Always up for a scandal, Business Insider asks, "if Google's move is a sign that it's already giving up on Google TV" -- and then
suggests as much. "No disrespect to YouTube, but if Google really thought it was going to rewrite the TV industry, it seems that it would not be trusting a big software and business development effort
to its web video site."
Still, some see the move as a purely practical one for Google.
According to CrunchGear, "It will give Google TV, thus far plagued with refusals by many content providers to allow
streaming over the device, a bit more leverage with stations and studios."
"The clear goal here is to use YouTube's might [to] encourage full-length video and clips to flow
from YouTube proper to Google TV-enabled devices," CrunchGear reasons. "In our own tests Google TV is actually fairly painful and barren without external content and Hulu compatibility has, thus far,
been an important part of almost any streaming device."
As The Chronicle notes, YouTube recently underwent a realignment, including the creation of a group focused on partnerships with
content creators. Also, Dean Gilbert, who previously worked on Google TV, was brought in as vice president of content partnerships.
Ultimately, it's now up to Salar Kamangar, co-head of
YouTube, to make Google TV a success. Kamangar, who famously led the team that created AdWords, was given the reins last year to turn YouTube into a profitable enterprise.