According to AOL Media Networks vice president Kevin Conroy, "The fastest way to attract a large number of people to a new behavior and to have them try something that has never been possible before is to make it available for free."
Some networks are starting to offer some of their shows online for free before they're even broadcast on TV. Others are promoting previews through various Web sites, including MySpace.com.
I believe that this is the right way to go. Many of us that have been doing business online for years have used this for a long time as one of the strategies to make things go viral.
There are a number of experts that say free downloads that are supported through advertising will probably become the dominant online model, as advertisers are trying to figure out new ways to reach consumers.
Time Warner Inc. has adopted this as their way of doing online business as it launched in2Tv recently through AOL. The belief is that as more studios and companies get on board and the offerings increase exponentially, this will be a very lucrative field to be in. The video there is online then the more advertising money there will be.
Some of the reasons people download help give a little insight into the direction things will go. Some mention that they simply don't have digital video recorders (DVRs) and they want to be able to follow their favorite programs.
This is an interesting one to me: some download shows that are offered by premium cable channels because they don't subscribe to them. Another source of revenue perhaps? This show something important to me as I have no interest in most premium channels as they are similar to regular offerings in that there are very few things I want to watch. Many I talk to think the same way.
One other thing people mention is that it can also give them peace of mind as they may forget to put on their recorders or there may be a malfuntion, so the Internet downloads are a backup option for them.
I think that all of these are true, but probably the greatest thing driving it all is convenience period. It is the ultimate consumer convenience tool that could be offered in this area, and consumers are beginning to demand it as part of their lifestyles.
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