NBC Universal and Fox TV networks have announced that they are combining their shows into a single online service, aiming to rival video-sharing site YouTube. The new portal will carry programmes such as 24, House and Heroes and various hit films such as The Devil Wears Prada. The new initiative’s shows, clips and another features will be distributed through Yahoo, AOL, MSN and Myspace (which is owned by Fox boss Rupert Murdoch’s company News Corporation).
So will the new service really be able to compete with YouTube, which is owned by Google, and currently the subject of a £1bn lawsuit from MTV-owner Viacom for copyright infringement?
Certainly, fans of NBC and Fox shows may be happy to access their favourite programmes and clips through sites they already use – one report suggests that 96% of all web traffic goes through Yahoo, AOL, MSN and Myspace at some time or other.
But the model is based on advertising, which means that viewers will need to watch commercials to view the content. Seven companies have already signed up, including Cadbury Schweppes and General Motors, with heavy copyright protection to prevent the content flooding onto YouTube.
The new service also lacks YouTube’s level of interactivity, which allows people to generate their own media as well as viewing clips of shows, music videos and performances.
So what is your view? Will this be the YouTube killer that the big media companies are hoping for? Or just a useful service for viewers that merely offers another choice in an increasingly fragmented environment?
