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General discussion

NBC and Lazy Sunday - maybe paying isn't so bad?

Feb 23, 2006 4:24AM PST

Warning: Long post

I was catching up on some shows from last week and heard Tom and Veronica talk about NBC forcing YouTube to pull the Lazy Sunday video. When I first heard about it, I had the same reaction they did, but my the time I listened to the podcast I had a revelation that maybe making YouTube pull it and charging for it on iTunes isnt that bad.

My reasoning is this: NBC doing this could actually be a (somewhat) reasonable compromise between us (consumers) getting stuff for free like we want, and these media companies trying to charge us for every time we think about something that's copyrighted.

Think about the consequences: companies could release quality copies of stuff for free during the first couple of months it's available - this would generate the buzz that they need, AND all these people that catch on to it or hear about it early could get a copy of the video (or whatever) for free. After that initial rush dies down, then it could switch to selling it for a small fee on iTunes, or wherever. This would help whoever made the video to capture some kind of profits (other than small advertising before and after the video clip - maybe 5 seconds, like the earthlink guy) off of that "long tail." People who catch on late can still get a quality copy for relatively cheap (hopefully less than $2) from their preferred service, but since they are so late they have to pay a little.

Sure, they could just get it for free from a friend or off bittorrent, but people can do that with anything they could buy on iTunes. They use the iTMS because its easy and dependable. They know they don't have to worry about stuff like getting a virus.

Free downloads then charging a small amount would be great for something like SNL since it's on network tv for free. This way they get some kind of profits, that they wouldn't usually get, to make up for the loss in advertising revenue.

Just a thought, because I think something like this would be beneficial for consumers (more so for people like me on the internet all day constantly looking for entertainment) and for media companies. It seems like this may be NBC's strategy for the future also, considering the free episode of Conviction they are offering. They are obviously going to charge for later episodes if the series is successful.

Feel free to tell me where I might be going wrong with this, but keep in mind that they aren't going to give this stuff away for free, and I don't want to be DRM'd to death. Thanks for reading this far

- littlelazer

Discussion is locked

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Consistency
Feb 23, 2006 5:54AM PST

NBC should then shut down all clips that are running on YouTube. There are a TON of clips from Saturday Night Live out there. Be consistent instead of seeing which way the wind is blowing and trying to charge for it.

I think it's fair for the network charge for their own content(you can download and take it with you unlike Google Video, YouTube). It's a high quality file and you don't have to wait for BitTorrent or the eventual DVD release.

Why not this: let the clip go; but sell the entire episode for $1.99 (or what ever the price is)? The case could be made that ''well, that was the only thing worth seing that night'' (kind of like making you buy the album for the song). If it wasn't for the viral effect of this clip, would we be talking about SNL? The video has caused a number of people to take another look at a show that has dipped in recent years.

Just my $.02.

-bill, not bob

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Content has Variable Value
Feb 23, 2006 7:04AM PST

I don't think there needs to be consistency at all. NBC has made a decision that this particular piece of content still has monetizable (is that even a word?) value and so they're going to charge for it. The other things on YourTube (and other free distribution places) have, it could be argued, limited or no value.

Besides, be careful what you wish for. NBC could pull everything that is now available for free and decide it's all as valuable as the most valuable thing. Then almost everything would be over priced and never accessed.

On a related note, I'm actually in favor of variable pricing for content (like music). I just think 99 cents is the most I would pay for one song, no matter how new or hip. So if the music industry had moved to variable pricing by *reducing* back catalog costs and keeping new releases at the 99 cent price I would have been fine with that.

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Error on the side of open...
Feb 23, 2006 9:54AM PST

I'm certainly not wishing they start charging for every clip. And, it seems like NBC is trying to charge for something that has jumped the shark. Finally, there are a number of other outlets who have capitalized on the clip (see Cafe Press). Is NBC going to offer up a cease and desist there as well?

IMHO, I say let it go, sit back and enjoy the commotion. They'll see the extra revenue in the added viewers.