YouTube and Sundance partner for movie rental service

by Stevie Smith - Jan 21 2010, 15:08

YouTube may be still be some way short of becoming the new Netflix, but the popular video-sharing Web service is certainly making definite in-roads on the more mainstream market.

More pointedly, Google-owned YouTube has this week announced that users in the U.S. are being given the opportunity to enjoy online movie rentals.

Following on from the recent unveiling of its HTML5-based video player, YouTube has partnered with the globally renowned Sundance Film Festival to air five films from the 2010 and 2009 festivals.

These films will be available for a limited-time rental between Friday, January 22 and Sunday, January 31.

The collection of five independent films are The Cove, One Too Many Mornings, Homewrecker, Children of Invention, and Bass Ackwards – and YouTube is presently drumming up interest by hosting trailers for each.

While YouTube is keen to point out that its rental system is still in its infancy, the video-sharing hub has said it plans to “invite a small group of partners across other industries, in addition to independent film, to participate in this new option.”

Any and all film makers submitting their content to for rental via YouTube will keep 100 percent of the rights pertaining to the film, while prospective viewers will pay for their rentals through the Google Checkout system.

Around the Web