YouTube in Talks to Show Full Movies

Full-length Hollywood movies will soon be streaming on YouTube, reports CNET. The site's parent company, Google, is in promising talks and could have offerings from at least one major studio online within a month. “It's going to happen,” said one executive with knowledge of the deal. “I would say you can expect to see it, if all goes well, sometime within the next 30 to 90 days.”

There's some skepticism about whether the venture can be profitable. The films would be supported by ads, but whether they would run before or after, or perhaps during brief interruptions, remains undecided. Google is reportedly insisting on one set ad format, to the annoyance of some movie companies, who want more control. Nor is every studio comfortable giving Google full-length movies; Lionsgate recently cut a deal for short clips only, and another company is in talks to do the same. (More YouTube stories.)