Blogtv.com announced a new “best of” section (see blogtv’s blog) and has created a forum for popular “weblebrities” to broadcast live to their “fans.” Seems the most popular blog.tv channels are, not coincidentally, popular YouTubers.
PhillyD? Sxephil? HappySlip? WhatTheBuck? DaveDays?
While YouTube is the defacto site for sharing videos, there’s no way to “go live” via video, and YouTube was careful with the media to represent YouTube Live as a one-time promotion (perhaps in fears of appearing as a network competitor).
Meanwhile, Blog.tv gives these people a tool to connect with audiences real-time, and make money (stars are reportedly paid as much as a dime per viewer). So it appears to be a profitable tool for video creators, and as a result they’re promoting their live sessions via YouTube.
How long before YouTube decides to provide this tool to its “partners” and audiences? If the average viewer stays for 5-10 minutes (that’s a guess), that’s plenty of time to serve ads.
And mama YouTube don’t like to be left out of ad revenue, dat’s fo sho.
What do you think? Should YouTube leave this area alone, or buy blogtv and capitalize on it? Blogtv, while getting some press at launch, is mostly “off the grid” from a media perspective, unlike Twitter (all the rage lately). So maybe Google instead decides to build its own live-chat “one to many” forum (Google chat is a step in that direction, although mostly for one-to-one video communication). Or will a live broadcast format appear like an arrow over the bow of the networks? And is it even consistent with the Google mission to organize the world’s information?
Postscript: I had every intention of doing my own Nalts blogtv channel, but there are three problems. First, I’m not very good about punctuality. Second, the kids would be screaming in the background. Third, I’m not sure I’ve got the “thang” for live broadcasts. I find them rather dull (unless carefully formatted), and if I can’t keep myself interested how can I keep an audience?
If YouTube could pay what blogtv is, and offer decent streaming, fine, I’d think about making the switch, if not, I’ve built a nice little home there with over 1,000,000 unique live views. I think I’ll hold on to it for a while. =)
Nalts, I would watch you for five or ten minutes, even if you were just blathering on inanely. I find the workings (sic) of your mind (sic) amusing.
Kevin, you would rock on BlogTV whether or not your show was carefully formatted. BlogTV is about watching the raw lives of people unedited. Hearing your kids in the background would make it ten times better. You’re life isn’t as uninteresting as you may think.
How many live shows have you messed up Nalts? heheheehee
I dont think yougave it enough of a chance, Hell even Zipster is doing his own shows these days. You gonna be out done by Loco Mama?
oh wait, silly me, she is alot fiercer than you! 😛
I have to agree with Marquis – though I found blogtv to be rather boring, apparently there are a good number of people who like what I might find inane and dull.
Part of the lure may be the anticipation that someone will screw up big time and you’ll be there to see it LIVE! (See Rush Limbaugh tortuously slapping himself), along with pranks, drunken rants and music; the more entertaining aspects no doubt, but not dominate.
It also seems to be the next step in communication. We are, after all social beings and since more and more of us are looking outside our physical borders to hook up with people this seems like the logical next step in tribe formation. Perhaps even more so now that we can no longer quench our thirst for instant shopping gratification; other than time, personal interaction cost little or next to nothing, which, if you are one of the growing numbers of unemployed you have plenty of.
I don’t know what the technological draw backs are for Google You Tube, every business is short on cash and the dollar could still go bust. Google is laying people off, buying or investing in something new would be garish not to mention more bad PR they don’t need. If anything, I anticipate You Tube will test the waters by trying a few live simulcasts, if not with partners perhaps Alf.
One last thing, if this is the new communications direction we are heading towards there’s a couple of things floating around the office that people interested should probably be concerned about…
http://jischinger.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/us-to-shut-internet-down
http://jischinger.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/obama-wants-to-search-your-laptop
happy trails
I’ve checked out a few live shows on blogtv and stickcam and didn’t stay for long… rather boring!!! Of course, I rarely, if ever, watch a movie straight through either. I like short and to the point presentations. Otherwise, I watch them in short installments. That being said, it seems that there are people who can tolerate sxephil or one of those other boring bloggers for more than a half minute at a time and if they’re into it then I guess there’s a market and money to be made!!!
Ustream is going to kill it. Believe me.
You forgot TheZipster in your list. I think you would be great on blogtv!
oh god. Live shows. There’s another thing I’ve found I’m not talented enough to be successful with. It didn’t used to always be that way, though. I used to get an average of like 90 viewers per show…but then they instilled the age bracket, so I had about 7 months of downtime before I could go back, and then nobody cared about me anymore. I get, what, an average of 3 viewers per show now?
I was going to take PeterCoffin’s advice and use Ustream, but I’ve gotten so discouraged that I give up with live shows too. Maybe SOME DAY!
plus, I know that if I go back to BlogTV, no matter how many viewers I get per show, or how many subscribers, that diabolical and pesky ShaneDawson will always be ONE step ahead of me.
Curse him and his ability to talk for hours about nothing interesting at all and still get viewers.
Live shows bore me. I tried Stickam and couldn’t stick with it. Try it if you want, or not; I doubt I’ll watch – even you.
Live is so freakin difficult. I used to be able to do a live performance in a bar venue. No longer. Those chops are way past rusty..they are completely oxidized. I agree on having a game plan. That’s what separates the Joes from the Schmoes.
They should rename it to BoringTV.
I do like the form and function of BlogTV, moreso than ustream and stickam. I think it helps that a lot if my YT friends use blogtv, but I have also met some awesome people on blogtv that I wouldn’t have otherwise met.
I agree with Jan that this seems to be the way that social media is headed, most laptops these days have built in cameras and people are looking to interact. Streaming cam sites aren’t just for porno anymore.
I think that if YT does buy any of the current cam site it will more than likely be ustream. They would have a better idea how to handle the kind of traffic YT would generate, plus they were the ones that handled the streaming for YT Live.
How about BlahTV? So boring.