YouTube Red

When YouTube decided to get serious about developing high-end content for its YouTube Red subscription product, the Internet behemoth turned to a seasoned TV pro. Susanne Daniels, who joined YouTube as global head of content in July 2015, helped birth such notable series as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Dawson’s Creek” during her tenure in programming at the WB Network. She also logged stints at ABC and Fox and, more recently, Lifetime and MTV.

YouTube Red, the Google-owned paid streaming service, has acquired its first big-budget, Hollywood-produced television drama, Step Up, moving it into more direct competition with players like Netflix and traditional cable networks.

The streaming site is attempting to make some noise of its own with a crop of films and shows that will be exclusively available with YouTube Red, a subscription service the San Bruno, California-based company launched last October. Unlike the millions of other videos posted on the streaming site, “Lazer Team” and the other YouTube Originals will only be available with a YouTube Red subscription, which also provides ad-free access to the site and a music service for $10 a month.

YouTube next week is set to launch its first exclusive programming — a test of how many customers will fork over $10 per month, the price of Netflix’s standard subscription plan, to watch movies and TV shows featuring the platform’s digital stars.

YouTube’s $10-per-month Red service launching Wednesday combines ad-free viewing with unlimited on-demand music. Fans can go to ESPN’s own websites for its videos, the sports network said Friday. Spokeswomen for both ESPN and YouTube on Friday declined to say what legal issues might impede its participation.

YouTube executives today introduced YouTube Red, a long-anticipated subscription service that will cost $10 a month for the same videos ad-free. The company simultaneously announced YouTube Originals, a slate of original programming that will be available only on the paid service.