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BBC launches deal with YouTube to show video clips

The British Broadcasting Corp began showing excerpts from its news and entertainment programs on the YouTube video-sharing Web site on Friday, after becoming the first international broadcaster to ink a major deal with the Google Inc-owned portal.

In an agreement that analysts said marked a key step forward for both the BBC and YouTube, the British broadcaster is offering three branded channels on the site, including one showing up to 30 news clips a day.

"It's an easy win-win," said Chris Lake, an editor at Internet marketing firm e-consultancy, of the deal which gives the BBC access to millions more viewers and gives YouTube the credibility of the venerable British broadcaster.

BBC director-general Mark Thompson said the broadcaster hoped to drive extra traffic to its own Web site and bring in revenue to supplement the license fee levied on British taxpayers.

Datamonitor analyst Chris Khouri said that the move showed the BBC was becoming "a more commercially focused organization," while Lake said the deal would also provide the BBC with crucial information about viewer habits that it could then use on its own Web site.

The deal is also well-timed for YouTube and may ease the company's prickly relationship with large entertainment companies, some of which have alleged that YouTube violates their copyright.

The site is filled with film and music clips uploaded by individual members. Viacom Inc recently forced the company to take down more than 100,000 video clips.

Lake added: "As the BBC has acknowledged, I think it's better to embrace it and jump in. That way you can monitor the quality and the content."
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