Tuesday, December 12, 2006
TV Needs Affiliate Distribution
You've likely read some of the rampant rumors about the TV networks not named ABC considering a joint effort counter to YouTube. Only the threat of YouTube could get the networks to cooperate like this, but the individually they could compete better by making their content more available, taking a page from adult content providers.YouTube has partially grown so popular because the company makes it easy to directly link to its videos and for people to display the videos on their own websites. Time Life gets it. The company is teaming with Brightcove.com to make video clips from the just released Get Smart DVD series available to fans who would like to post them on their websites. (Brightcove is also hosting a hilarious spoof from National Lampoon that integrates Michael Richards' nightclub meltdown with clips from Seinfeld.)
This is a strategy that adult publishers have mastered in making clips of their stars available to affiliates to tempt their audience enough to purchase a DVD. The networks should employ this strategy and make clips available to fan sites which could serve as affiliates and provide an alternative to YouTube. For example, fans of Heroes could mash up their favorite clips of Hiro or Claire, all while promoting the show and driving traffic back to NBC.com.
Allowing fans to publish clips of popular shows will only increase interest in watching shows currently in production or buying DVDs of past episodes. Setting up an affiliate program so that fans can earn a buck in promoting DVD sales would put the content in the hands of the people who can do the most to promote a show.
Posted By John Gartner at 10:02 AM
Permanent Link: TV Needs Affiliate Distribution
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