Channel 4 has taken all its long-form programming from YouTube in favour of delivering them via its own apps like 4oD.
While YouTube will continue to host short clips from previous shows and trailers for forthcoming programme, the broadcaster will no longer show full shows on Google’s website.
“As you may have noticed, we’ve now removed all full episodes of Channel 4, E4 and More4 programmes from our 4oD channels on YouTube,” read a statement on Channel 4’s YouTube page.
“As a not-for-profit broadcaster funded by advertising, we put our money back into the programmes themselves. To make the best of this investment, we’ve decided to focus on bringing online viewers of our full-length shows to our own 4oD apps – such as those on iOS, Android and channel4.com.
“These apps also allow us to encourage more viewing by recommending programmes we think people will appreciate, and to provide viewers with additional services.”
The withdrawal of content marks the end of a four-year relationship between the broadcaster and the video-sharing website.
Channel 4 first agreed a deal with YouTube in October 2009 and this allowed YouTube users to watch shows free of charge, while C4 and YouTube shared ad revenues around the content.
Since then, the public service broadcaster has developed its on VoD offerings as well as apps available on iOS and Android. The offerings now reach around a third of young viewers in the UK on a monthly basis.
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