Play On! YouTube Channels get more into action sports

From trick shots and game clips to commentary and live events, sports has always been one of the most popular categories on YouTube. We want to bring you even more sports Channels to get into, so we’re kicking off a new lineup of action sports Channels that bring great original content to you:

• Alli Sports: Whether you want tips from your favorite athlete on how to pull off their signature trick, a behind the curtain look into the lives of the biggest and fastest rising stars in the sports, or news and highlights from the industries most insightful analysts, The Alli Show, Step by Step, Inside AlliSports, AWSM on Alli and Frends Crew, are just a few of the shows on Alli Sports that will keep you up to speed on the latest and greatest moves and news in the industry.
• Network A: Network A features some of the most amazing performances and personalities in the history of action sports. Want to see the best tricks and segments from some of the best athletes and filmmakers from around the world? You've come to the right place. In the coming weeks, new shows, new Channels, and an unprecedented level of access to action sports pros will be added. Stay tuned!
• Red Bull: The Red Bull Channel is bringing 13 new original episodic series that will chronicle the competition and daily lives of the world’s best action sports athletes including urban mountain biker and YouTube celebrity, Danny MacAskill, skateboarding pro Ryan Sheckler, action sports phenom Travis Pastrana and big wave surfer Jamie O’Brien. You’ll also be able to find new episodes of other popular series starting with the first episode of Livin’ Louie Vito that explores the life of professional snowboarder Louie Vito.
• RIDE: Brought to you by Tony Hawk, RIDE is a 24-hour Channel devoted to the skateboarding lifestyle that will feature Hawk, Skatepark of Tampa, Jamie Thomas and Lance Krall among others. On “Tony Hawk’s Dissent,” subscribers will have behind-the-scenes access as Tony hangs out with different celebrities. Viewers can also get into the game with shows like “Shredit Cards,” where skaters upload their own skate videos and earn shopping passes based on the degree of difficulty and “One in a Million,” where amateur skateboarders will compete to become sponsored.

Because it’s YouTube, you can program a lineup of your favorite action sports Channels — that way you won’t miss a trick, highlight or interview. Just subscribe to the Channels you like, and get the latest episodes delivered right to your YouTube homepage. Tell us what Channels you’ll be dropping into your YouTube guide in the comments below!

Tim Katz, Strategic Partner Development Manager, recently watched “Surfer Almost Swallowed by Whale.”

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The opportunity for video on the web

In order to fully appreciate how exciting today and tomorrow are for our viewers, one needs to look back to the 1980s when we went from four broadcast channels to hundreds of Channels through cable and satellite TV, expanding the choices available and, as a result, viewership. Today, the web may be to cable TV what cable was to broadcast TV — a way to excite and engage viewers even more.

At CES 2012, I talked about how the web is creating exciting opportunities for all of us in online video, and how YouTube is proving that producers, curators, advertisers and viewers can all thrive in this rapidly growing ecosystem. While you’re collectively watching 3 billion hours of video a month already, we’re just scratching the surface of the amazing possibilities for countless new Channels, aiming to map the interests of all people in this world. Look forward to the world where you will have channels for all of your interests, small or big.

I was also joined by a few friends, who are key influencers in the world of online video, to talk about the changing video landscape, including MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan, CSI and BlackBox TV Channel creator Anthony Zuiker, T-Mobile CMO Peter DeLuca, Machinima CEO Allen DeBevoise, GroupM CEO Rob Norman and Lucas Watson, YouTube VP, global video solutions. Here’s the video:



We also shared a sneak peek at some of the new Channels coming to YouTube this year:



It’s a great time for video on the web, and we hope you’re as excited as we are for what’s ahead. Come and play with us.

Robert Kyncl, global head of content, recently watched “Coca-Cola ‘Open Happiness’.”

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How to make a great first impression for your Channel

With YouTube’s new homepage and Channels layouts it’s easier than ever to find and subscribe to Channels, but what’s the best way to have viewers find you? Here are some tips to help your Channel stand out in the crowd:

Channel metadata and visuals help viewers find and subscribe to your Channel

• Use the new Channel branding and tell people your posting schedule
• Create a relevant, short text description of your Channel. This will have prominent placement around YouTube that helps drive new subscriptions.
• Avatars are important! Avatars are like thumbnails promoting your Channel, and the same tips apply for creating thumbnails and avatars in the YouTube Creator Playbook.

Make your Channel preview on the homepage count

• Uploading regularly engages your subscribers and also helps attract new ones. In the Channels preview pane, potential subscribers can see how often you upload so they know what to expect. Here’s what the preview pane looks like:

• The main video in the preview is pulled from featured video on your Channel, so make sure you have a good introductory video that catches the audience.

Once you attract new subscribers, focus on creating the best Channel experience possible

• Remember that it’s not all about what you upload—use playlists to organize your Channel, and like/favorite videos to surface new content to your subscribers.
• If you can’t be the Channel that uploads great videos, you can be the Channel that finds great videos!

To learn more about using Channel promotion and other strategies to make your shiny new channel even shinier, check out the YouTube Creator Playbook.

Andres Palmiter, Audience Development Strategist, recently watched the video “SOUNDS.”

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Get more into what you love on YouTube with our new look

From your favorite sports highlights and dance competitions to make-up tutorials, science experiments and great movies, there’s a ton of great stuff on YouTube — over three billion views worth per day by last count. More and more, behind every great video is a great Channel, and with our announcement last month that more of them are coming to YouTube, we want to make it easier for you to find and keep tabs of what you want to watch.

So, today we're introducing a new homepage, Channel design and a fresh coat of digital paint. Here are three ways these updates will improve your life on YouTube:

1. A new homepage
The YouTube homepage is your gateway to a vast entertainment universe. To help you get more into YouTube, we’re making it easier to find and follow great Channels when you arrive. On the left side of the homepage you can create your own, personal, customizable YouTube Channel line-up. Sign-in, or create a YouTube account. Then you can browse recommended Channels; customize your homepage’s feed; even link your YouTube account to Google+ and Facebook to see what your friends are sharing. The new homepage feed we launched earlier this year is now front and center on the homepage. You can switch between feeds by clicking on different Channels on the left.

For step by step instructions on using the new YouTube homepage, you can go to our help center.

2. Simpler, customizable Channels
Given the homepage’s new focus on helping you find and organize your favorite Channels, we would be remiss if we didn’t update the look and feel of the Channels themselves. Today we're launching an improved Channel design focused on what matters most: helping users find great videos. As different uploaders have different goals, we've created new Channel templates to meet your needs whether you produce one video a week or have thousands of videos for a fan to browse. Some partners have even uploaded videos talking about the features, or giving tips on how they’re taking advantage of the new design. To learn how to opt-in to and test this new Channel design, check out our help center.

3. A new overall design
To bring the new homepage and Channels designs together we’ve also applied a fresh coat of digital paint across the whole site. In July, we unveiled an experimental design called Cosmic Panda. We’ve used your feedback to improve our overall design, and today, we’re presenting a cleaner and simpler YouTube, with a consistent gray background, bigger video thumbnails and a more streamlined watch page.

Ready to get started? Your new YouTube is already shipped and waiting for you at YouTube.com, and like every new toy, we included an instruction manual (and video) to help.



Our recent Channels expansion, our grants and educational programs, and this new design are all focused on helping you discover a broader range of entertainment on YouTube. We’re always innovating and testing new stuff out to make the experience the best it can be for you. We rely on your feedback to figure out when we've gotten it right and when it needs further tweaks. So let us know what you think.

The YouTube team

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More great content creators coming to YouTube

Wonderful things happen when cool technology meets great entertainment. Cable television expanded our viewing possibilities from just a handful of channels to hundreds, and brought us some of the most defining media experiences of the last few decades-- think MTV, ESPN and CNN. Today, the web is bringing us entertainment from an even wider range of talented producers, and many of the defining channels of the next generation are being born, and watched, on YouTube.

Today we’re announcing that even more talented creators and original entertainment will soon join YouTube’s existing channel lineup, including channels created by well-known personalities and content producers from the TV, film, music, news, and sports fields, as well as some of the most innovative up-and-coming media companies in the world and some of YouTube’s own existing partners. These channels will have something for everyone, whether you’re a mom, a comedy fan, a sports nut, a music lover or a pop-culture maven.

Our goal with this channels expansion, along with the grants and educational programs we’ve launched in the past year, is to bring an even broader range of entertainment to YouTube, giving you more reasons to keep coming back again and again. And for advertisers, these channels will represent a new way to engage and reach their global consumers.

The first of these new original channels will appear on YouTube starting next month and will continue over the next year. They’ll be available to you on any internet-connected device, anywhere in the world, with all the interactivity and social features of YouTube built right in.

Be the first to know when the original channels launch by signing up here. For a sneak peak, take a look here.

Robert Kyncl, Global Head of Content Partnerships, recently watched “Halloween Light Show 2011.”

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