Google have just announced YouTube TV, a paid subscription service that streams an array of premium broadcast and cable networks to your mobile device, tablet and computer. YouTube plans to offer a package of over 40 cable and broadcast channels for $35 a month, the company announced Tuesday. YouTube TV will target the growing number of consumers who are avoiding traditional television. At just $35 a month, you can get six accounts and access to live TV from more than 40 providers from broadcasters like NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox along with cable channels like MSNBC, USA, ESPN, FX, and Fox News. The new service allows customers to watch from any screen, record an unlimited amount of content for up to nine months, AI-powered search and personalization, and access to YouTube Red programming. The whole idea around this is to give the younger generation of content consumers the content they love and the flexibility they expect. Television had a good run as the leader for consuming video content, but it may be time to change the channel. With more than one billion hours of viewership every day, YouTube looks set to soon surpass TV as the most watched format. American viewers watch about 1.25 billion hours of TV every day, and the figure is declining year-on-year according to Nielsen data. With YouTube viewership steadily on the rise, it’s only a matter of time before YouTube outshines traditional TV. YouTube hasn't announced an official release date yet, but says you can expect it in the US in the “coming weeks and months.” - We'll make sure you're the first to know! YouTube TV shows how far the company has come since 2005 when it was a little corner of the internet for people to share their homemade video clips. What do you think of this awesome new feature? Our bet is on YouTube taking over! Let us know in the comments below. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube.

YouTube, the worlds leading online video platform, is today making some serious moves to compete with Facebook Live and Twitter’s Periscope to be the number one go-to platform for live video streaming. YouTube proudly announced that they have been supporting live streaming since way back in 2011! They also mentioned how in 2016, we witnessed the most-viewed political live streams of all time – the 2016 U.S. presidential debates – and they launched the world’s first 360-degree live streaming support with full 4K video, at scale and for free. YouTube have today announced that they are turning on live video recording directly from its mobile app for creators who have at least 10,000 subscribers. "It’s a launch that’ll put the power of live streaming in the hands of hundreds of thousands of talented creators, giving them a more intimate and spontaneous way to share their thoughts, lives, and creativity." YouTube have roll out the new mobile live streaming feature to every creator with more than 10,000 subscribers (the rest of you will have it soon!). Mobile live streaming has been built directly into the YouTube mobile app. All you have to do to start streaming is open YouTube, hit the capture button, and you’re live! - This really is an awesome feature for creators and fans alike. Also, streamed videos will have all the same features as regular YouTube videos. They can be searched for, found via recommendations or playlists, and protected from unauthorised use. With the live streaming function being run by YouTube, you can also rely on it having YouTube’s rock-solid infrastructure, meaning it’ll be fast and reliable. We think this feature is going to be awesome and really change the dynamic of going live on YouTube. It's also going to be a great feature to use with Super Chat, which rolled out to creators not long ago. What do you think of this awesome new feature? Let us know in the comments below. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube.

2016 was a mixed bag. There were some GREAT games released! But there were also some big flops and some big disappointments. What is 2017 going to have in store? Find out below. These are our personal top picks with definite release dates. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Platform(s): PS4, PSVR, Xbox One, PC Release date: January 24, 2017 After Resident Evil 6 was released, hardly anyone was impressed. The controls were clunky, the graphics already dated, and the story was less than superb. RESIDENT EVIL 7 promises to bring back everything we loved about those original horror games, but this time the adventure is in a first person perspective. The RESIDENT EVIL demos have been terrifying, so hopefully the full game live up to hype. For Honor Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC Release date: February 14, 2017 If you like swinging words, hacking and slashing, general chaos and mayhem, and subtle fantastical/alternative reality settings then FOR HONOR is perfect for you. Fight as the Viking, the Samurai, or the Knights in this epic blood curdling action game which will provide entertainment for weeks on end. Horizon Zero Dawn Platform(s): PS4 Release date: February 28, 2017 Horizon Zero Dawn seeks to be everything you want from a survival/action RPG and cranks it up into space. Hosting a brilliantly beautiful world with a unique storyline and insane weapons and powerful enemies in your way, your goal is to fight your way to a better future. Expect to see this game ship in 4K also. Mass Effect: Andromeda Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC Release date: March 21, 2017 My personal game that I'm excited for this year is the new Mass Effect. The original trilogy are some of the best games in gaming history in my opinion, so this new stand-out series set under mysterious circumstances in a far off galaxy has my hype train fully fueled. Expect new characters, new drama, new heartbreak, new guns, new species, and a new really really good game. #gaming #2017 #news #gamingmasseffect #residentevil #ps4 #xbox #PC

YouTube is today announcing a new feature to help creators monetize when they go live. It’s a brand new tool called Super Chat, and allows viewers to pay to pin a comment on live streams. This will replace the Fan Funding, which a majority of the community don't use or don't like. So what is Super Chat? Super Chat is a new tool that is available to live streamers on YouTube. Super Chat basically allows you to pin a comment to the top of the chat. When someone goes on a live, you’ll see a dollar bill symbol in the chat window and by clicking this you will open up a slider that lets you set the amount you’d like to send the YouTuber. The more you pay, the longer the comment gets pinned and the more you will support the creator. The comment will appear and stand out from other comments and it can stay pinned for up to 5 hours. The idea behind this is to build a stronger relationship with fans, it allows them to connect with their favourite creators, and also lets them offer financial support. Super Chat will replace Fan Funding which according to YouTube, never really made much of an impact, except during live streams. There are also some potential problems with this new feature, it is possible that anyone can potentially pay to pin hateful or spammy comments on to the stream. We are however led to believe that YouTube will be releasing some moderation tools, as well as the option to ban certain words. Super Chat is currently in beta with a few selected channels and will be widely available to creators by January 31st. Let us know your thoughts on this new tool in the comments below. We'd love to hear your views on whether you believe this is a good or bad idea and what else you'd like to see added. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube.

As a content creator, you likely hate January as it is typically the worst performing month of the year for advertising revenue. If you’re new to YouTube, January might come as a bit of a shock. While CPMs vary throughout the year, the most significant change occurs between December and January. We understand just as well as you, that declined changes in CPMs can certainly be frustrating to deal with. CPM means “Cost Per Mille”, the price that advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their advertisement. When there is high competition for advertising, your CPM will be higher. CPMs are seasonal and increase and decrease in value based on the advertiser competition. Why does this happen? You may have noticed that in December your CPM was at an all time high, or at least higher than normal! However, when you have checked your January reports, it is a lot lower than normal. So why does this happen? During the festive period, advertisers’ demand for ad space is much higher than normal. Over this period, advertisers are willing to spend a lot of money to get their products sold during the Christmas present buying rush. But then on the flip side, January hits, it’s just a month with very little advertiser demand. Companies cut their advertisement budget after Christmas and in turn the competition is lower and your CPM is also. CPM fluctuations happen across the board, whether you’re a YouTube content creator or a TV network. Using historical data, we found that CPMs typically drop 40% after the festive season in December, then slowly pick up speed throughout the year. Don't worry, Valentines Day is just around the corner and you'll see see your CPM back at the heights you love! Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube.

November is always a weird period for game releases, sitting quietly in-between the Summer releases and those big December titles. However, here are 4 releases due out this November which are sure to go down in the books. Whether this is for fame or infamy, we’ll let you decide; POKÉMON SUN & MOON. - November 18th. We are all familiar with this franchise. The next installment in the famed Japanese RPG sees us sprinting around the new Alola region, fighting enemy teams and capturing wild and exotic monsters. Expect to be engaged with familiar turn based battles, in which only those with the most guile will survive, but also expect some new features to make an appearance in this game. With new Pokémon forms of old favorites, the object of the game is to defeat the nefarious Team Skull. Are you up for the challenge? Players are also able to customize their Pokémon trainer's appearance, choosing gender, skin tone and hair color at the start of the game, and can later acquire outfits and accessories to change their character's look. The game is due for release on November 18, 2016. WATCH DOGS 2. – November 15th. To be blunt, Watch Dogs was a disappointment, with sever graphical downgrading from the trailers and E3 demo, and repetitive simple game play, as well as horrible controls, Watch Dogs has become something of a modern gaming joke. The sequel is expected to bring back some respect and dignity to a series that we didn’t need or a want a sequel from. The open-world action game puts us in the shoes of Marcus, a young hacker looking to make his name in the cyber-world of San Francisco. You can choose to play in 3 dominating game styles; Stealth, Aggressor, and Trickster. Game levels and upgrades will help guide the player into one of these roles. The game drops on November 15th and I’m sure some of you will give us your opinion on the final cut. It’s gunna be interesting. DISHONORED 2. – November 11th. The most anticipated game on this list among hardcore gamers is an action-stealth game which takes your protagonist, Corvo Attano or Emily Kaldwin, to the coastal city of Karnaca where the choices you make will have significant impact on the world. The game can be played all guns blazing, or with no guns at all. You make the decisions. Developed by Arkane Studios it looks to be one of the best games of 2016. The game describes itself as something a varied bunch of gameplay ideas and styles. Both Emily and Corvo employ their own array of supernatural abilities. They can alternatively decide to forfeit them altogether. There are a multitude of ways to succeed in each given mission, from stealth to purposeful violent conflict. Will you be one of the lucky to land in Karnaca on November 11th?

Over the past few days we have seen an explosive string of activity from the devs over at Rockstar games. Their first post began with a simple red and white studio logo, indicative of an announcement. But what is it? GTA DLC? A new Manhunt game? Well everyone's money seems to be on the eagerly anticipated sequel to the Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption games. Too many people are using the term "Red Dead Redemption 2", but they seem to miss the fact that itself was a follow up from the original Red Dead Revolver. The stories are not connected, but the world in which the games take place, as well as the themes are the same. So for this next game I would not expect to see familiar characters return from Red Dead Redemption, but you can certainly expect an incredibly strong game from the devs at Rockstar, who can claim they have made some of the best games ever. It works in the same style that the GTA games do. The initial announcement on twitter was then followed up by an image of what seems to be a group of cowboys walking away from a setting sun. I am so frickin hyped right now. With an announcement each day since the 16th of October, it seems sure that to fit in the trend we might get something very special tomorrow, be it an image of an announcement or even possibly a reveal/teaser trailer. All fingers are crossed.

YouTube Spaces are the premiere production environments for YouTubers looking to take their video production to the next level. The new facility situated next to Kings Cross St Pancras train station is YouTube's largest in Europe and boasts 4K and virtual reality cameras. This month, YouTube Space London moved to Google’s new headquarters in the King’s Cross area. The 20,000sq ft building replaces a 5,000sq ft Space in London's West End. It contains three studios, each with their own control rooms, a green room, makeup and hair salon, and editing facilities. It houses three high-tech studios and sound stages, featuring state of the art production equipment like 360° and VR cameras, 4K screening facilities, and cameras capable of letting creators live stream in 4K to their own channels. The visual aspect of YouTube space is amazing with a really British feel compared to some of the other spaces. Stage One has a double height ceiling, is fully sound proofed, has robotic cameras and can double as a screening room, complete with 4K projector and Dolby Atmos audio. This is the arena for YouTubers to showcase full HD content and stunning footage. From this stage you can also live stream directly to YouTube in 4k, something which no other broadcast suit in the UK can do. All the footage you record can be taken home for adjustments or edited in the one of YouTube's suits which includes a Mac Pro computers, each with two 4K screens. This isn't just limited to just creators, though – fans will be able to stop in to the Space’s brick and mortar creator store and purchase merchandise from some of their favorite creators. Also for the high end creators the space will double up as a meet-up spot and product launches. Creators with more than 10,000 subscribers are invited to produce videos at the new Space and we recommend all of Ritual creators to head down and check it out! If you want to plan a visit to the space, please contact us and we'll help you arrange it.

2016 has been a fantastic year for gaming so far, with many highly anticipated releases which have broken records and inspired gamers across all platforms. Competition is fierce between Sony and Microsoft, Valve have tried their best to give us a great experience on PC, and Nintendo have announced plans for their brand new console, the NX! Here is a list of some games you'll get to experience for yourself really soon! Specifically in September. SEPTEMBER 13th Bioshock collection; Coming to the PS4, XBONE, and PC is the fully remastered editions of the most beloved thriller/action games to grace our consoles. 2K games are providing us with the port and will give the current generation a look into games they might have overlook, whether it be age or graphical fidelity, now that obstacle has been removed and they can enjoy some of the finest games ever made. If you own Bioshock 1 and 2 on Steam you will receive the upgrade visuals for free! How's that for some great PR. Recore; Coming to the Xbox one and Microsoft systems we have the adventurous and unique Recore. Comcept hope to redeem themselves after a string of game which were not received very well, by critics OR fans. Joule Adams, who you play as, volunteered to help colonize a far off alien world and after waking from a hundred years of cryosleep, finds "Far Eden" to be a barren wasteland. She must survive with her companion and destroy aggressive alien robots for reasons unknown to us. It's a game not to miss. SEPTEMBER 20th Destiny: Rise of Iron; This massive DLC and overhaul of the Destiny franchise will arrive for both its current platforms, PS4 and X1. Bungie want to hopefully revitalize and revive the player base of the game by offering new and fresh content to keep up that ten year life span promise! SEPTEMBER 27th Fifa 17; The anticipated and expected game from EA Sports hopes to be their best yet. With a fully interactive and voiced story line called "The Journey" we see a step into an actual campaign for the Fifa games, which makes them more than just a football/manager simulator. This could be what is needed to really make Fifa appeal to more people. I mean, imagine Need For Speed without those amazing story lines?

Ritual Network, a certified YouTube Partner is already a leading MCN and has a well established and fast growing partner base. Ritual Network partners have approximately 75 million video views a month across all video platforms and they're celebrating 300% growth for the third consecutive month. The company's focus is on offering exciting tools which are specifically tailored for their content creators. This enables Ritual Network to attract a core demographic, and it has already delivered successful campaigns for popular brands in various verticals. Their content creators cover various verticals from music, sport, tech, fashion, beauty, gaming, vlogs and podcasts. Ritual Network's large partner base shows the fantastic job they have done, "we look forward to helping our partners accelerate their development even further. We have a proven track record of offering tools that video content creators love to use, combined with the ability to support successful influencer marketing campaigns and protect and monetize the creators assets" said Lewis Walker, Chief Executive Officer of Ritual Network. "Together with our partners we offer viewers a better and more varied entertainment experience than ever before, and I look forward to new creators joining us and working together with them on expanding their audience and revenue. The future stars of TV are made on YouTube." About Ritual Network Ritual Network is a company that specializes in helping content creators to earn revenue through advertising and brand deals. The company works with many different content creators on various platforms from YouTube to Facebook and offer content creators paid brand deals, and other revenue streams away from content creation, such as merchandising. Since launching in September 2014 the company has had over 10,000 content creators sign up to their service. For Media Contact: Thorsten Schauer Ritual Network Ltd Chancery Lane DN17 4HN United Kingdom Phone: 0044 (0)7841 534737 Email: thorsten@ritualnetwork.com Website: http://www.ritualnetwork.com

Sponsored content is a hugely attractive option for advertisers looking to communicate their industry expertise through the means of influencers. By telling your brand’s story through a creator, brands are able to stand out and receive additional benefits that traditional advertising does not offer. Through the various means of connecting with your consumer through the voice of an influencer, you are more likely to achieve a higher performance and have a stronger voice in the online conversation while also delivering high quality content. The main issue with branded/sponsored content is that sometimes it is all to obvious and does not give the authenticity needed to reflect the brand in a positive light. When it is blatantly obvious that creators are promoting a product, consumers don’t want to engage with these types of posts because they recognize they are seeing an ad. Sponsored content can still be massively beneficial for advertisers and creators, if it is done in the right way. Consumers follow certain influencers because they feel like they have a personal connection with them and when you are showcasing a brand, this authenticity should still follow. Following studies, it turns out that sponsored content has just as much engagement as normal content on an influencers channel if it is done in the correct way. Here are a few tips to help you out next time you are representing a brand. Make The Product Placement Fit Into Your Style. There is nothing worse than scrolling through the feed of one of your favourite creators, watching their awesome videos, for you to then come across a video blatantly endorsing a particular brand and showcasing all of their products. While it may seem like a good idea to heavily feature the product, this is highly unnatural. You want to remain authentic at all times and remain true to yourself and the types of videos you upload. When showcasing products do it in a way that reflects you and your own brand. Tell A Story You should aim to create a story about the brand, product or service that you are helping to promote. Let your followers know about your experiences with the product or service, instead of directly telling them about the benefits they provide. Don't change your usual video format, you want your audience to feel like it's a normal video as that way they will watch until the end. Honesty Is Key! You always want to be open and honest with your audience - They trust you! Let your audience know about the kind of sponsorship you are delivering and ask them for their views on it. The more open you are with your audience, the more likely they are to engage with sponsored videos and they will react in a more positive way. Summary; Create open, honest and natural branded content for the best results. If the branded content you're creating is similar to your normal content you will keep your audience happy and engaged while also delivering the best results for the brand. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #InfluencerMarketing, including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to start crafting your influencer campaigns. You can also join our world leading FREE academy where you will receive industry leading training and material on everything influencer marketing. Influencer discovery can be a long and tiring process if you have to manually search for the right talent. You can use a company like us to help you with the correct software to find the right talent and ensure your campaign goals are achieved.

It has come to light that many of the top YouTuber's have been reviewing and promoting games on behalf of Warner Bros, and are being paid huge sums of cash to do so. Warner Bros have just battled against a suit which saw them charged with hiding sponsorship payments. The studio and big business are now banned from anything but full disclosure, as to not mislead viewers and potential consumers. "Consumers have the right to know if reviewers are providing their own opinions or paid sales pitches," said Jessica Rich from the FTC. "Companies like Warner Bros need to be straight with consumers in their online ad campaigns." Warner Bros spent tens of thousands of dollars on individually YouTuber's to promote its popular and well received game Shadow or Mordor. Involved in this were clear instructions on how to promote and essentially sell the game. How do you feel about the situation? Should there be full disclosure on all sponsorship's? Let us know.