Channel 4 to air 1,000 hours of hit shows on YouTube – for free

Channel 4 will be putting 1,000 hours of hit shows, from 8 Out of 10 Cats to SAS: Who Dares Wins, on YouTube after striking a deal with the platform.

The lucrative deal has come at a good time for the broadcaster, which is under threat of being privatised.

It will sell advertising around the programmes, which will be available for free and which it hopes will be watched by young viewers (YouTube is used by 98% of 18 to 34-year-old internet users a month).

“Innovative strategic partnerships are Channel 4’s specialty and this new relationship with YouTube is another which will ensure we continue to keep growing our reach with young audiences and build on our unrivalled digital success,” said Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon.

“Together with YouTube we have created a powerful consumer channel full of our brilliant Channel 4 content.

“This will engage even more viewers through the enhanced reach and digital scale of YouTube.”

From later this month, a mixture of popular old shows and new releases will be made available on YouTube. The new series will only land on YouTube after they have been broadcast on TV and been available for streaming for 30 days on All4.

8 Out of 10 Cats, Location, Location, Location, Nikki Grahame: Who Is She?, SAS: Who Dares Wins and The Dog House are among the shows to be made available.