YouTube on Friday said it had started running full-length TV shows from CBS' archive in the popular video-sharing site's latest step to build its advertising business with professional programming.
The Google-owned company said it was already talking with other TV show makers about signing deals for full-length shows. Many TV networks already run short clips on YouTube, which also offers millions of short videos uploaded by everyday users.
A mix of archive CBS shows, including Star Trek, Young and the Restless and Beverly Hills 90210, will now be available in full-length episodes of between 20 minutes to 48 minutes.
Until now, YouTube videos were predominantly short clips of 10 minutes or less. The company has been experimenting with full-length shows for some months, with Time Warner's HBO and CBS' Showtime.
YouTube executives said CBS, publisher of CNET News, would sell the advertisements around the shows. Both companies will share advertising revenue, but financial terms of the relationship were not disclosed.
