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Robert Kyncl, global head of content at YouTube Inc.
YouTube’s focus on funding creators that have built loyal audiences on its platform will set it apart from its tech competitors Netflix, Apple and Facebook, according to YouTube’s chief business officer Robert Kyncl.
“I don’t think we are trying to copy Netflix: We are who we are,” Kyncl said on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley.”
“We are really comfortable with our identity as the open platform, and our subscription service is about offering more choice, more content for the users and more high-value users for our creators. But we are anchoring off the people who have become huge on YouTube, the ‘streampunks’ we describe in the book, and they produce higher level programming with us, with our money and promotion.”
Kyncl appeared on CNBC to promote his new book on YouTube’s influence on media, “Streampunks: YouTube and the Rebels Remaking Media.”
Tech companies including Netflix, Apple and Facebook are investing heavily in original video content. Although the glut of content has led some analysts to question of if users have enough time to watch everything, Kyncl believes each company has its own place in the streaming ecosystem — users are willing to pay for multiple subscription services.
While companies like Apple may license hit YouTube series like “Carpool Karaoke,” Kyncl pointed out YouTube still hosts the original series that made the James Corden segment famous and has the global distribution rights. Facebook may be doing more original series, but YouTube’s emphasis on fostering is creators by giving them the majority of the advertising revenue and investing in higher-quality versions of their shows will keep it a strong presence, Kyncl said.
