YouTube is second largest search engine after Google
28 Mar 2011
YouTube is now the second-largest search engine in the world after Google. The six year old video-sharing website gets two billion views a day and its success is allowing it to think of competing with mainstream television.
A start-up launched by three PayPal employees in 2005, YouTube was bought by Google in 2006 for $1.65 billion.
In the US it has signed up with MGM and CBS to upload films and TV serials with advertisements. Last year, it launched an online film rental service in the US.
According to senior YouTube officials, the distinction between internet and TV viewing is set to disappear as on-demand video becomes more popular. YouTube is now adding new streams of content and trying to generate new revenue sources.
YouTube has nearly 20 million users in India and there choice of viewing reflects global usage, that is, primarily, movies and sports. Bollywood content dominates and in sports cricket leads the pack.
The year's biggest hit movie 'Dabangg' premiered on YouTube in India.
Google says it will continue to offer free content and monetise the traffic to generate advertising revenues.
Marketers say YouTube's 24/7 availability, especially to office goers, is a big draw.