Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Newspapers Queue Up the Video

Add Hearst to the list of newspaper publishers who believe that video will play a vital role in their future. Hearst Newspapers signed a deal with video platform Brightcove to host and distribute original and user-generated content.

Video is prominent on the front door of many sites formerly known as print destinations. Hearst understands the economics and potential of web video by paying for the service with ads and distributing the video through affiliates. Sharing video that is free to consumers will create opportunity for small and large advertisers and publishers who are trying to mine niche audiences.

If only major league baseball were so prescient. The sports league charges a hefty premium for all video except for a few highlights, and that will continue with the its new deals with DirecTV and In Demand. The league is going for the quick buck instead of investing in an advertising system targeting billions of out of market fans.

Online video viewers continue to skew male. According to E-Marketer, 78 percent of males online watch video, while only two-thirds of women do. The most popular video content is news, followed by amateur videos and movie clips. That may change as more programming is gender neutral becomes available.

Posted By John Gartner at 09:59 AM
Permanent Link: Newspapers Queue Up the Video | Comments (0)

Post a Comment

Name:
Email:
WebSite:
Comment:
Remember Me
Subscribe