Search results matching tag 'Hulu'

Bono boost for YouTube

2228399 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

YouTube is on a roll at the moment, which looks like being a good thing for users, advertisers and agencies alike after a period of what felt like continual negative press.

The video-sharing website has revealed it got close to 10m streams for a live broadcast of a U2's Rosebowl concert on Sunday, meaning it was the single largest event the site has streamed to date.

Given that the 20th most watched show in the US last week attracted 11.8m viewers (The Mentalist), the U2 YouTube audience gives you an idea of the site's enormous reach and the type of league it is now playing in. Admittedly, the 10m figure, which was spread over 2+ hours, doesn't drill down to how many people actually watched the broadcast.

However, after repeated questions being asked about YouTube's ability to monetise its huge popularity, it's nice to see things moving in a positive direction.

The U2 concert comes hot on the heels of the Google-owned site announcing earlier this month that it now serving up more than 1bn streams per day. And don't forget Channel 4's recent decision to put its entire programming output on YouTube free of charge and the introduction of Google's AdSense for YouTube's search.

With sites like Hulu breathing down YouTube's neck, it's great to see YouTube fighting fit. Healthy competition between these sites - unlike the search arena where Google has a far easier ride - is proving beneficial for everyone.

The king is dead long live the king?

2604343 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:09:00 GMT

I was at MIPCOM last week and talking to the great and good of the TV industry got me thinking will the internet replace TV or does TV just need to adapt.
For 50 years, the TV industry has delivered content and generated revenue effortlessly along the way. But technology is in danger of pulling its plug.

Can it alter its business model to chart a course into more profitable waters? Or is TV irreversibly sinking?

Advertising revenues are down and news that UK online advertising has overtaken TV doesn’t make the picture any brighter. And look at these facts and figures:

•   By 2010 Generation Y will outnumber Baby Boomers
•   96% of generation Y in the first world have joined a social network
•   Years it took to reach 50 million users: Radio (38 years), TV (13 years), Internet (4 years), iPod (3 years).
•   Facebook has added 100 million users in less than 9 months
•   The second largest search engine in the world, based on number of searches conducted, is YouTube
•   Only 14% of people trust advertisements
•   Only 18% of TV campaigns generate a positive ROI for advertisers

Okay, TV is facing some serious challenges, increased competition from online channels, new technologies, lifestyle changes – call them what you will – but cheer up, the business model might be on its last legs, but there's life in the old dog yet...

The answer for TV – embrace the online culture.

One billion consumers use social networks and the like. How can TV tap into the commercial potential of such vast numbers of people? The difficult part isn’t to create a presence; its knowing what presence should be created, where and for what purpose.

LISTEN CLOSELY
The truth is you're involved in the social media space whether you choose to be or not. Listen in to the online buzz in sites like Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Flickr, the various forums, communities and blogs. Social media search engines like whostalkin, Social Mention, Delver or tuSavvy are great to use alongside Google analytics to get a good overview of your social media profile and performance. But for a detailed assessment, get a social media reputation audit done by a professional – you’ll be able to use this score as a benchmark for improvement.

START TALKING TO PEOPLE
Word of mouth - one of the most powerful forms of marketing, and it works so well online. If you’ve got something great - everybody’s talking about it. If you don’t - everybody’s talking about it. Before getting involved in social media, think carefully about your approach. Be prepared to share information or even tell the behind the scenes stories.

START SHARING YOUR CONTENT
Social media channels have a rather large ‘Welcome’ mat don’t you know and getting involved in this space will have a positive effect offline too. CBS has attributed a 200,000 increase in viewers in one month to the strategic placement of sample content on YouTube.

USE VIDEO PLATFORMS (DON’T TRY TO COMPETE AGAINST THEM)
YouTube probably presents the biggest threat but also biggest opportunity for content owners. Did you know that currently an average of 20 hours of video is uploaded every minute? OK, some of it may be there illegally, or poor quality, but audiences flock in their droves. Google, YouTube’s owner, has very deep pockets, so while it continues to build its audience, the commercial pressure is off (for now). And legal wrangles over copyright issues are unlikely to derail them, a recent ruling in Universal Music Group's copyright infringement lawsuit against Veoh Networks shows that social video sites may actually not be breaking any laws at all, at least not in the USA.

Then there’s Monty Python who placed free clips on their YouTube channel with click-to-buy links underneath. It's reported that even though the online content is free, Monty Python's DVD sales skyrocketed 23,000% on Amazon and reached #2 on the Bestseller list.

DISCOVER NEW REVENUE STREAMS
Content has an intrinsic value. Viewers will subscribe to watch it (if it’s good enough), advertisers will pay to be labelled alongside it (for the right price), but the online model is still evolving.

But take Facebook - it has 300m users - audience figures are potentially not the problem - it’s all in the packaging. Subscriptions models using Facebook apps are a potential money-spinner for content owners. Users don’t want to pay multiple subscriptions to access content (hello, Hulu!) so multi-layered content for niche audiences just needs to find suitable homes.

CREATE ONLINE ONLY CONTENT
Broadcasters can show content on their websites, but this is only the starting point. Bebo has a track record for commissioning its own content (KateModern and Sofia's Diary), funded by tactical sponsorships and product placement.

Joe Hughes, Yomego – the social media agency.

News Corp talks paid content – content bundling

255762 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:52:00 GMT

News Corporation's new digital boss Jonathan Miller has been banging the paid content drum. His spin was "content bundling" kind of like the charging equivalent of pick 'n' mix.

Speaking in New York at the Hollywood Reporter's Digital Power event, Miller said News Corp wants to see a model established for charging online. He said he envisioned "a return to multiple revenue streams" and that part of that model could include paid-for journalism, which echoes comments made recently by his boss Rupert Murdoch.

On the kind of shape such a service might take, Miller gave a hint of what a media firm as diverse as News Corp might consider. He suggested bringing together content from different arenas under one charging umbrella – not unlike the way that digital/cable TV firms already charge whereby customers buy online, mobile, phone and TV services from one provider.

One scenario he suggested was that News Corp's various papers or various New York media, including the New York Post and the circulation of the Wall Street Journal, could be bundled together. "What works for consumers, I think -- and this has to be tested -- are bundles," Miller said.

Looking at the future of ad funded online video joint venture Hulu, Miller said it was "an environment for premium content". Suggesting that the video freebie might not be free for long.

Follow me on Twitter

(GakiAttack, not one of the) top seven Twitter apps

2371004 — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:31:00 GMT

I'm still trying to figure out the point of GakiAttack, a Twitter application that allows followers to attack one another in a variety of exotic Japanese-branded methods... but I fear that would be looking too far into its inane simplicity.

According to its website, Gaki is: "not only Japanese for 'spoiled child' and the person who is 'it' in a game of tag, but it's also a Japanese Variety Show that's been making people laugh since 1989.

Four guys spend 24 hours locked in a gymnasium being terrorized by a group of ninjas. What's your favourite attack? The big swing? The scorpion death lock? If you love ninja moves, samurai weapons and just plain old ninja stuff, then you'll love watching these episodes of 24-Hour Tag available on Hulu.com."

Unfortunately, being lowly UK residents, we are barred from using Hulu, but judging from other insane Japanese gameshows I've seen, this one could be filed under "pretty tame".

The application itself informs your follower that they have attacked, without further explanation. For example, I attacked my Twitter-alter ego with an Ippon... I'm not sure what that means.

Not to be put off, there are plenty of useful Twitter applications out there, that actually do have a point, I shall list my top 5 7 Twitter apps (excluding TweetDeck because of its ubiquitous awesomeness).

TweetBurner: Tracks all the links you post on Twitter and provides statistics, also the ones posted by your friends.

TwitBin: Handy extension for Firefox users, puts Twitter right in your browser window.

Mr. Tweet: Follow Mr. Tweet, and it will recommend some more people for you to follow. Infinitely better than Twitter's own "suggested" friend service.

TwitPic: Let's you share photos on Twitter, also allows access from mobile phone pictures.

TweetStats: Let's you know exactly how much time you've been wasting on the addicting website, giving you a handy graph of Tweets per hour, month, reply statistics, etc.

TwitScoop: A personal favourite, creates a nice cloud image of what's being talked about on Twitter, it's mesmerising and is constantly updating itself right before your very eyes.

TwitterFeed: Allows you to feed your blog right into Twitter, brilliant.

Can TV.com take on Hulu (or YouTube, or Joost, or Zattoo, or...)

2371004 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:44:00 GMT

The online TV wars in the US just got a little more interesting. Seemingly out of leftfield, CBS has announced a large content deal with MGM, PBS, Showtime, Sony and Endemol USA to broadcast popular television shows on its TV.com website.

The new service should at least take a bite out of emerging market force Hulu, the NBC/Fox joint venture that has proven to be exceptionally popular stateside since its launch last March.

CBS quietly acquired the jackpot-of-a-domain-name TV.com during its purchase of CNET last year and with it, looks to finally secure a firm foothold in its mission to become a go-to destination of third-party content.

It had previously dipped its toes in the world of online video through unsuccessful partnerships with AOL (duh) and Beebo.

The domain itself, TV.com has had a turbulent past and is practically ancient by internet standards. In the mid-90s it served as platform for CNET's tech-related TV shows, later becoming an online TV guide, and most recently, an online video streaming site, with a bulk of its content actually coming from Hulu.

Although there are multitudes of online video websites, Hulu has steadily gained popularity through its social media features, which allows users to create video clips to use in other online communities.

Word is, CBS will try to ape Hulu's success, and who knows, they could be on to something.

So far they have a decent range of classic American TV shows lined up such as 'The Addams Family' and 'Charlie's Angels' to new programmes like 'Dexter' and 'CSI'.

Will it work? Web-surfers will have the final say. As far as I know, CBS' average demographic is much older than other US broadcasters and in today's day and age, nostalgia is rather fleeting.

TV.com's success will hinge on CBS' ability to engage its viewers to participate in the online community aspect, which will be no easy task thanks to the sickeningly over-saturation of social networks parading around the internet.

Reservoir Blogs

1649191 — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:04:00 GMT

What would Tarantino make of it all ? Mr Blonde flogging laptops ? Well it beats cutting off a policemans ear. What the hell am I referring to you might wonder ? Well, actor Michael Madsen (the aforementioned Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs) is now starring in a new piece of branded content from Sony entitled 'Coma'. The first episode of this online short-form TV series (which will be added to each Thursday) is already available online through Sony owned web channel Crackle and video sharing sites like YouTube and Hulu.

Madsen plays a cop called Lennox who is shot in the line of duty, whilst trying to help rid the 'City' (it's not clear which one, but it doesn't look like Barnsley) of crime alongside Mayor Hennon (played by aging perma-tanned lothario, George Hamilton). By using two famous Hollywood actors, some stylish production and a contemporary take on the 'film noir' genre (predominantly black & white, main character always a cop or private detective who smokes heavily and has a drink problem, lots of unnecessary close ups etc.) it promises to generate that much needed talkability required to get people watching it.

Coma is going to be used by Sony to promote their new high definition Vaio FW laptops which use the Bravia screen technology. It's also being part financed by Microsoft whose Vista Ultimate software is recommended for the new Vaio FW.

Check out the first episode of Coma (called Blazer... for no apparent reason) and judge for yourself...