Give Away the Milk: Slap Ads on the Cow

Monday, March 19th, 2007 by Jordan McCollum

Give Away the Milk: Slap Ads on the Cow

Okay, I couldn’t resist. MediaPost today blogged about CBS using YouTube for their free NCAA tourney highlights. Not that there will be any highlights, since both my team and my alma mater got knocked out in the first round. Stupid upsets. Ahem. Anyway. This comes after CBS partnered with CSTV for their user-generated content contest. This new move is especially important for CBS because they were having trouble accomodating the high traffic levels on their site.

It seemed for a while there that CBS was with Viacom on the “kill YouTube” boat—but apparently not. Guess what, big, huge, YouTube-hating networks. As I just said, “Give the milk away, and make tons more money than you could from selling the milk by slapping some ads on the cow.” The new agreement will offer ad-supported highlight reels through YouTube. YouTube and CBS will split the revenues.

“Is there really enough to go around?” ask the YouTube-hating networks. “Won’t having clips on YouTube hurt our company/brand/image/popularity?” Just ask CBS. In 2005, their subscription model pulled in $250,000. Not too shabby, but nothing compared to 2006, when they switched to a free, streaming, ad-based model: $4.5 million. That’s an 1800% increase. No, really. And they expect to double that this year, even before they announced the Pontiac-sponsored YouTube channel.

So give away the milk and let your advertisers pay you for your content. I mean milk. . . .

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10 comments on “Give Away the Milk: Slap Ads on the Cow”

ExposureTim Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 8:23 pm

So, who are your team and your alma mater?

My team/alma mater didn’t make it this year, nor to the NIT, which is quite embarrassing for UConn.

But the Huskies are, as they say, a young team! ha.
ExposureTim Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 8:24 pm

I see your Pilgrim’s Pick over at SEO Gang seem to be doing fine!
Andy Beal Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 9:11 pm

ExposureTim – that would be my bracket. I haven’t looked at it since I picked.

Jordan’s team is Duke.
ExposureTim Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 9:26 pm

OK, sorry. It’s hard to adjust to multiple authors, I guess. Sorry.

Anyway, knowing your location, I had assumed Duke was the answer to one of the questions…

Good luck to all.
Jordan McCollum Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 9:26 pm

@Andy–You say that like it leaves a bad taste in your mouth .

My alma mater is BYU, beaten by Xavier. Though I was pretty excited when Xavier was up by 11 over Ohio St.
ExposureTim Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 9:27 pm

Jordan, I guess that being a UConn alum and fan that makes us mortal enemies?

Well, maybe they say this about any/all schools vs. Duke… but that’s sure what many feel up here in CT.
Jordan McCollum Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 9:28 pm

And, strangely enough, I don’t live in North Carolina (anymore).

I have a respect for UConn. I have an unnatural hatred for all things Carolina.
Andy Beal Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 9:34 pm

ABC – Anyone But Carolina!
Jordan McCollum Says:

March 19th, 2007 at 9:42 pm

AMEN
kelvin newman Says:

March 20th, 2007 at 10:49 am

I shall never understand American Sports!

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