YouTube is now showing ad-supported Hollywood movies
Last month, YouTube quietly began showing ad-supported movies for the first time, giving viewers access to Hollywood titles including “The Terminator” and “Legally Blonde” for free.
The platform started promoting the free feature-length films in the movie section of the site in October, where it has sold movies and shows for years. Consumers could buy the latest blockbusters and prime-time TV programs through YouTube as they might on Apple iTunes and Amazon Prime, but there was never a free option to watch the movies in exchange for commercial interruptions.
“We saw this opportunity based on user demand, beyond just offering paid movies. Can we do ad-supported movies, free to the user?” says Rohit Dhawan, director of product management at YouTube. “It also presents a nice opportunity for advertisers.”
