Something Big is Happening...
So, if we take a look at the iTunes Music Store's top video downloads, we see that there is one music video, one Pixar short, and three episodes of LOST . What?
Now, let's consider the numbers. There are about 2,000 music videos, 6 Pixar Shorts, and 29 episodes of LOST available for purchase. So, how come 3/5ths of the top five downloads are a TV Show, when they only make up about 1.4% of the total content available.
Based on the TOP FIVE VIDEO DOWNLOADS as of 10/17/05
Content Apprx Items Should Be Are Music Videos 2,000 98.28% 20% Pixar Shorts 6 .2% 20% LOST 29 1.4% 60%
If we look further, to the top 10 video downloads, there are only 2 music videos, 3 pixar shorts, and 5 episodes of LOST. It is only when we get up into the 25 area that we see consistent music video downloads.
What is going on here? I'll tell you what is going on. It is the double effect of an excellent television show and the pent up demand and rage for more options of getting your favorite shows. Taping? So last year, but not everyone has a TiVo. So, this is the most convenient method ever! You can click and purchase an episode and it is download in 20 minutes. Poor Quality? Not really, and people sitting 10 feet back from their TV with their video iPod plugged into it won't care.
This is something big. People want to be able to get video on demand on their favorite shows, and this is the easiest method so far. They don't have to set up anything; no need to look at schedules on a TV interface. Just go to iTunes, find the episode you want afterwards, without commercials, without the annoying weather warnings of a tornado watch, and just click. The BitTorrent channels are always a hit or miss, but iTunes is a bulls-eye every-time,
Hopefully, more networks will be putting their shows onto this. Maybe throw a show on like Arrested Development and see that there is a reason to keep it around, eh? Maybe throw on shows like Daily Show or the Nightly News for a bit cheaper because they are run every-night. Maybe throw on a season subscription service to get shows while they are being put up.
This is big. This is big. This is big. And it isn't going away.