YouTube has struck a deal with a number of UK broadcasters to run pre-roll ads across their premium content, including episodes and clips from popular TV shows.

Partners for the pilot include BBC Worldwide, Channel 4, National Geographic, ITN and Discovery Networks. Each ad is limited to 30 seconds; sponsors include Match.com, Activision, Renault and Nissan. (15-second ads for Warner Brothers film The Hangover are also airing on Channel 4.)

Prior to this liaison, partners like Channel 4 gleaned revenue from dedicated YouTube channels via display and in-video ads.

"Since we launched YouTube we have been trying to balance the demands of users looking for free, entertaining, professional content on the web, premium content owners looking for ways to monetise their content and advertisers looking for more premium content for them to showcase their TV creative against," stated YouTube UK's Suveer Kothari (via the Guardian). "We believe this test will help us balance these demands."

In a separate deal, YouTube renewed its two-year-old partnership with BBC Worldwide. The latter will launch a new channel on the video hosting site called Explore, where video clips from educational BBC shows will appear, including Amazon with Bruce Parry and Louis Theroux documentaries. BBC Worldwide also plans to launch separate channels for comedy, natural history clips, and a BBC America channel.

BBC Worldwide also plans to launch YouTube channels for comedy and natural history clips as well as a US-only BBC America branded channel. The BBC's commercial arm also recently launched a food-themed YouTube channel.

"Building communities for fans and developing new opportunities for advertisers is at the heart of our new partnership with YouTube," stated Director-Global Partnerships/Digital Media Simon Danker of BBC Worldwide.