Can the next boy band come from YouTube?
YouTube has become the standard for videos. With no limit to the style of content, almost every type of video has been uploaded at one time or another, and unless you have been living under a rock you have either a YouTube account or login to get your daily video fill. Most people who surf YouTube never really pay attention to the channel or specific creator that uploaded the content. The YouTube platform has no real rhyme or reason to its video hosting, when compared to say Netflix which is more geared towards studio movies and television content.
Lately, there has been a trend of original content, mainly stemming from Netflix which has generated mostly positive buzz from audiences. YouTube on the other hand, has never produced or curated a library of full length shows. The creators who populate the billion dollar industry, generally concentrate on their viewer counts, and the Multi-Channel Networks (MCN) that host and manage them, are more concerned with backend operations. While YouTube may have the hosting power and audience, it have yet to tap into the potential that comes with hosting original content. A leading YouTube MCN is breaking from protocol and bring original full length shows to its channels.
Yoola, originally founded as VSP Group, a top five YouTube MCN, and the largest in Russia, has started to develop and create original content shows, which it will host across its channels. Already backed by millions of dollars in production budget, Yoola is also bringing high end filming studios in key production locations including, Los Angeles, London, and Moscow. The company has two shows in pre-production phases including “Social Media Boy Band” and “Instagram Influencers” reality show. Yoola believes that with this new venture, and access to a wide range of talent across Russia, Japan, and the United States, the company will be able to attract top creators, appealing to a greater audience and increase their exposure. The productions themselves will also be unique to YouTube, as they will be completed in various international formats.
“Digital creators are the future of entertainment,” says Eyal Baumel, CEO of Yoola. “At Yoola, we believe that nurturing and cultivating their talent is the key to success, so we also make sure that creators on our network receive the highest quality of support. Our new formats look to usher in a new era of videos to YouTube, and vastly increase exposure to our network and creators.”
As a leading global MCN, Yoola has already shown it can contend on a world stage, and has the potential to grow even bigger. However, YouTube is geared more towards quantity over quality and having actual curated content similar to TV shows, is yet to be tested. While this may be true, Yoola is demonstrating innovation as it begins to venture into the world of original content, and could possibly bring about a change in the way YouTube networks handle their channels.