NBC and YouTube are in bed together. Given NBC's previous deal with the JibJab boys and its eagerness to follow ABC onto iTunes, this isn't surprising. And it proves once again that the most successful dot-com business model is to wait for a big old-media company to swoop down and give you a lot of money.
NBC AND YOUTUBE ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Companies Team Up in Ground-Breaking, Promotional Relationship
And Innovative Advertising Agreement
BURBANK, Calif. and SAN MATEO, Calif. - June 27, 2006 - NBC and YouTube, Inc. today announced a strategic partnership that will combine NBC's quality programming with YouTube's vast audience to enhance the entertainment experience on YouTube while engaging viewers in innovative new ways to promote NBC's Fall program lineup and other preferred shows over the next year. The agreement also includes an integrated, cross-promotional advertising relationship on the YouTube service and significant on-air promotion provided by NBC.
Under the terms of the agreement, NBC will create an official NBC Channel on YouTube to house its Fall Preview area with exclusive clips to promote NBC's "The Office." In addition, over the next year, NBC will upload several video presentations and longform promos per week to the NBC Channel on YouTube from primetime and late-night programs like "Saturday Night Live," "The Office," and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." YouTube will also promote NBC's videos throughout the site.
"The YouTube
and NBC partnership symbolizes what can happen when traditional media
companies and new media companies find common ground," said John
Miller, Chief Marketing Officer, NBC Universal Television Group.
"YouTube is the perfect online media partner to promote NBC's marquee
entertainment to their audience and explore new and creative ways to
harness the power of viral video in a manner that respects copyrights.
We applaud YouTube for their continued willingness to work with us to
remove any unauthorized NBC content and protect our copyrighted
material. We are thrilled to be partnering with this forward-thinking
company."
"We
are delighted to work with NBC on an official basis. Bringing more
entertaining and exclusive content to YouTube helps further our goal of
providing the best video entertainment experience on the Internet,"
said Chad Hurley, co-founder and CEO of YouTube. "This partnership
provides greater visibility and access to both NBC and YouTube's
audiences, providing both companies with new outlets for growth and
opportunity."
Additionally, NBC will launch a contest for its hit comedy "The Office" (Thursdays, 9:30-10 p.m. ET) where people can submit their own creative 20-second promotional videos to NBC's YouTube Group (www.youtube.com/theoffice). NBC will publicize the campaign on air regularly during the first three weeks of the contest, encouraging YouTube users to enter. User-generated videos must be compelling and entertaining and create interest for potential viewers to watch "The Office." Examples can be seen in the NBC YouTube Group.
The contest runs June 26 through July 21. The winning video will air within the network broadcast of "The Office" during the month of August. NBC will also offer a "how-to" video featuring writer-producer Bill Lowery, who normally writes and produces all the network's promos for "The Office."
"We are excited about customizing the NBC Channel and sharing with our subscribers all the entertaining promotional content we are offering to encourage them to watch our Fall line-up and other programs," said Miller. "With the contest, we want to have some fun and allow an artistic avenue for fans of 'The Office.' We know they have a lot of great ideas that deserve to be shared and we can't wait to see what they upload to YouTube."
People now watch more than 70 million videos per day on YouTube, and it is the 17th most trafficked Web site in the world, making YouTube the leading entertainment destination for video on the Internet.
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