• by David Goetzl , June 16, 2011

Next time, DirecTV gets in a nasty fight with a network over carriage fees, it might be able to just say: No chance we're paying that much, our viewers would rather just stare at a Whopper than watch your stuff.

This week, Burger King is giving DirecTV the chance to gather data on exactly that, according to ClickZ. The King has taken over its channel 111 to display a juicy, succulent, divine, luscious, heavenly, delectable, tantalizing, exquisite, spectacular, magnetic, hypnotic ...

Sorry ... back to reality ...

Whopper.

That's it. 24/7. Nothing else, except a rotating patty on a sesame seed bun, with tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles and specks of ketchup peeking out. No commercials (well, maybe one endless one).

The network, Whopper Lust, is a transcendent example of the potential in interactive advertising. Viewers who watch the turning Whopper for five straight minutes can click the remote and have a coupon for a free one mailed to them.

But who would do that? No one stops while playing "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" after one question and $100.

As hard as it may be, the bold can forgo the free Whopper and gamble on winning another. If, they can continue watching for an additional 10 minutes, they win two.

Roll the dice again and watch for another 15 minutes? Three Whoppers are coming your way.

DirecTV's 19.4 million customers are eligible as Whopper Lust runs for seven days until Monday.

Like any good network, the King is planning new programming. The schedule calls for Chicken Tenders next week and Onion Rings after that. And it has ordered a pilot for the Triple Stacker.

(Not really.)

There is one major bummer in the whopper of a network, however. The redeemable coupons won't be delivered for perhaps up to four weeks. DirecTV is frequently a pacesetter, but how great it would be if BK had gone with Cablevision, which can email coupons ordered up via the remote during an interactive ad. The stunt was created by BK agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky, which is soon losing the account after some breakthrough work. "Whopper Lust" is an example of how much creative agencies are considering media opportunities as they devise campaigns.

As of today, Americans have watched the channel for 570,800 minutes and BK has given away 70,300 Whoppers.

That might get some struggling networks' juices flowing. Does advertising draw higher ratings?