YouTube has announced that it will be cutting back significantly on its Originals slate, according to a tweet put out by YouTube’s Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl. He added that the video streaming service will only be funding programmes that are part of their Black Voices and YouTube Kids Funds, the statement added. https://twitter.com/rkyncl/status/1483502275804872704 The statement clarified that the platform will meet its commitments for shows which have already been contracted by it. YouTube Originals was conceived in 2016 in a bid to ride the wave of OTT streaming. It was a division within YouTube dedicated to new programming headed by Susanne Daniels. It produced content which spanned several genres like scripted series, educational videos, and music & celebrity programming. The move is a consequential one as the division reportedly struggled to stand out in a crowded OTT market, as per The Verge. YouTube is primarily an intermediary but the platform would have been in a fix over Originals under the new IT Rules, 2021 in India as it would be liable for the division’s content. Why is YouTube pulling the plug on Originals? Robert Kyncl said that the company had to reckon with the departure of Susanne Dainels who will be gone by March 1. “...now our investments can make a greater impact on even more creators when applied towards other initiatives, like our Creator Shorts Fund, Black Voices Fund, and Live Shopping programming to name a few,” Kyncl reasoned in his Twitter post. It made several pivots in…
