BoingBoing is reporting that NBC has ordered the removal of the Lazy Sunday: Chronicles of Narnia SNL video skit from YouTube.
While I know NBC has copyright and YouTube pulled it down to respect that (or to not get sued), NBC doesn’t get it. That video being on YouTube and other video sites has provided an amount of exposure for SNL and NBC that they could have never had otherwise. I used to watch SNL all the time years ago, but haven’t watched much in recent years. After seeing Lazy Sunday, I’ve watched the last few episodes. Does NBC not want more viewers? Do they not want more ad dollars? Do they want their show to lack exposure?
I’m sure they’re worried because they aren’t profiting directly from people watching that clip on YouTube. But isn’t that shortsighted? Don’t they realize how many new Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell fans there are that are going to tune in every week now?
Maybe they should just get with it and start putting the clips out there on their own for free with ads or some other way to monetize it. Right Fred?
Link to the YouTube Blog announcement of pulling down the video.
I never understood the media industry’s fear of free exposure. The same thing applies for commercials. After the Super Bowl, iFilm hosted the commercials, but the only ones you could download were Budweiser and Bud Light commercials. Why wouldn’t they want you to watch their commercials and show them to friends? Sometimes I question whether the people at the heads of these companies even understand word of mouth…
Somehow I am under the feeling that NBC / SNL might be in the works with iTunes for paid content. The YouTube angle might just be a way of putting a stop to something that might potentially harm a future deal. I dont buy the whole “fear of free exposure” argument, because it took NBC what 3 weeks to stop the spreading. Which is like a millenium in Blogosphere years.
Pingback: Dumb Marketing Decision by NBC; We Suspect Lawyers Were Involved | Dallas Public Relations Idea Grove