Alphabet Inc’s YouTube is creating scripted series and other original programming for international markets — including France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and India — to try to draw new customers to its paid subscription service, a senior executive said on Friday.
The programming is to come in the form of multiple genres, such as music documentaries, reality series, talk shows and scripted series, YouTube global head of original programming Susanne Daniels said in an interview.
It will be produced in local languages and subtitled or dubbed for other markets.
Some of the programming is to appear on YouTube Premium, a monthly subscription service formerly called YouTube Red.
Other content is to be available on YouTube’s free service with advertising.
“We are targeting markets where we believe we have a tremendous upside in potential subscribers,” Daniels said.
YouTube has already released a handful of original shows in South Korea and one in India, a Hindi-language talk show about cricket.
Called UnCricket, the show has performed “beyond expectations,” Daniels said.
Daniels also said that a reality show starring South Korean pop band Big Bang had boosted subscriptions and that 50 percent of the new customers came from outside of South Korea.
More details about the new international slate are to be released in the coming weeks, she said.
YouTube will be competing with companies including Netflix Inc and Amazon.com Inc that are investing in local-language programming for online audiences around the world.
The first original shows from YouTube debuted on its premium service in 2016, starting with series from some of the platform’s most popular video creators. It added programming from Hollywood stars and also released a batch of children’s shows, including Emmy-winning Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force.
There are no plans for more original children’s programming, Daniels said.
The YouTube Kids app serves that younger audience, she said, and the company does not believe children’s content will drive subscriptions to YouTube Premium at this time.
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