YouTube is less than 12 years old, but the service has drastically changed how we consume media. It has impacted the music business, gave a platform to vloggers and is now offering premium content to users who are willing to pay.
Videos on the site were completely free for many years, but recently the company has created a subscription service for US users called "YouTube Red". Viewers in the States can consume content without the ads and access exclusive shows and videos.
While there's no sign of this in Ireland yet, we do have the option of paying for particular shows, as I discovered earlier this week.
The following trailer popped up on my YouTube feed and I was instantly intrigued.
In the description box of this trailer was a note saying it's available to YouTube Red subscribers, but those living outside of the US could buy it via the YouTube Red Store.
For the first time in my life, I paid for a YouTube video and was delighted with what I got. The episode cost less than €2.50 and downloaded to my device right away.
The emergence of Netflix, Spotify and Apple Music means we're no strangers to paying for online content, but the notion of paying for individual shows may get a little pricey if YouTube Red doesn't come to Ireland soon.
