YouTube UK Blog

What’s Up on YouTube: The World Cup is coming

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

In case you hadn’t noticed, what with the Premiership reaching its most exciting (and borderline surreal) conclusion since Sergio Aguero’s last-minute winner in 2012, Brazil is preparing to host the World Cup this summer, welcoming the finest players and most fervent fans that the planet has to offer. At the same time a host of YouTube channels are also looking to serve your every need as the tournament approaches.

Organisers FIFA are in the midst of a 100-day countdown featuring World Cup goals scored by the host nation (check out this classic free-kick from Garrincha in 1966). The channel also profiles all the teams battling to reach the final on Sunday, July 13 at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.
In the run-up to on-pitch hostilities, football lifestyle channel Copa90 have sent their very own Football Virgin, Maya Jama, to scope out the 12 cities that will provide the backdrop to the competition: visiting the stadia, finding out more about football in the country and — let’s face it — having what looks like a wonderful time in the sun.
Another person hoping that their day in the sun has come is England Manager Roy Hodgson, who is set to announce the squad he will take to Brazil on May 12 in a press conference that will be streamed live at youtube.com/England from 2pm. If you can’t wait that long, the channel also features his thoughts on fan expectations and the group stage England must navigate at the tournament, alongside all the action from the nerve-racking qualification process.
Other national teams with official channels on YouTube include Brazil, Mexico, Spain, The Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Uruguay, Italy, France, Nigeria, Ghana, The USA and Belgium.
If the prospect of blanket football coverage leaves you cold, come and see what we have on offer at the UK Spotlight channel or strike to the YouTube Music page for something completely different…
Jamie Dolling, YouTube UK, recently watched “Chilly Gonzales talks Daft Punk".

What's Up on YouTube: Boxing, More Boxing and Migrating Birds

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Las Vegas is built on showbusiness and right now the biggest show in town is the forthcoming fight to decide who will become the Welterweight Champion of the World, with the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather taking on Marcos Maidana. As part of the build-up to the bout, the Showtime Sports channel has produced an Emmy-nominated series profiling the fighters, which sits neatly alongside full-length fight footage and more, including Maidana’s 2010 loss to the UK’s Amir Khan at light welterweight — billed by Oscar De La Hoya as one of the fights of the decade.

If that isn’t enough of the sweet science for you, British boxing legend Chris Eubank’s son, Chris Jr, has set up a channel documenting his progress in the ring. The latest uploads show him knocking out Hungarian champion Sandor Micsko in the second round of the their eight-round fight, taking his tally to 14 fights unbeaten.
Another series of note to hit YouTube this week comes from TV naturalist Chris Packham, who, when he isn’t busy inserting The Smiths and David Bowie song titles into his BBC “Springwatch” scripts, is a keen birdwatcher. Troubled by the springtime tradition in Malta of shooting migrating birds — much of which is illegal — “Malta - Massacre on Migration” sees Packham talk to local campaigners, hunters and the local Police as he takes a closer look at a practice that many believe is impacting bird numbers across the whole of Europe.
For more highlights from across YouTube, head to the YouTube UK Spotlight channel to see the hottest videos of the day, stay abreast of what’s happening in the news and find out more about some of the trends making waves on the platform. And if it's music you want, give youtube.com/music a try -- what could possibly go wrong?
Jamie Dolling, YouTube UK, recently watched “Ed Sheeran F64”.

YouTube: What’s Up

Monday, 14 April 2014

YouTube was busy over the weekend, with The FA Cup reaching the semi-final stage at Wembley and the Coachella Festival streaming live from its site at Indio, California, so if it’s goals or gigs you’re on the hunt for, you’ve definitely come to the right place.

The FA Cup has been uploading game highlights and more throughout this season’s cup campaign but has introduced a couple of new features in the form of Slomo:Cam and Pitch:Cam which offer up new angles and approaches to capturing the excitement of live sport. Besides these innovations, the channel features build-up content, interviews and post-match responses, offering a one-stop-video-shop as the hunt for silverware reaches its climax.
Weekend One of Coachella has wrapped but the channel is still streaming live performances from the likes of Ellie Goulding, Bastille and… Bryan Ferry (with Ladytron). The festival has also uploaded performance videos, so if you’re looking for a shot of live music still shrouded in desert air, you know where to go.
If you fancy a more local music experience, however, Neneh Cherry & Rocketnumbernine are slated to deliver an exclusive afternoon session for Boiler Room TV on Wednesday from 2pm. Tessa Pollitt from legendary all-female punk band The Slits provides a warm-up set and if the session is anywhere near as good as the one offered up by Andrew Weatherall and Friendly Fires earlier this month, then a treat is in store.
For more highlights from across YouTube, head to the YouTube UK Spotlight channel to see the hottest videos of the day, stay abreast of what’s happening in the news and find out more about some of the trends making waves on the platform. And if it's music you want, give youtube.com/music a try -- what could possibly go wrong?
Jamie Dolling, YouTube UK, recently watched Chase & Status "Blk & Blu featuring Ed Thomas".

Sky First Episodes On YouTube

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

If you fancy a taste of BSkyB’s new dramas without having to sign up to the broadcaster’s service, then head to youtube.com/SkyFirstEpisodes from this Saturday, February 1.

Series including “Moonfleet”, “The Tunnel” and “Moone Boy” will have premieres uploaded to the channel either as full episodes or initial scenes, so if you’re at all interested in the great British dramas that Sky TV have been producing, then head to /SkyFirstEpisodes and subscribe. An early look at Ray Winstone as the leader of a gang of smugglers? Why not.
Jamie Dolling, YouTube UK, recently watched “Jubilee Line Ticker Barrier Sings Blur's Song 2"

Summer in the City 2013: See You Soon!

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

In a short while we’ll be joining thousands of fans to celebrate the YouTube Creator Community at Summer in the City 2013 held in London on the 17th & 18th August. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing this gathering grow from just 600 in 2011 to more than 7000 tickets already sold for this year.
This year the event is held at Alexandra Place with performances, panels, workshops, Q&A Sessions from so many Special Guests. Be sure to visit the YouTube Booth Area where you can meet your favorite star, have a photo clicked with your friends or just relax and enjoy free smoothies!
Don’t forget to check out the YouTube presence there. Here’s what we’re up to.

Keynote: Join us on Saturday at 6 p.m. to celebrate the incredible things creators have done in the last year and we’ll also talk about what’s upcoming

YouTube Fan Booth: Come visit our YouTube Space where you can relax or chat with the YouTube Team. You can also snap memories in our amazing photo booth, and take home some awesome YouTube swag!

“6 things you never knew about YouTube” Workshops : Join us for a variety of workshops where you can hear directly from the YouTube team. Here is a sneak peak:

Extreme Playbooking
You Chose! What Makes a Hit Series on YouTube OR The Best Videos You've Never Seen
Designing for What the World is Watching
Every meme starts with a first video

Getting closer to YouTube with Google+

The coolest feature on YouTube that no-one knows about

We’re looking forward to seeing you, hearing from you, learning with you (and of course having fun alongside you!) at SITC this year. London, here we come! Varun Kabra, Marketing Manager, YouTube EMEA recently watched “The Wizard of Ahhhs”

YouTube geeks out with first-ever Geek Week: August 4-10, 2013

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

There’s never been a better time to be a geek. From “Game of Thrones” and “The Big Bang Theory,” to “Harry Potter” and “The Avengers,” geek culture is everywhere, attracting and connecting ever-expanding audiences. Today's obsession with all-things-geek has sparked a global community on YouTube, enabling fans around the world to express their love of superheroes, comics, gaming, science and sci-fi.
With some of the biggest channels on YouTube dedicated to geek culture, the platform has become a top destination for fans everywhere to create, share and watch geek content. That’s why on August 4-10 we’ll celebrate this content with a special programming event: our first-ever YouTube Geek Week at YouTube.com/GeekWeek.

Produced in conjunction with geek powerhouse Nerdist in the US and Channel Flip in the UK, Geek Week will showcase more than 100 channels that fans love, unveiling new videos, series premieres and creative collaborations, as well as highlighting some of the best geek videos and shows already on YouTube.
Each day is hosted by a different YouTube channel, which will introduce the highlights of the day in a special daily video, as well as launch exciting new content throughout the week.

Blockbuster Sunday: A celebration of the iconic characters, movies and shows that define geek culture--plus a spotlight on the best original YouTube sci-fi, fantasy and animation. Hosted by FreddieW in the US, with new content from Tomska in the UK.

Global Geekery Monday: Anime from Tokyo, comic book heroes from Delhi, and a celebration of Doctor Who. Explore geek culture from around the world. Hosted by YOMYOMF in the U.S., and including a special new episode of the British cult children's TV show “Knightmare.”

Brainiac Tuesday: Science, education and knowledge channels that make YouTube the world's biggest platform for learning. Hosted by Veritasium and The Spangler Effect in the US, with an epic stunt from Head Squeeze and Flow from the UK.

Super Wednesday: From hilarious parodies to real-life superpowers, explore superheroes, the supernatural and the super-weird. Plus, released exclusively for Geek Week, the trailer for Marvel's “Thor: The Dark World.” Hosted by Stan Lee’s World of Heroes in the US, and you won’t believe what Fast Furious & Funny have done with an old Nissan in the UK.

Gaming Thursday: A gamers’ paradise, with live play-throughs, video games in real life, game-inspired original series and much more. Hosted by Machinima and Maker Studios' Polaris in the US, with a Guinness World Records gaming attempt live stream from the UK.

Fan Friday: Sci-fi-themed cooking, incredible cosplay and impassioned nerd debates as YouTube's biggest fans take center stage. Hosted by Felicia Day of Geek & Sundry in the US, with an ultimate geeky quiz by Crabstickz from the UK.

For our 3l33t geeks out there, keep your eyes out for Easter eggs all week, and you’ll also be able to collect badges from the eggs and select #geekweek videos when logged in and visiting YouTube.com/GeekWeek. The YouTube #GeekWeek Team recently watched the trailer for “Video Game High School Season 2 Trailer.”

LIVE: Food Tube Show starring Jamie Oliver, JacksGap and Pixiwoo.

Monday, 8 July 2013

This evening from 8:30pm Jamie Oliver hosts the Food Tube Show, themed around a Hot Summer Party.
He's moving his kitchen studio outdoors and will be filming on the streets of London in a 45 minute celebration of all culinary things summery, aided and abetted by members of the Food Tube family.
Jamie will be joined by top YouTube beauty queens Pixiwoo and UK stars of the vloggersphere Jack and Finn Harris from JacksGap, giving them a crash course in making delicious Dim Sum. The chef will be geeking out about his number one love -- chilis -- and challenging Jack and Finn to see who can take the heat when it comes to a super-hot chilli challenge.
The irrepressible DJ BBQ will be bringing along his ‘redonkulous’ smoker to the party to make some Mexican Carnitas of succulent pulled pork… plus more Italian delights made by Jamie's pal and food guru, Gennaro Contaldo. All this washed down by the Food Tube cocktail, as decided by Food Tube viewers during the event.
If you live in London you can join in person by heading for Nile Steet ( near Old Street tube) or just watch it all happen live on YouTube at youtube.com/foodtube. Happy eating.
Rosie Allimonos, YouTube Europe, recently enjoyed the dark comic genius of "Learn Guitar With David Brent".