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iTunes Credited with Boosting Primetime Ratings
grandgator writes "TV Week reports on NBC's claims that iTunes downloads are boosting ratings for their primetime shows. Citing one example 'NBC's "The Office" delivered a 5.1-its highest ratings ever-last Thursday among adults 18 to 49, a bump the network credits in large part to the show's popularity as an iPod download. Such a connection between podcast success and broadcast ratings success is particularly significant because the NBC data is among the first available evidence of what network executives have been gambling on when striking their new media deals-that the new video platforms are additive because they provide more entry points into a show for consumers.'"
How long will it now take before we start seeing iTunes Payola. Networks eager to get their shows on people's ipods will certainly be tempted to try to strike special deals to make their shows more easily obtainable. They may try to offer Apple cash, try to reduce the cost to consumers, or try to find ways to get their links on the front page. If it happens, can an individual state try to take action against the practice? This may turn out to be another interesting episode of the theatre of greed.
But all I can say is that it doesn't surprise me at all.
When the video is available from iTMS, it's uncoupled from the network schedule. You can send an episode to a friend as a gift. You can buy one show and see whether you want any more, and the critical thing is, you can watch it anytime you want. It's a whole new ball game.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Um, it could be that some people believe in paying for something that isn't theirs, and that they may perceive IRC and Bittorrent to be stealing? I know, these wacky oldsters with their fax machines and hula hoops and libertarian ideas about property rights ...
The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
...Fox would have pulled their collective heads out of their universal ass before they cancelled Arrested Development and podcasted it to supplement the ratings.
Libertarians support government-enforced monopolies restricting certain forms of speech for corporate profit? Interesting.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Okay now this makes absolutely no sense at all. Downloading tv-shows from Bittorrent declined the ratings, but downloading from iTunes actually increases ratings?
How are those two different? (aside from the money factor)
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I keep pinching myself in utter disbelief that the furture has come where a-la-carte programming would be real. Now it is and I can watch my favorite shows anywhere I want. iTunes is a direct download service with no viruses, dead torrent links, tracker downtime, RIAA threats, slow downloads, or any bothersome thing like that. Video quality is so nice on my 17" CRT monitor that it's just like watching a TV rip but better quality since there's no logo's anywhere or scrolling text, or weather updates or any crap like that. I tell ya, I wouldn't have it any other way. Freedom from commericals, folks. It's the read deal and I couldn't be any happier. NBC/ABC has all the good shows anyway like Lost, BSG, Monk, and The Office so we're not missing much from the other loser networks that refuse to join up with iTunes. That free Monk episode and SNL skit was just the icing on the cake.
/hugs Steve Jobs. =)....
As for buying all episodes on iTunes, that would be a mistake. I plan on buying Monk on DVD & ripping it so I can watch it again (some for the first time) on my PC. Too much glare watching it on an iPod but for long road trips life without it would be unbarable. But from time to time, like an SNL skit for example, it can't be beat.
PMPs finally make it possible for me to come in the next day and say, "hey, you've got to watch this clip from last night's Office." I would certainly get more people to start watching the show by actually showing them part of the show than by possibly injuring someone with my horrible Dwight impersonation.
Is something burning?
Oh, it's my karma.
We taped The Office last week but the tape ran out halfway through. So the next day I check on iTunes and sure enough, there was the episode. $2 and a few minutes later it was playing on my TV (and it looked great).
I guess I could have searched for a clean copy of it on IRC or BT, but I value my time pretty highly. To be a better value than $2, I would pretty much have to find it the instant I started looking. That's both a) pretty unlikely and b) exactly what happened on iTunes anyway.
TV shows on iTunes were definitely worth it for me. I can't say I'll be buying every show--more likely I'll just use it when I miss a show I wanted to see. For the cost of a Coke and candy bar I'll now be able to get it easily.
Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.