YouTube started the initial rollout of its live streaming service Friday, which will add live video capabilities to the Google-owned site for the first time.
YouTube Live is, well, live at youtube.com/live. Tune into live shows or add upcoming episodes to your Google calendar.
YouTube Live is currently advertising a show about the NBA Playoffs Preview, which will air tonight at 7pm Eastern. Google will also offer a live tour of its headquarters at 7pm Pacific. LA Film Critic Association members, meanwhile, will offer reviews of new movies at 8pm Pacific. There are also several other shows airing today and over the next week, with a live comments feature that lets users chime in.
YouTube said it will also gradually roll out its live streaming platform to certain YouTube partners with accounts in good standing. “The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead. In order to ensure a great live stream viewing experience, we’ll roll this offering out incrementally over time,” YouTube said in a blog post.
YouTube kicked off a test of live streaming in September. The two-day pilot included four partner Web sites: Howcast; Next New Networks; Rocketboom; and Young Hollywood.
[RELATED_ARTICLE]Earlier this week, there were reports that Google will invest as much as $100 million into original content for YouTube and organize it into channels around arts and sports. YouTube is reportedly seeking a middle ground between the professional content that dominates sites like Netflix and the amateur video upon which YouTube was founded, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In August, Facebook launched its “Facebook Live” video streaming channel, though the site is intended to keep users updated on the goings on at Facebook and does not feature original content from users or partner sites.
Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.