YouTube confirmed the rumor mill todayby announced it has bought out Next New Networks. The podcast producer was being brought on to become a “laboratory” to both professional studios and newcomers profit from shows on the streaming video site. A dedicated team, YouTube Next, was coming at the same time and would help with grassroots efforts such as buying cameras or supporting community events.
YouTube global content director Tom Pickett made clear that the effort was to improve both the viewership and the quality of the work itself. “Frankly, ‘hundreds’ making a living on YouTube isn’t enough and in 2011 we know we can and should do more to help our partners grow,” he said.
Other deals made in the past several months have been centered around supporting access to major video sources, including Widevine for better DRM and fflick recommendations for automatic advice on related movies. Android has just recently got a modular DRM system that would allow services like Netflix to work for the first time
