Google’s long-standing efforts to grab
a piece of the $300 billion global television
industry have always stumbled
over the issue of content, with TV
networks and major studios reluctant
to give the 800-pound gorilla of the
online world a toehold.
Google hired former Netflix executive Robert Kyncl in 2010 to help
overcome that problem, and his efforts have already paid off. While
Google’s YouTube has been the biggest online video player for years, its
short, user-generated content isn’t very advertising-friendly. So Kyncl
has been pushing to add more professional content, inking deals with
Hollywood studios for Google rental service and spending $100 million
in an effort to launch nearly 100 YouTube channels of original
content. This may just be the start of bigger plans for multichannel
services delivered to Google’s Android tablets, TVs and smartphones.
