Why We Aren’t Watching TV’s New Shows
Aug 27th, 2007 | By James Lewin | Category: Corporate Podcasts, Digital Video Downloads, Internet TV, Video, Video Podcasts, VlogsThe Hollywood Reporter has an article today looking at the baby steps that major networks are taking towards putting their new shows on the Internet. All the networks except ABC are putting out at least some of their pilots on the Web, while ABC is limiting sampling opportunities to large screening events:
- NBC is offering downloads of the premiere episodes of the new dramas “Chuck,” “Life” and “Journeyman” on Amazon.com starting Sept. 10. It’s also doing an Facebook promotion. In mid-September, NBC will offer streaming video versions of the pilots.
- Fox began offering viewers streams of the premiere episode of its new drama series “K-Ville” as well as the first 17 minutes of the Season 3 premiere of “Prison Break” on Thursday across 200 Internet portals and Web sites.
- CBS said that it will be offering sampling of premiere episodes.
- ABC¬†is previewing the premiere episodes of “Pushing Daisies,” “Carpoolers” and “Samantha Who?” at screenings in local markets nationwide.
Instead of making it easy to watch new shows on-demand as video podcasts or as free iTunes show downloads, the networks are making more tentative steps. This cautious approach to the Internet means that:
- You can’t expect to be able to try out new shows when you want to;
- You probably can’t watch the shows without a proprietary video¬†player;
- You can’t expect to watch the new shows on your iPhones, Apple TVs, portable media players and other gear;
- You can’t embed shows in your blog and write about them;
- You can’t easily share new shows with your friends.
All these barriers mean that you’re less likely to watch the major networks’ new shows and you’re less likely to help generate buzz about them on the Internet.
[…] var ratings = new sack(‘index.php’); var post_id = 0; function current_rating(id, rating) { post_id = id; for(i = 1; i « Why We Aren’t Watching TV’s New Shows […]
Maybe they don’t want us watching previews because then we will know how dull and stupid most of the new shows will be and won’t watch them at all!
I think there is only 3 new shows I care to watch to see if it is any good…
[…] Adesso invece, i principali networks televisivi americani ad eccezione di ABC (cio√® CBS, NBC e Fox) stanno cominciando ad offrire su Web la possibilit√† di vedere gratuitamente gli episodi pilota di alcune nuove serie televisive da essi prodotte, sia in modalit√† streaming sia attraverso il download: e pure questo √® un passo avanti verso la Internet TV e l’online video, sebbene si sia verificato sulla spinta del marketing e di strategie che in passato si sono gi√† rivelate vincenti. Con riferimento a quest’ultima notizia, Podcasting News commenta l’ancora cauto approccio adottato dei big players dei media nei confronti della Rete, e lo fa evidenziando che: “Instead of making it easy to watch new shows on-demand as video podcasts or as free iTunes show downloads, the networks are making more tentative steps. This cautious approach to the Internet means that: 1) You can’t expect to be able to try out new shows when you want to; 2) You probably can’t watch the shows without a proprietary video player; 3) You can’t expect to watch the new shows on your iPhones, Apple TVs, portable media players and other gear; 4) You can’t embed shows in your blog and write about them; 5) You can’t easily share new shows with your friends. All these barriers mean that you’re less likely to watch the major networks’ new shows and you’re less likely to help generate buzz about them on the Internet“. […]