Eight months ago YouTube launched its “premium” $12 monthly subscription service, and there are reasons to believe that it’s only a matter of days till things turn out exceptionally bad for the subscription plan.
YouTube has revealed on Tuesday that the original programs that include science fiction drama along with reality shows are not going to be reserved for advanced users since 2019. Instead, the so-called YouTube Originals will be available for free on the website, advertising, for everyone.
A spokesperson of YouTube told Business Insider that the decision to move its original content out of the subscription service was to expand its audience and “meet the growing needs of a broader fan base.”
Getting access to the Originals is one of the main strengths of YouTube Premium. Subscribe to the product – paired with YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Original – launched in May this year. At $ 11.99 a month, users can access music streaming services like Spotify and over 100 Originals, that includes “Cobra Kai” inspired by “Karate Kid” and the “Origin,” a science fiction drama.
Now, these originals offer free advertising, why would anyone pay $ 12 a month for YouTube Premium? If people hate advertising, maybe it’s worth it for the ad-free version of Origins. But many people might think they can play ads on the video and choose $ 10 a month cheaper, premium music service YouTube only for music.
A YouTube spokesperson will not respond directly to the Business Insider question about whether or not to kill YouTube Premium.
The spokesperson also said, “the value proposition of YouTube Premium remains the same: those who want to go offline, all free YouTube ads and free premium music experiences will continue to sign up for YouTube Premium, including free viewing of YouTube original ads.”
According to YouTube, this decision is part of a new strategy to reach ads originating from YouTube for all audiences – those willing to pay for the ad-free experience and non-advertising experience. The company noted that advanced users would continue to receive exclusive access to Originals such as “Cobra Kai” which have already been produced.