YouTube and AwesomenessTV announced Wednesday they will jointly create several feature films over the next two years, starting with "Dance Camp," a film starring social media personalities Meg D'Angelis and Jake Paul.
It was only a matter of time before YouTube would begin making movies. Rival streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon have already had success putting out original movies and TV series. It's not enough to just host content, analysts say, original programming is what will keep audiences coming back.
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"Dance Camp" and other films with Awesomeness will debut first on YouTube -- the first polished feature films on the site founded on shaky homemade cat and prank videos. After a period of time, the films may be distributed on other platforms.
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YouTube said in a blog post that it is also backing several projects by YouTube stars, tying its fortunes directly to the growth of content on its site. In addition to the AwesomenessTV partnership, it is investing in series created by: The Fine Brothers, a comedy duo who have 17 million subscribers to their YouTube channel; Prank vs. Prank's Jesse and Jeana, with 14 million subscribers; daily vlogger Joey Graceffa, with more than 5 million subscribers; and the comedy duo Smosh, who have 35 million subscribers.
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“With 'Dance Camp,' we are combining some of today’s most popular YouTube stars with dance -- one of the most watched genres on the platform,” said Kelly Merryman, vice president of content partnerships at YouTube.
Earlier this summer, Awesomeness Films launched "Smosh: The Movie," which debuted well on iTunes and was recently licensed by Netflix.
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