Back in the office after NATPE 2010, I’m struck with a lingering thought. Content producers are chasing a dying television dream. Its sad, actually. I’m no advocate for bad content, but if what you’re peddling isn’t the next Mad Men, you should have a significantly better understanding of your options than what I saw from many show-selling attendees. “There’s money in online video?” Jeeez. Yeah, the interweb is like a series of tubes, and you just back up the truck of money and dump it in.
The team from Twistage and I spent the last three days showing small- and mid-sized production people how they could be earning revenue from their content. Shockingly, most of them had no idea about the online video syndication economy. They don’t know anything beyond YouTube. They have dozens of episodes shot, hours of footage, and not the slightest idea that there is life – and revenue – outside of TV.
Being in Las Vegas, there’s a common theme between the trade show floor and in the casinos. “All or nothing.” “Go big or go home.” And “Put it all on red.” (Ok, that last one might just have been in the casinos.) There were content creators sitting at tables on the trade show floor that looked like they just bet their mortgage at the craps table and lost. And not because they were hung over from the (lack of) big parties. Fortunately, we were able to bring some hope back to these folks by teaching them about online video publishing, video advertising and ad networks. The looks on their faces was like they discovered how to make fire.
On the plus side, there is so much content available that it is mind numbing. And while it may not be ready for prime time, the majority of the content there was significantly better than most of the content being created directly for the web right now. While walking the floor I spoke with a number of people sitting on what could be called “premium” content, but not getting picked up by a network or syndicator. Television network or syndicator, I mean.
Also on the plus side, I stumbled into a booth representing content that we had access to while I was working for Tremor Media. It was a relief to find at least a few people who were making money online. But I couldn’t figure out why these same people had 4 other niche programs that they weren’t offering up to the online world.
My general take-away for us online video folks – We need to do a better job of explaining the value proposition that we offer to people who currently think TV is the end all and be all for the programming they create. Today’s online video ad networks are tomorrow’s television networks. We tout our huge reach to advertisers, but for some reason, we don’t do the same for content producers.
Lastly, I know that the “T” in NATPE stands for “television.” So maybe NATPE needs to drop that “T” and be more inclusive of people programming for other mediums. Or they should promote and encourage attendees to check out the digital sessions instead of treating digital as an also-ran. Traditional TV may have been what NATPE was all about, but it is certainly not the wave of the future. I’m no fortune teller, but I’m pretty sure that attendees could have learned a lot more from Will Richmond’s sessions than from Judge Judy’s. If only the title of the “Where’s the Inventory? Buying Online Video Advertising” panel were “Selling Your Show Online” it would have been standing room only.
They also need to stop segregating the “haves” from the “have nots.” The big name companies like BBC, Discovery, Comcast, NBC, Fox, and Fremantle (to name a few) were in A DIFFERENT HOTEL for Chrisakes! How the hell does that make sense? I heard from dozens of angry attendees who paid to go to NATPE for the chance to meet, network, and possibly pitch a “real” programming exec, and not be kept out by the proverbial bouncer and velvet rope.
But alas, after nearly a full week in Las Vegas, I’m looking forward to going home and laying on my sofa……to watch TV.