Video Streaming & Owned Media

Photo of a widescreen TV featuring Netflix

DIGITAL VIDEO USE

Knowledge Networks

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Monthly alternative viewing of movies/television increased from 26% in 2010 to 35% in 2011.
Streaming video rental services use has doubled since 2010.
As has video viewing from a video game consoles and on mobile devices.

THOUGHT: Not long ago, I wondered if Netflix would become the gatekeeper for quality online video. It seemed they had most of the content you’d need to be the no-brainer choice of online subscription video.

The only question, then, became how do get your content into Netflix if you couldn’t subscribe to any video channel you found online, like YouTube channels, from within the service.

But since Netflix popularity exploded and their deal with the Starz expired, video content providers have been wanting more in licensing fees, Netflix upped their own rates to deal with their increased costs, while their inventory now feels barren by comparison.

I tried Hulu Pro for a while but it only felt like Netflix with a lot of commercials. I tried Amazon Prime and their selection was no better.

But I love my HBO iPad app, my  TED app, and my Discovery app. After watching the premier episode of Showtime’s new series Homeland on YouTube, I’m entertaining the idea of subscribing to Showtime in no small part due to the fact that they’ve got an app too.

Ideally, I’d love to simply pay HBO $10 a month directly to get their content on my iPad and bypass the cable company entirely. I’ve never bought their arguments for the lack of a la carte pricing.

Now I see that Paramount is streaming the new Transformers: Dark Of the Moon movie directly to consumers.

That tells me the trend is toward owned media, owned channels through which you communicate with your customers directly.

I’m sure there will be ways of advertising to these audiences through a lot of these owned channels but for many, too, it won’t make sense to allow advertising into the streams.

So it’s time to take a good look at what you currently produce in the way of content or what you could produce and how can you package it into your own owned media.

 

MINNESOTA MONDAY: The Greater MSP region is the 12th best market in the US for small business creation and growth, says the Business Journal via Greater MSP (client).

 

Thank you for Simpsons Peeps.

 

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