NBC is revamping its business model and creating a new company with an online-based venture they call the National Broadband Company, or NBBC.
NBBC will distribute video programs and content from NBC networks and other established producers to websites worldwide, including NBC’s own sites.
NBBC is a joint venture between NBC Universal and NBC’s 230 local affiliate stations. As such, NBBC will have its hands full deciding which programs and clips to make available on the Internet. Both national and local stations expect to capitalize on the opportunity to have their programs broadcast in another venue. Many say this is NBC’s attempt at countering the growing threat from other video distribution websites like Google and YouTube.
NBBC will provide users with the opportunity to download and watch their favorite segments -- even complete with a commercial break that runs before each piece. Initially the company plans to offer clips no longer than 7 minutes in duration, but may offer full-length programming in future.
Oddly, although this venture is based around broad dissemination, NBBC has already put strict regulations in place for the distribution of its programming, as none of their content can legally be inserted in personal blogs or web pages.
What do you think? Does NBBC sound like it's headed for success? Or will restricting the distribution of their content and working only with big-name producers hurt them in the long run?
Related Stories: | Topics:Work/Life, news + current events, NBC Universal Inc., Science and Technology, Technology, Internet, Websites |
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Recent Comments | 4 Total
September 14, 2006 at 8:15am by FTTH
Its sounds like this is a great idea, but it will never work well until homes are equipped with fiber based broadband. If the average consumer is like me, any content NBBC has to offer isn't worth sitting through commercials and a seven minute show just to watch a low quality picture with poor reception, i.e. buffering. I hope NBBC becomes a pioneer towards this inevitable way people will become entertained in the future, and also become today's necessary network neutrality lobbyist.
September 14, 2006 at 3:13pm by Lonny Paul
It's interesting to read this article this morning. Just last night I was pondering how broadcast television, any television signal for that matter, will be able to be controlled.
The number of 'sound bytes' uploaded to Google Video, YouTube and the like daily in support of policitial, humorous or extravagant events are growing each day.
They have to bite the bullet cause it will never stop. Anything under "x" minutes should be 'fair use' and there should become a new standard to address the growing concerns.
Lonny Paul
http://www.oy9.net
September 15, 2006 at 1:10am by Frank F
While I see what they are trying to accomplish, I feel a lot of internet users will be left out of access to great content due to differences in download speeds, dial-up would cause long wait times then having to sit though commercial blips to get to the good content... many people already are turned off by the idea. I know some venues offer "premium" services at an extra cost to eliminate or limit the amount of advertising.
What annoys me is the stict guidelines on using this content in blogs or other websites. In a way, it would actually bolster the whole reason to have this content on the net in the first place and I think advertisers may take this into account before considring sponsorship. I know they need a way to pay for this...but the commercials would be viewed through the links in blogs as well as the NBBC site itself. I may be wrong, but I just feel the net and all content should be open to as broad an audience as possible and I don't see that until there's a universal standard in place to give broadband access to everyone at a reasonable cost.
September 15, 2006 at 7:00pm by Niarcas
I think this a small step in the right direction. At least NBC sees that the future distribution channel is the Internet. I think they should allow their content to be legally inserted in other websites around the Internet. They would have millions of webmasters showing NBC content to readers when its relevant to the webmaster's website. A business blog could imbed clips from the Apprentice, etc.
NBC would make so much money if they went this route. They would make tons of money because their distribution channel would increase exponentially. I don't understand why they want to hinder their revenue stream. All they need to do is see what Google is doing with their AdSense network and mimic it for NBC's video network.