Google video goes international

BBC News:

Google has signed up a series of partners who will provide clips for its fledgling video service.

The deals mean that visitors will be able to watch Wimbledon matches, documentaries and sitcoms via the Google video site.

The partners have been signed up as Google launches eight new versions of the clip-sharing site.

France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and Canada now have national versions.

Clip shop

Although Google video launched in April 2005 the service has been eclipsed by the success of rivals such as YouTube which let people post and share clips.

Before now, all of Google's video offerings, which include clips made by amateurs as well as content from broadcasters and movie makers, have run off the US site.

Google hopes that the eight national editions will grow to reflect the likes of the countries each site serves - visitors can rate videos to help sort which ones are the most popular.

Included in the list of partners are ITN, Wimbledon video rights holder IMG Media, the Cousteau Society, Talkback Thames, Buena Vista International, FC Barcelona and France's National Audiovisual Archive.

The deals with the series of partners are intended to tempt people to visit the Google site and get them watching.

Those posting video to the site, whether they are movie makers or amateurs, can decide whether to charge for the clips. To help pay for the site Google runs adverts alongside videos that are posted.