YouTube launched a pilot program today that brings subscription services to the world's most popular video hosting site. According to Google, only a "small group of partners" will offer paid channels on YouTube during the pilot phase. These partners can charge subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month for channel access. Some of the partners that participate in the pilot are UFC Select, TNA Wrestling, National Geographic Kids and Pets.tv. Videos that are only accessible by subscribers are displayed with a Dollar sign next to them, and any attempt to play them will display subscription information at the top right corner. A preview of the video will play automatically and stop after two minutes in. The subscribe button is also displayed underneath the video. Videos are only displayed to you in first place if you are connecting from a country that the paid channel is available in. Users who connect from a country the paid channel is available in can browse all videos offered by it to get an impression of what it has to offer before they subscribe. While they do get a 14-day trial, they may still look around to make sure that it offers sufficient contents that justify the price. Here are the details that came to light in the announcement: Subscription fees start at $0.99 per month. Channels may offer discounted yearly rates. Every channel will offer a 14-day free trial to users. If you subscribe, you get access to the channel from all of your devices including PCs, mobile phones, tablets and televisions. Paid channels are only available in select countries. IP checks determine whether you can subscribe to a channel or not. Additional checks may be made during checkout. Source http://www.ghacks.net/2013/05/09/youtube-launches-geo-restricted-paid-channels/ Current list of paid channels. http://www.youtube.com/channels/paid_channels
