YouTube touts first new original program under free strategy

Alphabet Inc’s YouTube unveiled on Thursday nine new original programs that will be available for free this year as the streaming service shrinks an effort to attract subscribers with content exclusively behind a paywall. The unveiling at a YouTube event for advertisers and media in New York offered the first glimpse at how the shift announced in November away from subscriber-only content will play out across the world.

Programming has turned out to be less of a draw for YouTube Premium subscribers than ad-free viewing and other perks, while YouTube has faced pressure from advertisers to increase its supply of television-like content that is suitable for sponsorship.