Hearst-Argyle Television has announced an agreement with Google and its subsidiary YouTube, to distribute and monetize select video content from five of its television stations on dedicated YouTube channels.
Although YouTube has a similar agreement with CBS for carrying content from some of its O&O’s, the H-A transaction marks the first such revenue-sharing agreement between Google, YouTube and an independent television group.
The content will include news, weather and entertainment videos as well as original local television programming. Hearst-Argyle also has several new digital video initiatives that include programming from local high school football, basketball and local amateur entertainment that could be included in the future.
The stations involved in the deal include:
- WCVB, Boston
- WMUR, Manchester, NH
- KCRA, Sacramento, Calif.
- WTAE, Pittsburgh
- WBAL, Baltimore
“This innovative deal with Google and YouTube fits perfectly within our overall digital strategy of distributing our content on all three screens--the TV, the PC and the mobile phone,” said Terry Mackin, executive vice president of Hearst-Argyle Television. “We have invested significant resources in our growing digital media efforts. With Google and YouTube, we can now better engage users and advertisers with our award-winning local video content and with new user-generated content while further broadening our reach beyond the boundaries of our media markets.”
Hearst-Argyle owns 26 television stations and manages an additional three television and radio stations, reaching 18 percent of U.S. TV households.
