Time Warner shows head to YouTube

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Time Warner has agreed to let YouTube run "short-form" clips of films, TV shows and news reports from its many networks.

Time Warner owns networks including CNN, the Cartoon Network and Warner Bros, so news clips as well as shows like teen-favourite Gossip Girl will be made available. Time Warner's HBO has had it's own channel on the video site since last year, so it's not an entirely new move for the entertainment giant.

The clips will run in a Time Warner player which is embeddable, so the content can be shared on sites away from YouTube.

The deal isn't just about show promotion, as Time Warner will be able to sell ad time alongside the clips, sharing revenue with Google-owned YouTube. The video site has long struggled to make a profit.

Time Warner chairman and chief executive Jeff Bewkes said in a statement: "Our agreement with YouTube helps us expand the amount of our promotional content, animation and news that we already make available online. Working with YouTube, we expect to improve our ability to monetize this short-form content through new and creative advertising initiatives."

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