Commentary

Shows On Digital Platforms Need Cross-Promotion

It’s all good and well that networks and producers are getting a nice bump in revenue from digital video platforms. But that may not be enough going forward.

How about a little cross-channel promotion from platform partners for networks’ shows? A panel at the recent Cable Show in Los Angeles discussed this.

Hulu will surely tell you that Fox is where you can find new episodes and other stuff concerning “New Girl,” “The Following” and “The Mindy Project.”  This makes sense since Fox’s parent company 21st Century Fox is part owner of Hulu.

Not so for the “Breaking Bad” on Netflix, which provides no mention that the show originally aired on AMC. 

Of course, this issue runs deeper. USA Network doesn’t mention that original episodes of  “Modern Family” run on ABC.  The same is true with off-network shows on TNT and in broadcast syndication.

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In the interest of viewers, “discovery” on any digital platform should inform consumers where they can get older or future episodes of shows.

Program search has been getting more difficult, with viewers having a tougher job figuring out how and where to see programs -- old, present and future episodes -- via traditional and new platforms.

It’s different in sports programming, where, for example, one of the bigger events -- the  NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament -- has been cross-promoted by CBS and Turner for years.

Veteran TV analyst Steve Sternberg, now with ION Media Networks, has in the past called for broadcast networks to do much more cross-channel promotion, as cable networks do with each other.

With increasing viewer erosion, increased cross-promotion would also serve all platforms’ interests in a big way.

1 comment about "Shows On Digital Platforms Need Cross-Promotion ".
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  1. Nicholas Theodore from Self-Employed, May 8, 2014 at 3:38 p.m.

    no kidding.

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