Firefly

[Vyvyan Basterd]

It seems that we will rarely ever see this type of show again. A sci-fi show set in the far future is difficult at best to include product placement during the show. And with more viewers using technology that lets them skip commercial breaks, we're going to see more in-story advertising. It's jarring and pathetic enough to see it so blatantly done in a modern-era sci-fi show. I never want to hear lines again like "All restuarants are Taco Bell." Even great shows like Fringe have those scenes where the camera zooms in on Olivia's phone so you can see she's using a Sprint phone (or whatever).

 

[Umbran]

It seems that we will rarely ever see this type of show again. A sci-fi show set in the far future is difficult at best to include product placement during the show.

Well, I wouldn't be surprised to see less advertisement-driven content in the future, in favor of subscription-based models.

 

[Ahzad]

for those that might be interested Joss & Zack Whedon released through Dark Horse Comics this week, Shepard's Tale. A story explaining who/what Shepard Book is it's not what I had expected in terms of who he was.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Well, I wouldn't be surprised to see less advertisement-driven content in the future, in favor of subscription-based models.

I am skeptical of this idea especially for new programming.

With advertising, you are pitching a new show to a limited number of executives to convince them to give you large sums of money. As a result some of the risk of developing a new show is distributed between the network and the advertisers.

With subscription-based models, you are pitching a new show to a large number of people to convince each of them to give you a small amount of money. The network (or whoever is airing the show) ends up assuming all of the risk until the show is proven to be a success.

Unless things change dramatically, I don't see the model changing that much anytime soon.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

I am skeptical of this idea especially for new programming.

I agree. Ad revenues on a global scale would outweigh any subscription price that viewers would find reasonable. Especially since many view for free now. As soon as you tack on any cost the rage will swell.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I am skeptical of this idea especially for new programming.

With advertising, you are pitching a new show to a limited number of executives to convince them to give you large sums of money. As a result some of the risk of developing a new show is distributed between the network and the advertisers.

With subscription-based models, you are pitching a new show to a large number of people to convince each of them to give you a small amount of money. The network (or whoever is airing the show) ends up assuming all of the risk until the show is proven to be a success.

Unless things change dramatically, I don't see the model changing that much anytime soon.

Pay-TV is a form of subscription service. You don't subscribe to one single show, you subscribe to a channel (or multiple ones). On some levels, it is still very similar to an advertisement based channel. But you don't have to worry about concepts like "focus groups" that interest your advertiser. You offer a subscription service for sci-fi? You give sci-fi fans what they want. You don't have to care whether Proctor & Gamble pays better for a soap ad then Mattel does for action figures or whatever, or wheter sci-fi fans are more or less receptive to ads. The thing you have to worry about is satisfying the consumer, not the advertiser.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Pay-TV is a form of subscription service. The thing you have to worry about is satisfying the consumer, not the advertiser.

I haven't watched much on pay channels in the last ten years. I know they probably still don't have actual commercials, but do they practice product placement?

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Pay-TV is a form of subscription service. You don't subscribe to one single show, you subscribe to a channel (or multiple ones). On some levels, it is still very similar to an advertisement based channel. But you don't have to worry about concepts like "focus groups" that interest your advertiser. You offer a subscription service for sci-fi? You give sci-fi fans what they want. You don't have to care whether Proctor & Gamble pays better for a soap ad then Mattel does for action figures or whatever, or wheter sci-fi fans are more or less receptive to ads. The thing you have to worry about is satisfying the consumer, not the advertiser.

Right now the only successful pay-TV I'm aware of that have original programming are HBO and Showtime. The thing about them is that neither one has a particular focus, instead looking for the broader audience. Right now that succeeds because there are limited choices; some people are willing to drop the extra money each month on these channels. If the broader market begins to move in that direction, then suddenly the consumer has to become more discriminating in where they spend their money. More choices will often lead to lower prices as well. All this reduces the amount of money available to a praticular channel to produce original programming.

I haven't watched much on pay channels in the last ten years. I know they probably still don't have actual commercials, but do they practice product placement?

Of course they do. It might not be as overt as the Subway sandwiches placement in Chuck, or the Hyundai Genesis in Burn Notice, but it is there. Why pass up a possible revenue source?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You also have successful pay TV + new prigramming models with the sports organizations.

As for the issue of product placement, we've also seen Subarus and other products in Eureka, a slow-pan up from tabletop caressing a Miller that Sam Axe was drinking in Burn Notice, to add a couple to the list.

 

[Richards]

for those that might be interested Joss & Zack Whedon released through Dark Horse Comics this week, Shepard's Tale. A story explaining who/what Shepard Book is it's not what I had expected in terms of who he was.

I picked this up as well, and I agree it had some unexpected twists. Not unexpectedly, my favorite "scene" in the story was the interaction with Jayne.

Johnathan