Los Angeles  - YouTube has struck deals with major Hollywood TV and film studios to distribute full length movies and TV shows on the Google-owned video streaming site, the company announced Thursday.

YouTube, which is the internet's largest video site, announced a string of deals with entertainment companies CBS, Sony Pictures, MGM and the BBC, to post their content online.

The professionally created "premium content" will be accessed through special tabs on the site's front page and will be supported by advertising, the company said.

The site was bought by Google in 2006 for 1.65 billion dollars, but has struggled to attract advertising dollars as marketers hesitated to associate with the wildly inconsistent amateur content featured on the site.

Entertainment companies have generally preferred to keep tight control over how their shows are distributed online, but in recent months have moved to allow their content on ad-supported sites like Hulu. com. (dpa)