With a number of companies, including CBS (CBS), ABC (DIS) and Fox (NWS), announcing that they will be streaming some of their prime-time shows online in the fall, there have been some lessons learned in experiements that may give a hint of what this will look like in the future.
ABC offered "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and others, using an advertising model. The difference was that there were fewer
commercials during the free programming, which resulted in a higher retention rate of what was being offered. (AP)
Viewers were asked why they watched the streaming shows, and gave the answer that they either missed the show on TV, or were only able to see part of it.
Bill Carroll, vice president and director of programming at media buyer Katz Television Group said: "The viewer is very willing to sit through a [commercial] message if they can see the program that they missed, or didn't see all of," he said, "and I think that's a very receptive environment."
The bottom line so far is that viewers, for the sake of convenience, are willing to watch commercials and be willing not be able to skip them. Seeing their show was more important than not seeing a commercial.
They are willing to do this in a streaming environment as long as it remains not too intrusive. Too much and they could turn against it.
For advertisers, it is a great sign, as viewers are remembering the brands or sponsors by name. The big question is if the big media companies are willing to stay on the path and offer consumers what they want: a viewing experience with few interruptions.
Comment Preview