YouTube today announced adding a bunch of free TV shows and movies to its freemium ad-tier library, exclusive to US users.
Adding over 4,000 free TV shows and new movies are aimed to tighten the competition with OTA TV services. Also, it redesigned the navigation and menu sections to make the streaming experience more immersive and easy.
More Free TV Shows on YouTube
Until last year, YouTube has been strictly competing with the other OTTs by making YouTube Originals. But, the platform stopped all these to focus on Black Voices and YouTube Kids Funds, which doesn’t seem to hurt the rivals in any way.
But now, it’s waging a fresh war by releasing thousands of free episodes from TV shows and movies, exclusively for US users. Though free, all this content will be ad-supported and include titles like Hell’s Kitchen, Heartland, and Unsolved Mysteries.
Moreover, movies like Gone in Sixty Seconds, Runaway Bride, and Legally Blonde are available for the audience, for free but with ads. Expanding this free library should put YouTube on par with the OTA (over-the-air) TV and streaming services like Roku Channel, Tubi, and Peacock TV.
The platform said all most of these titles are available in 1080p with 5.1 surround sound audio, and a negligible restriction of accessing upto 100 new titles each week on web browsers, mobile devices, and YouTube TV apps.
And finally, YouTube said they have redesigned the navigation and immersive banner art and included rich visuals and new menus to help users find their favorite TV shows and movies easily. All this is done in the hope to make the streaming experience more immersive.
Although the expanded free library is now exclusive to US users, we expect this to be available in more countries soon, wherever YouTube sees a need to compete with the local OTA services.
