Video streaming giant YouTube is likely to scale back a significant portion of YouTube Originals, which produced original content, including scripted series, educational videos, and music and celebrity programming.
Going forward, the company will only fund originals in the YouTube Kids Fund and the Black Voices Fund, a program created in 2020 that committed $100 million to “amplify” Black creators on the platform, reports The Verge.
“With rapid growth comes new opportunities and now our investments can make a greater impact on even more creators when applied towards other initiatives, like our Creator Shorts Fund, Black Voices Fund, and Live Shopping programming to name a few,” Robert Kyncl, Chief business officer for YouTube shard a statement on Twitter.
YouTube Originals has changed approaches throughout the years. Created in 2016 and led by Susanne Daniels, it began with scripted shows and movies focused on creators, like the comedy-thriller series Scare PewDiePie.
In 2017, YouTube said the subscriber-only first season of originals racked up 250 million views.
The company began pivoting toward ad-supported content featuring celebrities like Katy Perry and Kevin Hart, free for users to access without a subscription.
