YouTube Chases Premium Content With New Hires

• Tweet
• Buffer

As it continues to pursue relationships with providers of premium and professionally produced video content, YouTube today announced the appointment of two content-focused executives.

Dean Gilbert will join as global head of content, vacating his current role as VP of product management at YouTube parent Google. Meanwhile Robert Kyncl will join the company from movie rental service Netflix, filling the role of global head of TV and film entertainment.

In a blog post, YouTube co-head Salar Kamangar said Kyncl will be responsible for building YouTube's content partner presence in Hollywood, and overseeing its content partnerships with studios, broadcasters, cable networks, talent agencies and new media companies.

YouTube has been pursuing content deals with a range of media companies over the past 18 months, and has, for example, signed deals to distribute ad-supported content from some of the U.K.'s major commercial broadcasters, including Five and Channel 4. It also secured ad-supported content from record labels through a content syndication relationship with Vevo, which launched late last year.