YouTube's Disappointing Video-Rental Program Moves Forward

YouTube has started experimenting with video rentals on the site, though the first results haven’t been exactly encouraging. Still, the video site is moving according to plan and has launched the second phase of the program introducing a number of videos for rental from a number of niche content providers and distributors. YouTube is keeping quiet for now, indicating that it's still testing the waters in line with its initial announcement.

NewTeeVee counted 13 participants in the new wave that have set up their own YouTube channels offering the new rental videos. Several hundred videos are available for rental now with price and time-frame for availability varying with each provider, indicating that YouTube is giving them a pretty free hand. This is also in line with YouTube's approach of late, as the video site has been very open to letting its content partners set the terms under which the videos are hosted and monetized.

YouTube kicked off its rental program with five independent films, part of the Sundance Film Festival. They were available for rent for a little over a week, but the results of the trial run were rather abysmal. YouTube got a little over $10,000 for the 2,684 streams it managed to convince people to pay for. At the time of the initial announcement, YouTube said a lot more content was coming in the short-term future and it has been keeping to its promise so far.

The niche content is likely to spur more interest than the initial trial run, as it will have a more dedicated, albeit small, audience. YouTube's size and reach is also likely to help, though there's really no telling how the videos will do. Especially after the initial results, it's anyone's guess if people are willing to pay for videos on YouTube and, if the program will get even moderately successful, and the company is probably as much in the dark about this as anyone else.