• by Naomi , Chris Young , June 2, 2011

Once upon a time, television studio executives negotiated with one network to air the first run of their programming. If the show was a success, then the studios would eventually sit down with other distributors for syndication deals. Rinse, repeat, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Oh, how times have changed.

Today, content production houses must take into account streaming deals, VOD deals and other marketing and logistical considerations when looking to launch any form of original programming. And it is just the beginning. All signs point to the explosive growth of the online video world reaching even greater heights. Research released by Singapore-based ABI Research suggests that by 2016 worldwide online viewership will reach over 1.3 billion people.

In a post over at his Forbes blog, Energy Intelligence, Mark P. Mills argues that we're at a point where content and the means by which it is distributed will change forever. "We've just started the biggest physical expansion of the content delivery system in the history of the human race," he says. But how will it change? Say goodbye to an old friend - the couch potato.

Content creators today sit on the verge of an era in which the couch potato no longer just sits on his or her La-Z-Boy and takes in an episode of their favorite program - they'll start watching at home and continue viewing while in transit, while waiting at the doctor's office or during one of the hundreds of other scenarios in which your eyeballs may turn to a tablet or mobile device. You need to be able to provide your users with content that they consume in a manner that appeals to them the most and sometimes that means letting them start and finish viewing content in two different places.

Going forward, viewers will need to be provided compelling content wherever their eyeballs may take them. By having a delivery system in place that satiates a viewer's appetite, you're taking significant steps towards guaranteeing that they'll receive far more value from the original programming. In doing so, you create what we like to refer to as the satellite effect: your ancillary content hubs will drive traffic back to your main venue for distribution. This serves two purposes: it drives traffic to and from your primary viewing hub; and from a monetization standpoint, provides potential advertisers with additional opportunities to attach themselves to your brand.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. In today's emerging content production and distribution market, it's critical to be everywhere your consumers find themselves -remaining top of mind with potential viewers is more important than ever before.