YouTube Video Takes to the Streets

By NewsFactor Network | November 28, 2006

As a result of a new, first-of-its-kind pact with Verizon Wireless, YouTube is coming soon to a mobile phone near you, with video clips ranging from stupid pet tricks to American Idol wannabes.

The user-generated video will be available through Verizon’s V-Cast service starting early next month, although the exact launch day has not yet been announced.

“This is a marriage of two marquee brands, and extends our domination of the mobile multimedia world,” said Verizon spokesperson Jeffrey Nelson. “We are breaking new ground with user-generated mobile video.”

Selected clips will be offered by YouTube via V-Cast, he added, and screened to meet Verizon’s standards for acceptable content as well as licensing regulations and requirements.

User-Generated Content

To get the clips, you will need a V-Cast-enabled phone, such as the Chocolate or Moto KRZR. The V-Cast service costs $15 per month, and runs on Verizon’s third-generation EVDO voice/data network. Some 20 million V-Cast phones have been sold since its launch 18 months ago, Nelson pointed out.

“It’s no secret that consumers love YouTube — the uptake has been phenomenal — and we feel that this will significantly boost our efforts to add more content from the broadband realm,” Nelson said.

Both handset makers and carriers are clamoring for mobile multimedia capabilities, said IDC analyst Sean Ryan, with operators like Verizon especially interested in user-generated content. “The addition of YouTube will draw more people to the V-Cast service, but the bottom line for Verizon is increasing data traffic on its advanced networks by encouraging content uploads,” he said.

For device vendors, mobile video, music, and other data applications provide an incentive for users to upgrade to high-end phones, he added. “It’s likely that people with video-enabled handsets will add their own clips to the YouTube collection,” he predicted.

Wireless Push

At the same time, YouTube now has yet…

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