By : Chris Tribbey | Posted: 13 Oct 2008
ctribbey@questex.com

CBS and YouTube have partnered together to bring full-length TV episodes to the Google-owned video site, and other TV networks may follow, YouTube said Oct. 10.

“We are starting to test full-length programming on YouTube, beginning with some fan favorites requested by you,” YouTube said on its blog. “You asked to be beamed up with Scotty, to devise a world-saving weapon using only gum and paperclips, and to get your grub on at ‘The Peach Pit.’”

Mid-stream video ads will be embedded in some CBS TV show episodes, and the full-length episodes will be marked with a filmstrip symbol to differentiate from the smaller, 10-minute videos YouTube is best known for.

“As we test this new format, we also want to ensure that our partners have more options when it comes to advertising on their full-length TV shows,” YouTube said.

Financial terms of the new deal were not released. However, Reuters reported that CBS and YouTube will share revenue from advertising sold around the episodes.
 

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