from our friend Liz Gannes at NewTeeVee:
While paying lip service to Hulu is something even its non-partners like CBS do on a regular basis, long-form distribution of TV shows is still a surprisingly controversial idea for some. Discovery Communications in particular advocates a strategy that could be described as the opposite of Hulu.
Discovery CEO and President David Zaslav said in an on-stage interview at the NAB Show in Las Vegas today that he didn’t see an economic model for free web distribution of long-form content. He said he’d only distribute episodes online if circumstances forced him to, and so far the numbers aren’t significant enough. “If people start watching content on mobile phones and on the web in droves, we will have to go there or we will lose market share.”
I asked him off-stage when that day might be, and his response was an emphatic “Hopefully never!” He described a la carte online content consumption, where fans identify more with shows than the channels they run on, as the antithesis of Discovery’s niche brand strategy.
read the full story on NewTeeVee.com
I had to laugh at Mr. Zaslav's refreshing honesty with the "Hopefully never!" comment.
How does this effect Chuck?
Joe, your comment is awesome.
Seconded, that is an awesome comment. =)
“Hopefully never!” is honestly about the dumbest thing you could say in this day and age to a question like that, no matter how tongue in cheek it was. In a time where the steamroller of technology clearly dictates where broadcasting is headed, I think that day will come sooner than Mr. Zaslav hopes for DSC. I also find it kind of ironic that one of the last bastions of “intellectual TV” on the air would sneer at the idea of online distribution.
Maybe the TSCC/Dollhouse fans can convince Discovery Network to take their shows. After all they are in the realm of science to the average 15 year old nerd who can’t talk to girls.
What does it matter? Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch, and Dirty Jobs are each on like 4 hours every day anyways. It’s not like it’s hard to find them when you want to watch them. And nobody gives a damn about the rest of their shows, so they don’t matter.
This guy is deluding himself if he thinks people watching Discovery give a damn about his “brand” rather than what he airs.
Wouldn’t the people that watch Discovery also be the kind of people who’d generally know how to torrent shows?
mega64, knowing how and torrenting exclusively are two different things. Zaslav is hoping for a thought process like this, and its one i’ve fallen prey to before:
“Hey I’m in the mood for TV, is there anything on?”
“I don’t know, just put it on Discovery, there’s always something decent to watch.”
“O.K”
He’s worried that instead of people just turning on DSC to see what’s on they’ll go online to watch their favorite show, and they won’t get exposed to DSC’s other programming.
It’s hilarious that when a CEO says he’d rather not give away his product for free his comment is described as “controversial”. The world really is upside down.
RSH, I would think having a powerful discovery “brand” is a better tool to use when negotiating with advertisers.
Way off base Mikey. You know, the only reason you think the world is upside down is because you’re deliberately hanging yourself upside down. Firstly, it wouldn’t be free, as they would generate some revenue from advertisement.
Secondly, it isn’t controversial because he doesn’t want to give something away for free (which it wouldn’t be anyway). It is controversial because it contradicts the current and inevitable trend of putting TV content on the web for any number of reasons whether it be generating more revenue, increasing viewership, etc.
so would it be possible to see the ratings for Pitchmen on Discovery Channel?
i’d like to see how Billy Mays is holding up
Wot? I’d never watch Chuck on the phone! I can’t see Yvonne Strahovski properly then!
Yes, I forgot that putting your content online and selling advertising is the path to riches. That’s why newspaper publishers are flush with cash.
…and that’s why piracy is rampant.
They rerun our their programs to death anyways so it’s no big deal.