Repository: youtube-dl
Issue: JSON can not be parsed for Reddit videos
Labels: patch-available,site-update-request

<!--

######################################################################
  WARNING!
  IGNORING THE FOLLOWING TEMPLATE WILL RESULT IN ISSUE CLOSED AS INCOMPLETE
######################################################################

-->


## Checklist

<!--
Carefully read and work through this check list in order to prevent the most common mistakes and misuse of youtube-dl:
- First of, make sure you are using the latest version of youtube-dl. Run `youtube-dl --version` and ensure your version is 2021.12.17. If it's not, see https://yt-dl.org/update on how to update. Issues with outdated version will be REJECTED.
- Make sure that all provided video/audio/playlist URLs (if any) are alive and playable in a browser.
- Make sure that all URLs and arguments with special characters are properly quoted or escaped as explained in http://yt-dl.org/escape.
- Search the bugtracker for similar issues: http://yt-dl.org/search-issues. DO NOT post duplicates.
- Finally, put x into all relevant boxes (like this [x])
-->

- [x] I'm reporting a broken site support
- [x] I've verified that I'm running youtube-dl version **2021.12.17**
- [x] I've checked that all provided URLs are alive and playable in a browser
- [x] I've checked that all URLs and arguments with special characters are properly quoted or escaped
- [x] I've searched the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones


## Verbose log

<!--
Provide the complete verbose output of youtube-dl that clearly demonstrates the problem.
Add the `-v` flag to your command line you run youtube-dl with (`youtube-dl -v <your command line>`), copy the WHOLE output and insert it below. It should look similar to this:
 [debug] System config: []
 [debug] User config: []
 [debug] Command-line args: [u'-v', u'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaW_jenozKcj']
 [debug] Encodings: locale cp1251, fs mbcs, out cp866, pref cp1251
 [debug] youtube-dl version 2021.12.17
 [debug] Python version 2.7.11 - Windows-2003Server-5.2.3790-SP2
 [debug] exe versions: ffmpeg N-75573-g1d0487f, ffprobe N-75573-g1d0487f, rtmpdump 2.4
 [debug] Proxy map: {}
 <more lines>
-->

```
[debug] Encodings: locale cp1252, fs utf-8, out utf-8, pref cp1252
[debug] youtube-dl version 2021.12.17
[debug] Python version 3.10.3 (CPython) - Windows-10-10.0.19042-SP0
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg 4.3.1, ffprobe 4.3.1
[debug] Proxy map: {}
ERROR: zfj2pv: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by JSONDecodeError('Expecting value: line 2 column 5 (char 5)')); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.
```


## Description

<!--
Provide an explanation of your issue in an arbitrary form. Provide any additional information, suggested solution and as much context and examples as possible.
If work on your issue requires account credentials please provide them or explain how one can obtain them.
-->

I'm trying to get the duration of a video in reddit.com using youtube-dl but the json can not be parsed properly
it works with command line executable, but my main goal is to get the duration in a python script and it completely crashes


```
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 906, in _parse_json
    return json.loads(json_string)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\__init__.py", line 346, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\decoder.py", line 337, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 2 column 5 (char 5)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 906, in _parse_json
    return json.loads(json_string)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\__init__.py", line 346, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\decoder.py", line 337, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 2 column 5 (char 5)

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 815, in wrapper
    return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 836, in __extract_info
    ie_result = ie.extract(url)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 534, in extract
    ie_result = self._real_extract(url)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\reddit.py", line 106, in _real_extract
    data = self._download_json(
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 895, in _download_json
    res = self._download_json_handle(
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 881, in _download_json_handle
    return self._parse_json(
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 910, in _parse_json
    raise ExtractorError(errmsg, cause=ve)
youtube_dl.utils.ExtractorError: zfj2pv: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by JSONDecodeError('Expecting value: line 2 column 5 (char 5)')); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 906, in _parse_json
    return json.loads(json_string)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\__init__.py", line 346, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\decoder.py", line 337, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "C:\Python310\lib\json\decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 2 column 5 (char 5)

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 815, in wrapper
    return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 836, in __extract_info
    ie_result = ie.extract(url)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 534, in extract
    ie_result = self._real_extract(url)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\reddit.py", line 106, in _real_extract
    data = self._download_json(
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 895, in _download_json
    res = self._download_json_handle(
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 881, in _download_json_handle
    return self._parse_json(
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 910, in _parse_json
    raise ExtractorError(errmsg, cause=ve)
youtube_dl.utils.ExtractorError: zfj2pv: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by JSONDecodeError('Expecting value: line 2 column 5 (char 5)')); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in <module>
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 808, in extract_info
    return self.__extract_info(url, ie, download, extra_info, process)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 824, in wrapper
    self.report_error(compat_str(e), e.format_traceback())
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 628, in report_error
    self.trouble(error_message, tb)
  File "C:\Python310\lib\site-packages\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 598, in trouble
    raise DownloadError(message, exc_info)
youtube_dl.utils.DownloadError: ERROR: zfj2pv: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by JSONDecodeError('Expecting value: line 2 column 5 (char 5)')); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.
```