YouTube plans to add movies and TV shows to subscription service

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The Alphabet Inc. property has reportedly begun talking to studios.

When YouTube took the wraps off its Red subscription service, the video website confirmed that it’s developing a number of original shows. Now, a new report by the The Wall Street Journal says you can also expect to see movies and TV series among Red’s offerings. The Alphabet Inc. property has reportedly begun meeting with Hollywood studios and production companies in an effort to secure streaming rights. YouTube’s execs, including former MTV programming chief Susanne Daniels and former Netflix content executive Kelly Merryman, haven’t been snapping just up any old show you can watch everywhere else, though. They’ve apparently been looking for content that can be seen exclusively on Red, or those that can be streamed on Red at the same time they’re shown on TV or in the theatres.

YouTube is likely hoping that those exclusive TV shows and movies can entice customers to sign up even if they already have Netflix and Hulu. As VC firm partner Mark Terbeek told the WSJ, “YouTube is dominant in ad-supported online video, but they have missed the subscription side. To get people to pay they will have to have higher-end content.” The publication says the website’s execs are still thinking of how much content to license, but it’s making sure it has a “robust collection” of both original and licensed programming for 2016.

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