YouTube Could Become Soccer Player

Today in international tech news: YouTube could become a player in the high-priced world of soccer highlights. Also: Video is released of Kim Dotcom's arrest; the Philippines takes to social media to coordinate flood relief; Facebook takes down an Australian page
.

YouTube has partnered with the Scottish Premier League to show highlight reels of soccer action. That move has PaidContent.org wondering if the online video giant might go after England's Premier League next.

YouTube is not itself producing the videos for the Scottish league but is instead acting as a platform for the league's own videos. Still, this sort of dissemination could prove a watershed in the exceptionally high-priced world of sports video content -- especially when it comes to the Premier League, which is the world's most watched soccer league.
The two companies that purchased live rights for the Premier League -- BskyB and BT -- paid more than US$4.6 billion for three years worth of content. But those rights don't include "near-live" rights -- which is where Google might make a bid. PaidContent goes over some of the logistics involved in such a deal.