M+E Daily

YouTube Announces Its First Cancellations

By Paul Sweeting

Getting cancelled is a rite of passage for anyone trying to build a career in television. The same will be true even in the future of television, apparently.

AdAge reported Monday that YouTube is preparing its second round of investments in original programming for the video platform, as it tries to catalyze the next generation of TV. But only about 30-40 percent of producers who got funded in the first round will get funded this time. The rest, as far as YouTube is concerned, are getting cancelled.

“We looked at viewership they’ve been able to achieve, the cost of the content, and from that we are able to determine the channels that are delivering the best return on our investment,” YouTube’s global head of content strategy Jamie Byrne told AdAge. Spoken like a true network exec.

The cancellation rate, in fact, almost exactly matches the track record for new TV shows. According to data compiled by ScreenRant, between 2009 and 2012, 65% of new TV series were cancelled within their first season, which is right in the middle of YouTube’s projected range. Here’s the breakdown:

Canceled New Series Network Averages (Overall)
3 Year Average – 65% Canceled

2009-2010 – 57% Canceled
2010-2011 – 69% Canceled
2011-2012 – 68% Canceled

% of New Series Receiving a Second Season (By Network)
1) ABC – 39%
2) Fox – 38%
3)CBS – 36%
4) The CW – 30%
5) NBC – 27%

YouTube is right on track.