Variety reports that independent video sites might be the ones who end up benefiting from the new format, as more traffic is thrown their way from the search engine, but that standalone video search sites like AOL and Blinkx could suffer.

Google exec Mayer said she didn't think the search engine's new strategy would rile media companies, who'd benefit by seeing a bigger audience: "Providing traffic and distribution goes a long way," she said. Mayer said Google wanted to help users find video on a wide range of sites, but she wasn't specific about which "five or six sites" would initially be included in search results. On Wednesday, it seemed that no videos from the major networks were included in search results yet.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin appeared at Wednesday's press event in biking gear and rumpled hair. He said, "We abide by copyright, simply searching what's available on those sites (that offer video)."