YouTube Launches 40 New Original Shows With Celebrities Like Ellen & Katy Perry

YouTube producing a half-dozen original series this year; source says it will spend $100M+ for 40+ ad-supported original shows and movies next year

Kevin Hart. Rhett and Link. Ellen DeGeneres. Katy Perry. The Slow Mo Guys. Demi Lovato. Ludacris.

These amazing stars all have something in common: They're starring in new shows premiering exclusively on YouTube. And since these shows are ad-supported, you—and every single one of our billion-plus viewers—can watch for free.

Bringing even more can’t-miss content to audiences globally

For years, we’ve been proud to work with creators like Casey Neistat, Jackie Aina and countless others who have turned their channels into daily destinations. And with these channels packaged within Google Preferred—our offering that allows brands to advertise on some of the most-loved and most-watched content on YouTube—brands have been able to support the videos you love, so you can enjoy for free.

These channels continue to be hugely successful. That’s why, starting in 2016, we made the decision to take YouTube to the next level. We began making premium original content for our subscription service, YouTube Red, releasing 30 series and movies in just over a year. And we kept hearing from brands they wanted to be more involved in these premium series.

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