This is a smart move by YouTube, but as a consumer, exclusive streaming rights are annoying as hell. It means content services (YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc.) become walled gardens. &quot;Oh, you want to watch <i>Shawshank Redemption</i>? You have to go to this other service and pay <i>another</i> monthly subscription.&quot; Not going to happen.<p>From a content creator (studio) perspective, I have to imagine this is ineffective. Might they make more money with &quot;open&quot; rights for anyone? &quot;Doesn&#x27;t matter who you are, pay us $0.50&#x2F;hr for streaming this content and we&#x27;re good.&quot;<p>Again, as a content <i>provider</i>, absolutely you want exclusive content as a reason for people to join your service. (I have Netflix for <i>House of Cards</i> and HBO for <i>Game of Thrones</i>.) But as a <i>creator</i> your goal should be wide distribution.