Four years ago, veteran TV executive Susanne Daniels was tasked with an ambitious plan: build a set of original programs that would leapfrog YouTube into a prominent player in the subscription streaming marketplace, competing against the likes of Hulu and Amazon Studios.

Now, the online video giant is pivoting away from that strategy. Original programs, once largely behind a paywall, will become free, supported by ads by 2020. And the Google division is scaling back its investment in original scripted programming, focusing more on productions centered around YouTube stars, celebrities and musical artists.

MCT