YouTube offers thousands of free TV episodes with ads

YouTube on Wednesday began streaming some 4,000 television episodes from shows like "Hell's Kitchen" and "Heartland" to US viewers as the site tries to capture viewers in a fiercely competitive market.

The Google-owned video platform said that popular television shows along with films from major studios will be available, with ads, on YouTube using smart televisions, mobile devices or web browsers.

YouTube was a pioneer in the trend to accessing video on-demand using the internet, starting with clips uploaded and shared by users.

It faces an array of competitors, ranging from streaming television service Netflix based on subscriptions to ad-supported offerings from Peacock, Roku, Tubi and other rivals.

Films and shows will be added weekly, with the line-up of movies to include "Gone in Sixty Seconds" and "Runaway Bride," according to the YouTube team.

YouTube cited Nielsen findings that more than 135 million people in the United States watched YouTube videos using televisions connected to the internet in December of last year.

"YouTube is at the forefront of the consumer shift to (connected TV) viewership as the top ad-supported streaming platform," the video-sharing platform said in a post.

Agence France-Presse

Khabib Nurmagomedov to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Undefeated former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 2.

Nurmagomedov (29-0) was in attendance at UFC 272 in Las Vegas on Saturday when the UFC announced he'd join the 2022 Hall of Fame Class. The 33-year-old from Dagestan, a Russian republic, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame's modern fighter wing.

"Khabib is one of the greatest athletes to ever compete in professional sports," UFC president Dana White said. "No one dominated their opponents the way Khabib did, and to retire undefeated, as lightweight champion and the No. 1 pound-for-pound athlete in the world is an incredible accomplishment. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer."

Nurmagomedov won the lightweight title in 2018 and held it until he officially announced his retirement in October 2020 in one of the more memorable scenes in mixed martial arts history.

Nurmagomedov retired in tears and laid his gloves on the mat following his UFC 254 victory against Justin Gaethje. The win occurred four months after he lost his father and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, to complications from COVID-19.

-reuters

American Express suspends operations in Russia and Belarus

American Express Co said it was suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus, joining a growing number of Western corporations to boycott business there over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"In light of Russia's ongoing, unjustified attack on the people of Ukraine, American Express is suspending all operations in Russia," the credit card company said in a statement on its website.

"We are also terminating all business operations in Belarus," American Express said.

American Express follows US counterparts Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc, which announced a suspension of their Russian operations the previous day, as well as payments company PayPal Holdings Inc.

American Express said its globally issued cards would no longer work in Russia at merchants or at ATMs. In addition, cards issued by Russian banks in Russia would no longer work outside the country on American Express' network.

The company said it has already suspended its relationships with Russian banks affected by US and international sanctions.

-reuters