The Ill Effects of Illegally Downoading Television Episodes

[roo_ster]

http://takimag.com/article/pirate_baywatch_gavin_mcinnes/print

Though pirating goes after film and TV with equal aplomb, the effects deserve to be separated. TV is so ingrained into U.S. culture, it can take the heat. The average American still watches TV five hours a day (cue the commenters bragging they haven’t owned a television for years). In many cases pirating benefits television. Monty Python refused to put their sketches on YouTube and blocked anyone who tried. Eventually, they gave in and set up a system that included ads for their DVDs next to each sketch. Within days, sales for the box set jumped 16,000%.

Well, **** me running. 

I always thought that such piracy might be the distributed, undirected equivalent of, "The first hit's free," but I had no idea that some content producers/providers were doing this well.  Sort of like the old (still existing?) used CD stores.  I bought LOTS of CDs retail after paying a couple bucks for used music CDs back in the day. 

It is like Underpants Gnomes business plan in bizarro universe.
1. Let someone else post the skit.
2. Let someone else's hardware host the skit.
3. Profit!!!!

Hulu and Amazon Prime like we use at Chateau roo_ster likely serve a similar function.

[KD5NRH]

Hulu and Amazon Prime like we use at Chateau roo_ster likely serve a similar function.

They might, if they'd cut the ads down to the point where people would actually watch the 1-2 30 second spots in a 30-60 minute show.  As it is, (or was last time I used Hulu) three or four repetitions of the same idiotic ad in 30 minutes just has me putting that brand on my "wouldn't use their free outside spigot if I was on fire" list.

Of course, that also gets into my pet peeve with advertisers dumbing down the commercials to play to the lowest common denominator.  Might be the only way to sell your brand of beer to welfare families, but it's not a great plan when you're trying to sell much higher priced products to people who can afford them.

[Balog]

My wife and I have bought the dvd/bluray box sets of several series that we like even though they're on netflix.

[MillCreek]

My wife and I have bought the dvd/bluray box sets of several series that we like even though they're on netflix.

+1.  I'm looking at you, Downton Abbey!

[Firethorn]

Baen has experienced the same effect with books placed on it's 'free library'.  Put a book on it, sell more physical copies.  It's very predictable on the basis of 'quality'.

[freakazoid]

I always prefer having the physical medium. I might download movies and tv series, but I will also buy them afterwords, if I don't have them already.

[MechAg94]

Baen has experienced the same effect with books placed on it's 'free library'.  Put a book on it, sell more physical copies.  It's very predictable on the basis of 'quality'.

they did that a few years ago putting CDs in with hard back books.  It worked getting me buying more stuff. 

[BlueStarLizzard]

I think they underestimate the acquisitive nature of people. It's one thing to see the show, hear the songs, read the book or watch the movie, it's another to own the physical copy.

For people like me (and there are plenty out there) having your media hoarded on shelves, grouped by genre, in alphabetical order, and available for browsing is an addiction.

Plus, there are times when electronic copies just don't fly. I regret not being more proactive in buying albums after downloading an song or two once my hard drive turned to dust. Thankfully, I have most of it on CDs, and replacing what was lost won't be an insane proposition, when I finally get around to it.

I don't doubt having more and more readily available for free boosts sales on stuff worth buying. I'm also betting Hollyweird doesn't appreciate that sales are going to be more dependent on quality than hype this way.

[just Warren]

Showing off is also an issue.

Invite someone into your house and then impress them with your awesome collections of books, music, TV shows and movies. All beautifully displayed and cogently organized on nice shelving. 

That's much more impressive than making them sit at your computer as you scroll through all your files.