YouTube has announced that it will be adding full ad-supported TV shows and movies on its platform in the U.S. The online video giant has an extensive library of free-to-view movies from distributors including Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount Pictures, Film Rise and Lionsgate.
The company has now said it will also be making 4,000 series episodes available to viewers for free in the U.S., with at least 100 new movies and episodes per week. Titles added in March include Legally Blonde, Runaway Bride and Gone in Sixty Seconds. Many of the titles will be available in high definition 1080p with 5.1 surround sound audio on supported devices.
In addition to the AVOD expansion, YouTube hopes to help viewers more easily discover titles by launching a new streamlined navigation for its CTV app, along with immersive banner art. The company cited Nielsen data which shows that, in December 2021, the online video platform reached over 135 million people on connected TVs in the United States.
