The old media TV networks seem dead set on doing any deals they can to try to get some kind of traction online. A story on Media Post today announced that Heavy.com (a site that we never have been able to figure out) has entered a deal with Alli: The Alliance of Action Sorts.
While expansion is the name of the game, the wide world of action sports is not exactly new to Heavy according to its co-founder and co-CEO Heavy Simon Assaad, co-founder and co-CEO of Heavy. “Heavy has always been a champion of action sports,” said Assaad. . . One channel will feature exclusive online videos from the Alliance including Dew Tour and other select Alli properties, with the other showcasing public videos from each member of the Alliance, which includes: the Dew Tour; Winter Dew Tour; China Invitational; Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, King of Wake series and the Gatorade Free Flow Tour. Both channels will launch in June, 2009.
True, at one point Heavy had a Transworld action sports channel on their network, but it reportedly never generated much traction or viewers for either brand. The current Alli deal looks to replicate former Heavy deals: Alli gets is two new online video distribution channels on Heavy and Heavy gets more free content to try to sell ads around.
Online distribution deals have always confounded us. The idea of distribution requires at least protected access to an audience. What most media companies seem to forget is that thanks to Google everyone online has basically equal distribution. Sure there are some sites that get more traffic, but if content is online and people want it they will find it no matter where it is. Conversely, if no one wants to look at it, it doesn’t matter what “Internet traffic pipe” you point at it, it’s not going to get viewed.
That’s why most of these “online distribution deals” end up being worth little more than the press release announcing the deal.
[Link: Media Post]
couldn’t have said it better myself.
you sd:”… The idea of distribution requires at least protected access to an audience.”.
Thats one side of the coin, the other is exclusive content. If you are the only, or exclusive source for content, then, presuming the content is any good, you have a lock on that.
Basically the TV model for first-run and some re-run shows.
How about you guys, Greg from broadbandsports and shralp! do a “distribution deal” so we can also do a press release 😉
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