Is YouTube the Future of Smaller "Cable Channels?"

As cable operators and other video distributors grapple with ways to limit the cost of some packages, in response to growing consumer unhappiness with the cost of subscription video, will YouTube emerge as a primary distribution partner for smaller networks that might find themselves unable to gain or keep carriage on cable, telco or satellite video services?


Some, including YouTube, think so. YouTube is exploring selling subscriptions to access to some of its video offerings, potentially providing a way for certain cable channels to be available outside the traditional "bundles" offered by cable network providers, said YouTube CEO Salar Kumangar. 


Cable channels with smaller audiences will have a tougher time gaining carriage as video distributors create lower-cost tiers of service offering fewer channels, one might argue. If so, those network might be forced to seek carriage on platforms such as YouTube.