In the Wake of the Writers Strike, Viewers are Turning to YouTube
By David Walker |
January 11th, 2008
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Those of us who are TV addicts have begun to feel the sting of the WGA Writers Strike. The longer it goes, the more reality tv and reruns we end up with. Almost everyone agrees that it will eventually end, but at what cost? Well, Digital Trends is reporting that both a Nielsen Online study and a Pew Internet study are showing that viewers are turning to online video sites to fulfill their visual cravings.
YouTube is reporting an over 18% surge in growth since October and video site Crackle has reported a doubling in the number of viewers. What should be even more troubling to the networks is who is turning to online viewing. Networks covet the 18 to 25 age group and according to the Pew study, over 70% of the people turning to online video sites are under the age of 30. All of this lends credence to the claims by the WGA that online video will be a significant source of revenue in the coming years. In many ways, this strike is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy by driving viewers to the very medium that is being argued over.
Greg Wishart – 4 hours 59 minutes ago