Mumbai: BBC, the UK government-funded broadcaster, and YouTube have announced a partnership to offer internet users across the world new and innovative ways to access BBC content through YouTube.

The BBC and BBC Worldwide have already started showing promotional trailers for new programmes and clips from old hits on Google's YouTube in a bid to reach new audiences and boost sales at its commercial arm.

The content will include content based on current BBC hits such as Life on Mars and Doctor Who and some from BBC Worldwide like Spooks and Top Gear, which are sold globally.

News clips will be added in the near future when the output will have three strands, BBC said. It will have around 30 news items a day. The advertising-funded news clips will, however, not be available to users in Britain who pay the licence fee that funds the BBC.

The output will include specially created video diaries such as actor David Tennant taking viewers around the set of Doctor Who and reporter Clive Myrie on the streets of the red zone of Baghdad.

"It's essential that the BBC embraces new ways of reaching wider audiences with non-exclusive partnerships such as these," director-general Mark Thompson said in a statement.

This non-exclusive partnership will create branded BBC Channels on YouTube operating under separate BBC and BBC Worldwide agreements.

While the partnership will give YouTube increasing access to content to make compelling video accessible online, BBC hopes to increase its reach through the partnership, to bring new audiences to the proposed BBC iPlayer service, and to secure commercial revenue via BBC Worldwide, its commercial subsidiary, to supplement the licence fee.

Users will be able to comment on clips, rate them, recommend them to friends and post their own video responses to communicate with the BBC and other viewers.

"This ground-breaking partnership between the BBC and YouTube is fantastic news for our audiences. YouTube is a key gateway through which to engage new audiences in the UK and abroad", Thompson said.

"The partnership provides both a creative outlet for a range of short-form content from BBC programme makers, and the opportunity to learn about new forms of audience behaviour. It's essential that the BBC embraces new ways of reaching wider audiences with non-exclusive partnerships such as these," he added.

"We're delighted to be joining forces with the BBC to bring the best TV programming available to the YouTube and community. We will continue to invest in our platforms and technologies to help our partners make the most of the enormous opportunities presented by the billion people now online," said Eric Schmidt, CEO and chairman of Google.