YouTube Shuts Down Most Original Content Citing ‘Rapid Growth’ In New Creators To The Platform

Youtube’s Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl took to Twitter Tuesday to reveal that Youtube’s original content will be dramatically scaled back, with only some aspects of original content still receiving funding.

In a message to YouTube creators, Kyncl announced the decision, acknowledging that YouTube originals and its Global Head of original content, Susanne Daniels played an integral role in advancing the YouTube creator economy. The message also announced that Daniels would be departing the company by March, which Kyncl insists is not related to the announcement.

With YouTube, original creators could produce content, TV shows and movies, for the platform like scripted series, educational videos, celebrity topics, and music videos that were not behind a paywall. The announcement by Kyncl also cited the growth in new creators giving the video platform a chance to invest in other initiatives.

Original content on YouTube started in scripted shows, then pivoted to unscripted content after those scripted shows were picked up by other platforms.

Kyncl’s message said that the Black Voice and YouTube Kids Funds, along with the Creator Shorts Fund — an outgrowth of a TikTok format —, will be funded, but other original content creators will not be. Any commitments YouTube already has to creators will be honored, but YouTube will be negotiating with them in the coming days.

Unlike other streaming platforms, YouTube’s original content has produced very few breakout series, likely leading to the decision to cut large portions of the service. Still, YouTube, a Google-owned company, is one of the most popular video streaming services in the world and YouTube Red (previously YouTube Premium) will still be available.