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YouTube is plunging into the world of unscripted programming (a.k.a. reality TV and documentaries). The video service has greenlit a dozen new projects, according to the Hollywood Reporter, with partners including Justin Bieber and Paris Hilton. For Bieber, the service teased a “top secret” project set for release next year.
The streaming service announced the projects on Thursday night at the annual Brandcast event. The projects will be available for free, supported by ads, where previously YouTube’s original programming was only available through its $12/month ad-free Premium service. They will fall under the streaming service’s “music, education and personality genres.” Both the Bieber and Hilton projects will premiere in 2020.
Other celebrity-driven programs are scheduled to make a comeback to YouTube’s free service. Alicia Keys discussed her show Unwind at the Brandcast event, and Michelle Obama will be featured in the educational reading series BookTube. The streaming service’s scripted series Cobra Kai, a continuation of the Karate Kid franchise, will be renewed for a third season.
