I'll Youtube It

You know when you go on Youtube to search for that hilarious video you love to watch, only to find that it's been removed due to "copyright infringement?" (Oh, Jane Austen-Maneater video, how I miss you!) Maybe companies are learning that people will actually watch their product if it's online and, hey, maybe other companies will want to pay for ad space.

Because Hulu offers some full-length movies and shows, Youtube has to catch up. Enter MGM.

"On Monday, YouTube will move forward a little, announcing an agreement to show some full-length television shows and films from MGM, the financially troubled 84-year-old film studio."

Pretty smart move, I say. Youtube/Hulu/etc. is the new way to watch shows and clips. You can even catch up on old shows you missed the first time around. (I was pretty happy to find Mary Tyler Moore and The Dick Van Dyke Show on Hulu.)

Even so, MGM co-president Jim Packer says:

“We will have some long-form videos up on YouTube, but I don’t think that’s the platform to have 30 or 40 movies up at once. I feel much more comfortable doing that on a site like Hulu.”

But it's a step in the right direction. I say it's better to have people look for your work than have them all fade in oblivion. It's a good way for people to get exposed to shows/movies they might not have seen before and wouldn't otherwise spend money on. It's the the future, MGM. Get in your DeLorean and join us.