YouTube Expands Original Programming Push to Europe

YouTube is cranking up its original programming effort with an international push that includes new channels in Europe. The video-sharing site announced it was adding 50 channels on top of the 100 it has introduced in the past year, along with the launch of country-specific channels in France, Germany, and Britain. Robert Kyncl, YouTube's global head of content, said in a company blog that from local cuisine, health and wellness and parenting to sports, music, comedy, animation and news, this new lineup of original channels would have something for everyone.

Since announcing $100 million investment in original programming last October, YouTube is already harvesting the fruit of its labor. The video portal is averaging more than a million views per week from its top 25 original channels, and that more than 800,000 people are watching 4 billion hours of video every month - up from 3 billion hours earlier this year. The number of people subscribing has double over last year. Google is investing an additional $200 million into marketing and production costs. The company expects its investment will help attract a greater number of YouTube users to its channels.