Considering that Google has spent $100 million on original content and a YouTube channel has been removed from Roku, I am beginning to see a reason.

There is some talk that YouTube has locked up a lot of studio deals with Sony, Warner, and Universal as well as other independent studios like Lionsgate and Kino Lorber. The idea is to sell video on demand movies from YouTube itself.

Considering that Apple has been leading that market with iTunes, and there was $3.99 rentals of independent films a while ago, I can see YouTube doing everything they can to get all movies there. The store current has a few movies like from the Weinsteins like Scary Movie 4 and Death Proof, not to mention some Lionsgate like Reservoir Dogs and Made. Some of these are available for $2.00.

It is pretty clear that YouTube could easily become the king for video-on-demand (VOD), it certainly has the name-brand recognition thing going on.