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SNL Star Embraces YouTube

  • CNet, Friday, December 19, 2008 12 PM
NBC clips posted to YouTube without authorization are typically pulled down pretty quickly. However, a clip that recently appeared on "Saturday Night Live" has been allowed to stay on the Google video sharing site, and is racking up huge numbers. "Jizz in My Pants" a skit starring SNL's Andy Samberg has recorded close to 8 million since being posted on the site on Dec. 6. It is YouTube's most watched video for the month.

Mysteriously, NBC hasn't ordered the clip to be pulled. Is this a policy shift? No, says CNet's Greg Sandoval. In this case, Samberg and his production company produced the skit. They own the rights, so NBC cannot pull the clip. This is a controversial move by Samberg and his business partners, who simply want to reach as many consumers as possible in the hopes of striking a deal with Universal Music Group.

Meanwhile, Sandoval says it's important to note that YouTube is increasingly becoming an important music hub. The major labels are currently negotiating new licensing deals with the Google site; one source claims they're seeing growing revenue from their deals with YouTube.

Read the whole story at CNet »

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