YouTube reveals new channels

Globally, YouTube yesterday launched 53 paid channels as part of its pilot programme that provides both creators and the company a new way to monetise videos.Currently, the 53 paid channels charge subscribers starting at US$0.99 per month, though most broadcasters are charging much higher: National Geographic TV and Magnolia Pictures, for instance, dishes out a bill of US$2.99 a month. UFC channel is even priced at US$5.99 per month.Subscribers can pay by either their credit cards or through Goggle's Wallet service. According to The Wall Street Journal, the revenue is split in half between the channel creators and YouTube."This is just the beginning," said YouTube on its blog. "We'll be rolling paid channels out more broadly in the coming weeks as a self-service feature for qualifying partners."Despite having already signed on with 50-odd broadcasters, YouTube's paid channels must fight for eyeballs with competitors such as Netflix and Hulu LLC.In Hong Kong, the video streaming site opened its educational channel, YouTube EDU, to target the younger generation in the region. Adam Smith (pictured), CEO of YouTube APAC, said the expansion comes at a time when even the likes of Emperor Entertainment Group, TVB and Celestial Pictures are using its video streaming services."APAC is a strong market to YouTube," said Adam Smith, CEO of YouTube APAC. "In Hong Kong, we've seen tremendous growth of creators such as brenbrendada, whose beauty tutorials on YouTube now have over seven million views."Currently, the platform features inspirational talks, lectures and subject-specific tutorials that are free for students of all ages.In APAC, YouTube EDU has signed on with National Taiwan Univeresity, National National Tsing Hua University and National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, Indian Institutes of Technology in India, Australia's University of New South Wales and Korea's Educational Broadcasting System (EBS).Aside from going through a selections stage - for which the criterion is confidential at the moment - submitting videos to the EDU channel is free of charge.