Internet startup Next New Networks, an online video service, is poised to deliver 101 community-based sites over the next five years focused on niche content targeted to 18- to-34-year-olds. Backed by
former MTV and Nickelodeon executives, Next New will offer a series of micro-networks with content geared toward enthusiasts who enjoy do-it-yourself fashion, comics, and autos.
The company's approach ties directly to evolving trends in so-called "Long Tail" content targeted to passionate enthusiasts, and will leverage short-form video content featuring programs anywhere from
three to eight minutes in length--daily or weekly.
Next New says it will add one to three networks per month in the coming months, and on Thursday announced the first six networks on its roster
including programs like "Fast Lane Daily" and "VOD Cars;" "Threadbanger," about do-it-yourself fashion; "Channel Federator," on cartoons; and "Pulp Secret," focused on comic book culture.
What
makes Next New's approach unique is that each micro-network hosts its own shows on a branded Web site. New and archived shows can also be found on iTunes and YouTube, and viewers are invited to
contribute, share, and distribute the network content.
Herb Scannell, one of the company's founders and a former executive at Nickelodeon, said the collective expertise of the company's
management team--partner Fred Seibert was MTV's first creative director, Emil Rensing was an original member of AOL Greenhouse, and Jed Simmons used to work for Sundance and Turner Broadcasting
Group--offers the startup a deep bench.
"There wasn't a lot of focus on targeted niches," said Scannell, about how the team looked at the market opportunity. He also thinks the format enables
advertisers to partner with the network's brands in a more safe environment.
Jonathan Miller, AOL's former chairman and CEO, has invested in the company, and sits on its board. In an interview
with OnlineMediaDaily, Miller said his investment in Next New marks the first of several planned investments he will make over the course of the next few weeks in digital media entities. It
also marks the first time the former CEO has spoken publicly since his ouster from AOL late last year after a three-year run.
"I worked both with and for Herb at Nickelodeon. Everyone knows Fred
Seibert for quite a while. This is a group of people who've known each other for quite some time and understand what everybody's skill set is. Herb has taken the bull by the horns and made the leap
into new media with vim and vigor," Miller said.
"In many ways," he added, "they're going back to their roots [in cable] and targeting audiences and communities even more directly. They're
letting it bubble up from the community, and that's what's wonderful and exciting about this period."
Miller said he made the investment for an undisclosed sum, because he remains interested in
consumer and digital media monetization.
"I'm thinking about what scale is on the Internet--how do I find scale; how do you scale 100 networks or even 500 networks. It becomes a very different
way of thinking," Miller explained.
Meanwhile, Next New will commission content, license it, create some of its own, and invite people to send it content. Sorry, folks--it's currently not paying
cash for consumer-generated content.
Scannell declined to announce advertisers, but mid-rolls (anywhere from 15 to 20 seconds) currently appear as placeholders in programming.
"We're still
experimenting. We're not predisposed toward pre-rolls," he said.
Tim Shey, founder and head of network development at Next New, is a new media guy joining up with traditional media guys. Shey
came from Proteus, where he ran the company's mobile and iTV businesses and was involved in the popular vlog Rocketboom.
As for distribution, Scannell maintained: "We're really not trying to
build destination sites." Shey concurred, adding: "The sites are a point of origin. We try to put as many distribution tools in the audience's hands as possible to share with friends, via iTunes,
MyYahoo, YouTube channels ... as many as possible. The audience will find us wherever they are," he said. Eventually, that includes mobile devices.
So what are the prospects for Next New? "On a
top-line basis, obviously marketers and media companies are concerned about user-generated activity where anybody can upload anything, change anything, and do whatever they want," noted Debra Aho
Williamson, senior analyst, eMarketer. "This company looks like it will take more of a hand-holding approach with the media owners and brands. I think they will get some interest."
"It's an
interesting model," Williamson added. "There are thousands of video sites offering all manner of content--and the challenge for this company as with any company is letting people find their stuff,
figuring out what's there, organizing it, filtering it, and searching it. They'll compete with other video sites."