Hollywood talent cashes in on YouTube

The New York Times is reporting that YouTube and the William Morris talent agency are close to a deal that would see William Morris talent featured in online video content produced exclusively for the Internet. William Morris represents many A-list Hollywood players like Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, so online videos produced through this deal would have built-in audiences.

Stars would share in the revenue generated by advertising over the content, creating a synergistic relationship that could mean serious money for both YouTube and the talent. The move is part of YouTube's continued move toward professional content that can command advertising dollars. 

Since 100 million people visited the site in October alone, any content produced through the deal will get an enormous amount of exposure -- good for the stars' traditional projects as well.

The deal could also be a boon for struggling web video series creators, who potentially could sign with William Morris for the opportunity to get their vision hosted on YouTube. If a series catches on, the advertising around it would be providing them income. It will be interesting to see how content producers are affected by this partnership, and if YouTube can translate the exclusive, professional content into a viable revenue stream. 

For more:
- The New York Times has an article 

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