YouTube in video talks with Sony Pictures

YouTube is reportedly in talks to acquire licensing rights to full-length feature content from Sony Pictures. CNET reports details on the negotiations are scarce, with representatives from both firms declining comment. Such a deal would herald a significant step in YouTube's evolution as a premium content provider across multiple digital channels; Sony's web video portal Crackle, acquired for $65 million in mid-2006, presently offers about 60 feature films, and the studio also has licensed content to partners including Sprint, AOL and Hulu.

Last month, YouTube announced it will extend its mobile video application to support most Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 devices. "In addition to providing YouTube on more phones than ever before, [the mobile application is] also much faster--up to 90 percent faster starting up, searching, and video loading--and gives you better video quality that's automatically optimized to your WiFi or 3G network," wrote David Stewart of YouTube's product marketing team on the YouTube blog. Stewart added that additional mobile enhancements and improvements are in the pipeline.

For more on the YouTube/Sony Pictures talks:
- read this CNET article

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