“Prime-time ABC television shows were viewed more than 11 million times on the Web in the first month of a test by the Walt Disney Co. of whether consumers will watch ads online if the shows are free,” Gina Keating reports for Reuters.
“An online exit survey posted the first week of the two-month trial showed that 87 percent of respondents could recall the advertisers that sponsored the episodes they watched,” Keating reports. “That compares with typical ad recall of about 40 percent for commercials viewed on television, industry sources said.”
“The ABC.com pilot program in one month outperformed the results Disney has seen in its nine-month partnership with Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes to offer episodes of its hit television shows for download, without commercials, for $1.99 each,” Keating reports. “Since last October, Disney has sold more than 6 million downloads of shows like ‘Desperate Housewives,’ ‘Lost,’ and ‘Alias’ on Apple’s iTunes Web site. Albert Cheng, executive vice president of digital media for Disney-ABC Television Group, said iTunes sales of ABC shows have remained consistent throughout the trial.”
Full article here.
ABC’s online ad-supported full episodes: http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing
Advertisements:
• Introducing the super-fast, blogging, podcasting, do-everything-out-of-the-box MacBook. Starting at just $1099.
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
Related articles:
ABC site buckles as network streams first ad-supported shows – May 04, 2006
Disney’s ABC to launch ‘My ABC’ ad-supported TV show downloads in May – March 03, 2006
No sh*t Sherlock – of course free will beat paid content any day. Now make some of those Disney movies free and you’ll be guaranteed success beyond your wildest dreams. But then comes the question the stockholders will be asking, “How do we make money from giving away our content for free?”
MDN: Are the comment boxes larger?
Athough it’s possible to screen record the free ABC shows like Lost with SnapZ Pro X and then process it into a iPod format, it’s just easier to pay a couple of bucks.
I love the internet more than TV, but there are a few shows I like to watch on my time and not having to wait for a certain time it’s played on TV.
I’m glad the ABC shows are doing so well, they really have a slick system online and must admit using it myself. Unfortunatly one can’t go full screen like one can with a iTMS TV show download. Well one could if they employ the Univesal Access and blow the screen up a little.
What I like about the iTMS TV shows is that I can go back to watch shows over and over again, especially on my video iPod with MyVu glasses.
See here, this is really freaking cool!!!
http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/PhotoAlbum26.html
Major OT alert: this is fun –
http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/archives/2006/06/rb_06_jun_19.html
Check out the beautiful Amanda Congdon’s take on Microslippy.
Enjoy.
WHewn I checked it out before, I could no resize it to a larger screen. Is this still an issue?
Because if you have only the ability to watch in a small window while on ABC.com, why even bother?! I’d pay $2 for a larger view!! ( If it was a LOST episode that I missed! )
Jadis, the box now accurately reflects the forum post size, so what you see when you type is what you get.
and the stockholders are happy because they’re making lots of money through commercials.
Bring back Eight is Enough but make them all naked. Come on! Dare to dream!
Dick Van Patten naked? I’ll pass.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”sick” style=”border:0;” />
Nice way to make news out of a statment of the obvious!
so, then are advertisers going to pay them 1.99 for each episode watched? I don’t think so. . . so how does it stak up then?
I didn’t read all the comments, but I did try the episode of Lost. Sorry ABDisney….even for free…not good enough….audio/video sync is really bad…to bad the FCC can’t control you…but we really don’t need more government interference…….I guess there is something here…..I will stick with the very old fashion VCR until things are right….and I have 2Mb/s download…hopefully I didn’t repeat anyones comments….
Will check back to see if anyone else has the sync problem and will read the entire set of comments.
Had a time problem…..
Here’s a tip for everyone complaining about not having the ability to resize the video…if you are using OS X you can just press Command Option 8 to enable zooming and Command Option + or – to zoom in or out. Press Command Option 8 to turn off zooming when you’re done. This is great for embedded videos and the like.
Still no tv shows here in the UK from iTunes or the ABC website 🙁
Meanwhile….
RESEARCHERS SAY NEW CHIP BREAKS SPEED RECORD
Mon Jun 19 2006 22:57:25 ET
Researchers at IBM and the Georgia Institute of Technology are set to announce Tuesday that they have broken the speed record for silicon-based chips with a semiconductor that operates 250 times faster than chips commonly used now.
The NEW YORK TIMES reports: The achievement is a major step in the evolution of computer semiconductor technology that could eventually lead to faster networks and more powerful electronics at lower prices, said Bernard Meyerson, vice president and chief technologist in IBM ‘s systems and technology group. He said developments like this one typically find their way into commercial products in 12 to 24 months.
———
Good thing Apple is still doing business with IBM….they´re not???
That chip was cooled to 451 degrees below zero. 12 months?-maybe 12 years.
Jay:
Antarctic researchers and Altaic reindeer herders = first adopters. However, how do you use the keyboard with mittens on your hands?
I am totally down with the ABC Free. Even the quality of the sound and video was great. In fact, I clicked on a couple of ads just to support them.
Only in the US you say? Pity.
Cannot see them here in Canuckle-land. Home of the almost Stanley cup winners…the Edmonton Oilers…..boo Canes.
ABC is going to use this to leverage some kind of deal with iTMS. It’s a high-stakes game, here, folks. Will the content providers be able to break away from the advertising leeches? Or will iTMS provide more of a revenue stream? I’d like to believe that we can beat the advertising beast yet, but until the local and regional folks deliver regular high-quality content, this whipsaw battle goes on. And mark my words. Independent filmmakers are already causing trouble in paradise as are podcasters. It won’t be too much longer until the they do the same for television.
Why would anybody pay money for a TV show?
Get real says:
Meanwhile….
RESEARCHERS SAY NEW CHIP BREAKS SPEED RECORD
Mon Jun 19 2006 22:57:25 ET
Researchers at IBM and the Georgia Institute of Technology are set to announce Tuesday that they have broken the speed record for silicon-based chips with a semiconductor that operates 250 times faster than chips commonly used now.
Yes, by dropping the temperature to minus 451 degrees Fahrenheit. A bit too cold for my living room.
Get real, get real.
Okay so they had way more viewers, but the question is which service will make more money for them?
BustingTheSkullsOfIdiots says: “ABC is going to use this to leverage some kind of deal with iTMS. It’s a high-stakes game, here, folks… I’d like to believe that we can beat the advertising beast yet, but until the local and regional folks deliver regular high-quality content, this whipsaw battle goes on. And mark my words. Independent filmmakers are already causing trouble in paradise as are podcasters. It won’t be too much longer until the they do the same for television.”
Great post BustingSkulls – I agree. I’d also add that ABC’s success here shows why the ‘$9.99-and-above’ pricing scheme is destined to fail miserably, and probably intentionally so. I don’t think the studios want Apple doing to/for them what they did to/for the record labels. If they make iTMS video offerings priced high enough, they ensure Jobs will never have that kind of leverage over them.
Rick says: “Okay so they had way more viewers, but the question is which service will make more money…?”
According to ArsTechnica, the streaming add-supported model does (or has the potential to, at least):
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060620-7090.html
“Which approach makes Disney more money? It’s impossible to say without seeing the numbers, but consider some basic math. iTunes pulled in US$12 million from the sale of all those shows, but Disney received only a portion of that money. For the streaming service to pull in the same amount … over the same time period (assuming that it holds constant at 11 million viewers a month), each commercial could be billed at only three cents per viewer… [Thus] it wouldn’t be particularly hard for Disney to make at least as much revenue with the streaming model, and consumers seem to like it.”
And if they can make even equal money off of add-supported streaming video, I’m sure that’s what they will do just to retain control over content & pricing in the future.
Meanwhile, look at what TiVo’s doing:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060619-7085.html
Basically, we’re looking at two major patents filed by them (major in terms of impact, if this is indeed the direction Tivo is going).
The first essentially frees the ‘TiVo’er’ from having to remember to record shows, as EVERY TiVo DVR essentialy acts like a P2P unit. You just pull the shows off other users’ hard drives (assuming they recorded what you didn’t) & content providers (should) be pleased with both hardware-level encryption in the units, as well as software DRM via a centralized server that verifies your right to watch what you’re requesting from the other peers.
The second patent according to Ars, “… is regarding “secure transfer and playback” of audio and video content across what appears to be any platform you can think of. In particular, it’s a specification for moving DVR-recorded files to handheld devices, to your PC, or to other DVRs in your home, letting you watch what you recorded (or didn’t, if the other patent bears fruit) on any device you own.”
How great is THAT? Unfortunately you’d probably have to pay for the ‘slinging’ if it goes to something like a cell phone, or your computer if your not at home, but I can’t help thinking ….
Apple is just wasting time with all this iTMS video download crap. If they had worked on a DVR way back when everyone thought they already were (iMac G4 era), there’s no doubt they’d have something like this long before the slow-wits at TiVo (they’ve had the basic technology & the market all to themselves for how many years, and they’re only getting around to this now??). Can you imagine an Apple-branded DVR/home media center, plugged with the net & an iTMS server, slinging your AV stuff to your TV, iPod, iPhone, laptop, what have you … plus maybe even playing some games to boot … all, like, a year and a half ago??? Hell, Apple just getting into DVRs in a big way probably would have make all the hollywood studios come crawling to THEM, with regards to content and pricing, since Apple could plausibly say ‘What do we need you guys for now? Make it worth our while to help you’.
Well, dream on my friend. We can see from earlier stories that the only crawling being done when it comes to this market so far is by Apple (unfortunately). And if something ever does come of it in the form of ‘insanely great’ offerings, it won’t show up until we’ve all been TPM’d & EFI’d into ‘submission’ with Macintels (no PPC Macs need apply). By then ABC and all the rest will have made Apple’s iTMS/Macintel plans largely irrelevant in the video sphere.
Of course, if we hadn’t wasted all this R&D time/money on OSx86 … well, I admit – who knows for sure. But there’s no doubt that more – in whatever form – could have been done by now. Instead, Apple’s stuck in ‘negotiations’ while TiVo leads the way. Sheesh!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”cool mad” style=”border:0;” />