YouTube announced this week that it completed agreements with MGM, Lionsgate and CBS to run full length TV shows on the YouTube.com website. This places YouTube neck-in-neck with Hulu.com for online TV show airings.

NBC and Fox own the joint venture, Hulu.com, while Google owns YouTube. All parties have indicated they will start slowly, limiting program options. YouTube hinted that more deals are in the works, increasing support for professional video services on its site. Up until this point YouTube has been entirely focused on home-made movie sharing. To add this new approach to its offerings, YouTube will be increasing copyright safeguards, in direct contrast to its previous stance.

New York Times

Fast Company