YouTube eyes battle with cable television

Once the site only used to view viral videos, YouTube is now aiming to challenge cable television for audiences. Since recent studies have suggested that many Americans will soon have internet-ready televisions, YouTube has invested millions of dollars to develop new programs in order to get users to stay longer on the company’s site. More time on the site means more advertising dollars. YouTube is not alone in targeting television; Hulu, Yahoo, and Netflix have all announced similar plans.

For an example of some of the popular programming on YouTube, see the following episode of Annoying Orange:

Discussion Questions:

1.  Do you think that YouTube will be able to steal audiences away from cable television? Why, or why not?

2.  What advantages might cable television have in the battle with sites like YouTube and Hulu?