies.
The biggest success story of YouTube Originals is snake Kai, a comedy-drama series that served as a sequel to the original Karate Kid films. The series was acquired by Netflix in 2020 and is currently producing a fifth season.