I was talking to my brother the other day about what the writers’ strike will mean for TV if it drags on for a year or so. The first effect will probably be more reality TV, because apparently, some people actually enjoy reality TV. And oh by the way, it’s cheaper to produce and doesn’t require *writers*.
So we were speculating that this time around, the paradigm shift will be to more web-based TV shows, or WebTV. Then I saw this piece from link building guru Debra Mastaler:
16% [of survey respondents] said they’ll watch more original content on the Internet as a way to keep themselves entertained during the strike.
The OTX only surveyed 3100 people for this opinion poll but still…… 496 of them said they’ll go online for original content. The fact they KNOW to go online means they’re already aware it’s there and will just do more of it. Don’t let the statistic fool you, that little drop in the bucket represents a huge possibility if you think about the millions of people with Internet access.
I think web TV is going to be huge–really huge–and that TV as we know it will look completely different in ten years or so. But as of now, there’s not a whole lot out there in terms of quality web TV–I loved Ze Frank and then there’s lesser known, but absolutely hilarious comedies like The Bu and The Burg, so I think the potential is tremendous.
It’s just a matter of time…the lowered cost of marketing and distribution through the internet will change TV forever (although I think that it won’t really hit its prime until the professionals join the amateurs).
One Comment
There is actually quite a bit more quality showing up in the Web TV world.
Check out these three content platforms based out of NYC.
www.onnetworks.com
www.foryourimagination.com
www.nextnewnetworks.com
and of course there is rocketboom.com. I read recently that Rocketboom has 300,000 daily viewers and is making $85,000 per week.
Yup, thats 4 mil a year… and this is only the beginning.