YouTube Unveils 2 Auto Channels With Premium Partners

In a reflection of its expanding premium content strategy, YouTube has unveiled two new original channels focused on cars: Motor Trend and Drive.

The Motor Trend channel, created by Source Interlink Media, will include original content from the likes of Motor Trend. Meanwhile Drive will take viewers behind the scenes and "[celebrate] the rich culture of cars." Content will include news, reviews and commentary from industry figures such as Chris Harris, Mike Spinelli, Leo Parente, and Alex Roy.

In October, YouTube signaled it will deliver a broader range of entertainment to the site by adding channels from well-known personalities in TV, film, music, news and sports, as well as content from media companies and its existing partners. It's a bid to capture the expanding advertiser budgets for high quality video, which has partly passed YouTube buy, even as the site has increased revenue.

"I don't think advertisers are thinking about it as a significant percentage of their spends on video," Google CEO Larry Page said of YouTube during the company's Q4 earnings call last month.

In addition to the automotive channels, YouTube recently added Vacationer, a travel channel. Content hails from travel sites like National Geographic, Lonely Planet and the Travel Channel. It is sponsored by Alamo Rent-A-Car.