Commentary

NBCU Chief Likens Video Sampling Model To Drug Dealers Pushing Addictive Drugs To Kids

Interestingly, the Future of Media panelists keep citing how their kids are using media to make points about the future of, well, media. But I'm wondering how representative their progeny truly are. Hilary Schneider's hockey-playing son, aside, Union Square Ventures Co-Founder Fred Wilson just cited the behavior of his kids, who now "buy" most of their television content.

"What I see my kids doing is buying a lot of television," Wilson shared. "I'm not suggesting that television is going to become a totally paid product," he added, "but I also see my kids just going and buying shows on iTunes and Netflix. And they're paying for that."

Well yeah, if my dad was as rich as Wilson is, I'd have no problem paying for all my media choices too, but you know, there's a bit of a recession out there, and some folks still scrimp on media content, and more or less want the free stuff. In fact, and I'm not mentioning anyone kids in particular (note to Feds), but some kids are still using BitTorrent and other peer-to-peer platforms to access premium content without paying for it.

Then again, some big media companies are offering what would otherwise be paid content for free.

In fact, NBC U's Lauren Zalaznick, amazingly just disclosed a seemingly secret big media strategy that I've never heard articulated quite this way before. Tell me what you think about it. Here's what she had to say about big media companies marketing content to kids:

"These kids are addicted to choice and if you can capture an addiction to something you are the pusher man," she said, and I'm not kidding. Right now we are testing giveing them a little taste for free, but then they have to go buy it on Hulu or Netflix. This addiction to choice is the new market."

That's verbatim. I kid you not.

2 comments about "NBCU Chief Likens Video Sampling Model To Drug Dealers Pushing Addictive Drugs To Kids".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. Julie Hill from julie a hill and assoc, September 29, 2010 at 3:21 p.m.

    yes...it seems choice, with DVR/Tivo being semi-choice, is certainly what people are willing to pay for. how may commercials on TV go unwatched these days...anyone know the stats on such things?

  2. Walter Sabo from HitViews, September 30, 2010 at 9:43 a.m.

    He Fred, here's a tip, most kids, 99%, don't have the money your kids have to just buy what they want. We had the data on all of this years ago but you won't take the meeting. And yet I live on Union Square.

Next story loading loading..

Discover Our Publications