Google announced today that YouTube users in the US will get free access to movies and full seasons of popular TV shows for the first time. Overall, nearly 4,000 episodes of TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen, Andromeda, Heartland are coming to YouTube in the US, and they’ll be free to watch with ads. 

On the movie front, Google has teamed up with Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, FilmRise, and more to bring over 1,500 movies to YouTube. The company plans to add up to 100 new titles each week, and a large part of this content should be available in Full HD with 5.1 surround sound. 

“YouTube is at the forefront of the consumer shift to CTV viewership as the top ad-supported streaming platform with the content people enjoy and the creators they love,” the YouTube Movies & Shows Team explained today. YouTube knows that it will be competing with other free, ad-supported platforms such as Amazon’s IMDb TV or Paramount’s Pluto TV, and that’s why the company did some work to its YouTube app on smart TV platforms.

“To enhance the viewing experience, we’re unveiling brand new streamlined navigation and immersive banner art. The rich visuals and new menus will help you more easily find your favorite TV shows from the comfort of the couch, whether you choose to rent, purchase, or watch for free with ads,” the team wrote.

If you’re in the US, you can access these new free TV shows and movies by checking the “Movies and shows” section in the YouTube app. All this free content is accessible on the web, mobile devices, and the YouTube app on smart TV platforms.

Tagged with YouTube