As part of its push into commercial television, YouTube introduced a new slate of TV series in its app this week that customers will be able to watch for free, with commercials. In an official statement, YouTube said:

“YouTube is at the forefront of the consumer shift to CTV viewership as the top ad-supported streaming platform with the content people enjoy and the creators they love. And now US viewers for the first time will be able to watch full seasons of TV shows on YouTube for free with ads. Now you can stream nearly 4,000 episodes of your favourite TV shows, including Hell’s Kitchen, Andromeda, Heartland and more.”

And that’s not it. YouTube also says that they have access to over 1500 movies from Disney, Warner Bros, and many more. This could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for traditional television broadcasters.

YouTube is moving a step ahead

YouTube has, of course, long provided on-demand access to TV episodes and movies, but now viewers will be able to access a vast array of content for free, at any time, as long as they can tolerate a few adverts in suitable intervals. Even though there will most certainly be fewer advertisements than on traditional television – and with so many possibilities, you can assume that this will be a highly popular service.

This has also changed how people watch videos. Viewers are accustomed to being able to click forward and skip to something else these days, which has influenced presenting styles and production approaches as attention spans have shortened. As each of these tendencies takes root, YouTube’s position as the most popular viewing platform is cemented even more.

The ability to watch TV series whenever you want corresponds with this transition, and will undoubtedly prove to be a popular alternative. It will also considerably expand YouTube’s ad inventory, giving brands new ways to reach users in the app with TV-style campaigns at a far lower cost and with a lot more targeting choices.