YouTube Seeking Rights to Miramax Content

In an ongoing effort to bolster YouTube (News - Alert) and improve the breadth of its content, Google (which owns YouTube) is rumored to be working on a deal with the new owners of film production company Miramax. Google (News - Alert) hopes to negotiate access by YouTube to Miramax's archives of more than 700 popular films such as “Pulp Fiction,” “Chicago,” “Shakespeare in Love” and “No Country for Old Men.” The rumor was first reported by the New York Post.

Google is said to be seeking the Miramax film rights to “bolster its efforts to turn YouTube into a Web destination for longer form content,” although Google may have to do battle with streaming video and DVDs by mail giant Netflix, which has also shown an interest in Miramax's film library, said the Post.

The negotiation has been the job of Google vice president of Content Partnerships, Robert Kyncl, a former Netflix executive who was hired by YouTube in September to foster content partnerships like this one. Kyncl has been seeking to land TV and movie rights deals that will broaden YouTube's content.

Google has been relatively cagey about the acquisition. “We're always talking to the studios about different things and Disney (News - Alert) remains a valuable YouTube partner,” a Google spokesman told the Post. “Outside of that, we don't comment on rumor or speculation.”

Filmyard Holdings is in the process of buying Miramax from its current owner, Walt Disney Co., for $664 million. The deal, which was announced in July, has been slow due to Filmyard's difficulty with financing the acquisition. Once the deal is complete, Filmyard is expected to name former News Corp (News - Alert). executive Mike Lang as the company's new chief executive officer.

Tracey Schelmetic is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Tracey's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf