Warner Bros. Releases Dozens of Old Films for Free on YouTube, Bypassing Paid Streaming

Warner Bros. Discovery has quietly begun releasing dozens of its older films for free on YouTube, marking an unexpected shift in how the major studio handles its back catalog. Over the past month, the company has uploaded more than 30 full-length movies across five YouTube channels, without digital rights management or regional restrictions.

The collection includes both critically acclaimed films like 'Waiting for Guffman' and 'Michael Collins,' as well as commercial disappointments like the 2002 Eddie Murphy film 'The Adventures of Pluto Nash.' Some releases have significant historical value, such as 'Oh, God!' - a 1977 George Burns comedy that earned $51 million at release (equivalent to $265 million in 2024). This move represents a departure from traditional studio practices of protecting content through strict digital rights management and paid streaming services. Warner Bros. owns multiple distribution channels, including the Max streaming service and Turner Classic Movies, which makes the decision to release these films freely on YouTube particularly notable.

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