NBC think that allowing downloads of The Office on iTunes has boosted viewership on the air. [via PaidContent] The lightbulb goes off in the darkness.
The iTunes offering is bringing new audiences to the show that would not otherwise have watched, said Frederick Huntsberry, president of NBCU Television Distribution. “Consumers have choices, and we are not reaching all consumers with one technology,” he said.ITunes is one way to bring fresh eyeballs to the network, he said, in particular the younger demo that uses video iPods.
“We are offering content and reaching viewers for the first time. These are audiences using iTunes to manage their music,” Mr. Huntsberry said. “Now being able to download TV shows is a new technology they are playing with.”
Imagine what would happen if you put out an episode for free (on Bittorrent) without restrictions (but with ads): You’d get a gigantic audience. Let the people distribute your show. Wires and towers and cables aren’t your network. The people are your network.
imagine that! anybody who has seen the SNL hilarious short “Baker’s Dozen” knows that it drew overnight attention to a new, unknown cast member by the name of Andy Samberg. Even here is the UK Baker’s Dozen is a modest hit.
What’s sad is that the major networks still won’t realize this is a good thing. This will be especially true for ‘hit’ shows, i.e.
The People: “How come you haven’t put show X on iTunes?”
The Network: “Well, show X is doing just fine in the ratings”
The People: “It could do better”
The Network: “Then we run the risk of offending our advertisers and local affiliates”
The People: “Wait, nevermind SciFi Channel just releases the next episode of Battlestart Galactia…see you later!”
Is it called “Baker’s Dozen” in the UK? Here, it’s “Lazy Sunday.” I love that skit. I think I’ve watched it online about fifteen times now. And I know I’m not the only one who’s watched (well, recorded, anyway) the last two week’s SNLs wondering if something that great will be shown again, after not watching SNL for years. (Sadly, the answer so far has been no.)
I too wonder why networks don’t allow their shows to be broadcast for free over the internet. After all, they let them be broadcast for free over the airways, so it’s not much of a jump. Plus, it’s getting easier and easier to digitize live TV, so the thinking that this will make piracy too simple is becoming rapidly and seriously outdated.
[...] Exploding TV when the audience is your network. Jeff Jarvis calls the recognition that downloads are good for TV “a lightbulb going off in the darkness.” [...]
So iTunes is reaching people that otherwise don’t have access to NBC?
I am sure the Office is being watched by more people but it is due the on-demand concept rather than simply iTunes.
The DVR has the same effect and only 3% of houses have one (I think).
Better yet, Bit Torrent the episodes and then sell extra VALUE in the iTunes distribution channel (i.e. outtakes/unused scenes/bloopers.)
what about the people who would edit out the ads and then re-up it to bit torrent, commercial free? I guess you could emboss the ad into the video, but even if it was a banner or something, people could crop it out.
what about the people who would edit out the ads and then re-up it to bit torrent, commercial free? I guess you could emboss the ad into the video, but even if it was a banner or something, people could crop it out.
Sure, people could do that. But you know what? They’ve always (well, since the advent of the VCR, anyway) been able to do that with the show as broadcast. If the broadcasters are going to worry about that, they might as well stop broadcasting altogether.
It’s a great idea. Nobody watches ads on network shows anyways. I am ready to go back to antenna because my cable (once owned by the imperial Rigas family) is so barren, with fully a third of my channels in languages other than English. If a few cable shows were offered on ipods or computer, I’d gladly buy them.
Meanwhile, our local congresswoman comes out against ala carte cable because of, you guessed it, “diversity” issues!
http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/2412
You’re forgetting that all over the USA and throughout the world, countless TV stations show different ads during the breaks in the same programme. Whereas Bit Torrent is global distribution of one file with one set of ads.
Ads are not the only way a show makes money. There are also overseas sales. In some cases, sales outside of the US have kept shows running.
Jeff you often make the mistake of thinking that America is the whole world. It isn’t. Your theories on newspapers fall flat because, fact is, sales of broadsheet papers in places like the UK are doing very nicely, with figures much the same as they were 40 years ago.