YouTube prepares new channel store with streaming service subscriptions

Taking a cue from Amazon, Google will allow YouTube users to purchase streaming service subscriptions from a central location called a channel store.

YouTube already offers access to live TV broadcasts and distributed video-on-demand content, DVR services for re-watching broadcasts from multiple TV stations. Continuing its expansion into the realm of online streaming platforms, YouTube will also complement its offering with a marketplace where users can selectively subscribe to the content services they’re interested in, without the compromise of a standard package that’s usually more expensive and might not include exactly the content you’re interested in.

Set to launch this fall, the new channel store (final name not yet known) will operate along the lines of Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Apparently Google has been working on the project for at least 18 months, with YouTube administrators spending the last few months negotiating media companies’ participation.

While a number of streaming platforms, such as HBO Max , are already accessible through YouTube TV , the service will initially be available only to users in the United States. The Channel Store will appear as a store for streaming services integrated right into the YouTube app, accessible through a dedicated page.

Of course, streaming partners will have to share revenue with Google for subscriptions made through the platform. It’s not yet clear how YouTube will share revenue with streaming services, but it’s expected that terms will be negotiated separately for each platform included in the catalog.