Can Anyone Topple YouTube?

YouTube is considered the undisputed champion for video streaming, but from a market standpoint, YouTube only controls 60 percent. So who is sharing the other 40? Believe it or not, there are over a thousand different sites trying to take over the YouTube kingdom and most offer better searches, higher quality videos and full-length films. For those who are YouTube fans, their dedication seems to come more from the brand name, rather than what the site actually has to offer. So what sites could essentially pull YouTube off the leader board?

Can anyone compete against YouTube?

Hulu is a free online video streaming service that operates similar to YouTube, only they also offer full-length television shows and movies. Since Hulu contracts with network providers, they offer higher quality video and give users more options when it comes to finding their favorite show. Hulu does have a paid account service as well, but for less than $10 per month, users can use this online service to replace their cable service – something YouTube cannot offer.

Netflix

Netflix does not have a free account option like YouTube or Hulu. Since Netflix only offers videos of shows currently out on DVD, they are limited when it comes to new releases or recently aired television programs. That being said, the video selection on Netflix includes latest Hollywood releases, trailers, television shows and over 10,000 different movies.

BlogTV

One reason YouTube is so popular is for its video sharing. Instead of offering television shows and movies like competitors Hulu and Netflix, BlogTV acts more like YouTube by allowing users to broadcast their live videos over the internet. A user will have their own page where they can post new videos, create archives and essentially build a fan base. Some countries that use BlogTV have reported over 60,000 unique hits each day.

YouTube is available for download on smartphones, Xbox, PlayStation and computers. The only competitors who offer that same feature are Hulu and Netflix. Though BlogTV is not available anywhere but the web, it is slowly crawling up as a highly sought after site, which means its developers will be pressured into creating applications for multiple platforms and operating systems soon enough. With all of the video competition, that 40 percent YouTube doesn’t hold just might start to expand even further.