UPDATE: The rumours were right. YouTube is now streaming full length films from Sony Pictures!
YouTube users may soon be able to watch full length cinematically-released films, if rumours of a deal with Sony Pictures pan out.
YouTube is said to be in talks with Sony Pictures about licensing full-length movies for distribution via the popular video sharing site.
YouTube already has deals in place that allow it to show full music videos (although not in the UK, following recent bickering with the music industry), TV segments from several US networks inclduing ESPN, ABC and Disney and some movies owned by MGM.
No details are available about the Sony Pictures deal, but it is likely that YouTube will ask for rights to show movies for free paid for via on-site advertising. As well as the obvious desktop and laptop users, the deal could bring a library of streaming movies to owners of smartphones with YouTube clients such as the iPhone and Android handsets and several Nokia S60 phones.
Before we all get too excited and start microwaving any popcorn it is worth remembering that film distribution is a mess of copyright law and region-specific deals so it is likely that any Sony/YouTube combo will be restricted to the US market – at least initially.
