Will IPods Bring New Fans to TV Shows?
Apple’s iPod profoundly changed the way people experience music. What will it do for television?
The industry was intrigued by Wednesday’s announcement that episodes of the hit ABC shows “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost” will be available for Apple’s new video iPod. Episodes will go on sale for $1.99 on iTunes the day after they are broadcast.
For ABC and its parent Walt Disney Co., the bet is that the new technology will bring in more new fans of the programs than will be taken away from watching them on traditional broadcast television.
The network’s affiliates were not told the deal was in the works before Wednesday, and they’re the people most likely to be concerned about its impact. Now the iPod will join digital video recorders and DVDs as another way of seeing television programs other than their regularly scheduled times on the ABC stations.
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Leon Long, chairman of ABC’s affiliate board and general manager of WLOX-TV in Biloxi, Miss., wasn’t worried.
He said if viewers have the choice of watching “Desperate Housewives” on their wide-screen television with surround sound or a two-inch iPod screen, they will almost certainly watch it on TV. The iPod option will likely be attractive to people who missed an episode and want to keep up with the story, he said.
He noted that two of the three series ABC is offering to iTunes - the new “Night Stalker” is the other - are serials that require viewers to follow story lines that play out over several months.
Initially, the downloads might also appeal to techies who want to try out the new product and might not necessarily be fans of the programs, he said, which could bring these shows a new audience.
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As for the chance it will pull people away from his station, Long said, “It’s certainly a risk but I don’t think it’s a great risk.”
Phillip Swann, president of the techonology-oriented Web site TVpredictions.com, said the development will “fail miserably” and have no long-term impact on the industry.
He said the iPod succeeded for music because it replicated what people had been seeking for many years - true portability of their music collections - but there’s no such demand for portability of video products.
Unlike listening to music on iPods, watching videos requires the undivided attention of users, he said.
“There’s a reason why television at home is popular,” he said, “because when you’re watching it, you don’t have to do anything else.”
But another industry analyst, Jack Myers, who publishes the Myers Report, said it was a smart move by ABC and Disney to try and pioneer different ways of distributing their product. The programs most-frequently saved on digital recorders are generally the most-watched programs on TV; the DVRs haven’t made a dent in their popularity, he said.
“I don’t think the way to monetize it is by holding back from technology-driven distribution outlets,” he said.
Two Disney Channel programs, “That’s So Raven” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” will also be available for sale on iTunes.
NBC has also had talks with companies like Apple about new ways of distributing programming. CBS had no immediate comment on ABC’s announcement.
“Our goal has been and will always be to make sure that the consumer has a great experience and that our content is well-protected,” said Deborah Reif, President, NBC Universal Digital Media.