Verizon and Revver “Sittin’ in a Tree”
Micki from Revver announced in Revver’s blog that Verizon and Revver have deepened their relationship. Later this year, subscribers to FIOS TV (which is limited to certain regions) will be able to watch Revver videos from the comfort of their couch. They’ll be free to viewers, and Revver and the creator will evenly split an undisclosed percentage of the total ad revenue generated through this channel.
Typically Revver provides the distribution platform with 20% of the advertising revenue, leaving Revver and the creator 40% each. I would venture to guess that this deal offers a larger percentage to Verizon even if Revver is staying true to the 50/50 share with creators. For instance, if Verizon sells the ad space then it could expect Revver and the creator’s cut to be smaller.
This opens up a powerful new distribution channel for Revver, who has a generous business offering but very little traffic to Revver.com. Without these upstream/downstream partnerships, the creator must generate his or her own traffic. I’ve told Revver before that I’d happily settle for a smaller percentage of the revenue if they could drive the total advertising revenue higher via new distribution channels. They’ve been trying to broker these deals, but I suppose they’re not easy ones.
I truly hope that the larger media companies will syndicate consumer-generated content from Revver and similar entities. From my perspective as a content creator, it makes life much, much easier. I don’t have time to upload my videos to 12 sites. And from the “big media” perspective (be it Verizon, Sony, Comcast, Disney, networks) it provides fast and painfree access to gobs of user-generated content, and saves them the peril of pissing money away dissintermediating online players.
Thumbs up to Verizon for sticking to its core competencies. The Revvers, blip.tv, Veohs, Brightcoves and Metacafes are there to help.
P.S. Hey Verizon… You stinkers sent me a note saying I could get FIOS TV, and then retracted it a week later. Get in my neighborhood. I wanna watch Revver from my couch. My butt hurts.
Thats gonna be SCWEET! I’m a big fan of Revver, I think it’s because I’ve got this instinct to stick up for the little guy and to hate the big cats at the top (hence why dislike Youtube so much…)
I soon got bored of embedding my revver Videos everywhere I must admit.
I guess for creators as yourself who just love to make the videos and get them out there to the world, the revenue is just a mild sweetner to the deal, but personally it’s what keeps me playing with that damn website code!
With TV as a possible platform now, the gap between Vblog and Wepeisodes is gonna start narrowing though, as all the vbloggers are going to start trying to make their blogs a lot more ‘marketable’ to home viewers. Its undoubtedly a very different content mix that keeps a Web watcher Watching, and a Home Watcher Watching.
Liam
p.s. I made my blog all pretty 🙂
I’m wondering, what happens if these created videos are played on cable TV and the creator uses copyrighted music or film clips in their content. Will the creators be liable to the owners of those clips? I remember the whole deal with the song Happy Birthday, if you want to sing that on television you have to pay royalties. Also what about web sites and logos? Is filming what’s on your computer while you browse considered free use and your property?
These may sound like ridicules questions, but when ever money is involved strange things come out of the woodwork.
Thanks for the shout out Nalts and for your continuted support. Jischinger, Revver screens ever video uploaded for copyrighted content in the very beginning. We simply don’t allow it on our system. This is what allows us to make these deals and to partner with advertisers. That said, Verizon has even stricter guidelines than we do so only videos that fit their requirements will be eligible for this new avenue of distribution. It’s best to steer clear of anything questionable if you’d like your video to be considered for this program. Stay away from logos or anything that might be protected by copyright or trademark.
Does “anything questionable” include the content itself? Should I whitebread my stuff down? You know, give a good corporate image cleansing. Hahaha. I already know the answer, which is: I’m out. Nobody wants to listen to poetry on their cell phone.
Meanwhile, Nalts, you phenomenon, durnya, I just ran across this Businessweek article where Revver gets trashed but YOU come out sparkly clean:
AUGUST 11, 2006
Technology
By Catherine Holahan
Revver: A Video-Sharing Site On Pause
“……Lame indeed. During my time on Revver I stumbled upon a foot-fetish video, a man smearing peanut butter onto his hairy stomach, and a video of someone at Revver giving a tour of the company headquarters. There was, however, an entertaining video in the editor’s-picks section called “The Revver Interns” in which a man orders around kids all seemingly under age seven. At one point, one of the kids is picking his nose, and the man asks, “Are you picking me a winner?” At another point, the kids get into a shouting match about sales. It was a cute concept that led the video to receive nearly 600 views. Many other clips had far less. ”
Damn, Kevin. Do you OWN the press or what?
(I’m afraid to put the web url in here for the whole article because Wood Press keeps using that to label me a spammer)
Oh what the hell:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2006/tc20060810_636975.htm?chan=technology_product+review+main+index
“Questionable Content?” Damn, the new videos from the Kickboxing classes near us are out the window then (People falling onto kicks etc)
Also, our University holds the Only cross-national Kickboxing tournement in the UK…and I’m competing this Sunday. The footage that my team will get as I get knocked out by some 95kg+ fighter is going to be priceless!!! But again…. most likely qustionable content.
Damn why cant Revver get advertising deals with Firebox, FHM magazine, Car Magazines, general ‘Boys toys’ websites, martial arts websites etc.
…..just isn’t fair…..
Anyways, I’ve had my plug 😛
I’m a huge fan of both Revver and Nalts.
This week Nalts is my “Revver Pick of the Week”.
Here is the URL to my site
http://vlogger.videozine.ca
Marquis, Nalts is building a vast empire! We are his minions. All Hail Nalts Caesar! 😉
I can’t wait to see him dressed in his toga, head adorn with a branch of gold olive leaves greeting people as he walks down Madison Ave shouting, “annuit coeptis! aut Nalts caesar aut nihil!”
gee micki almost all ma stuff has music on it that I OWN, but I ripped off the cds. guess I can’t upload ma stuff eh? 🙁
What if I share a share a % of the revenue with the musical artist?
Can you guy arrange that?
Marquis- I can’t believe you found that article. That’s funny.
Nalts Caesar. Hmmm. I’ll go with that. Someone was suggesting Nalts Nation too.
You know what’s funny- there are a mess of people on YouTube (and I’m not naming any names) that actually consider themselves kings. It’s quite repulsive really.
I AM A YOUTUBE KING!
“You know what’s funny- there are a mess of people on YouTube (and I’m not naming any names) that actually consider themselves kings. It’s quite repulsive really.”
Then it’s your duty to mock them, post haste!
“I AM A YOUTUBE KING!”
charles?
I’m only a YouTube Marquis, but I’ve got The Prince’s ear.
(that may or may not be an Italian literary reference verses any allusion to trophy body parts worn around the neck on a necklace)
that means more money
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