A 5/16 article by Jon Lafayette in Television Week provides an interesting look at Scripps Networks’ strategy to expand from its niche cable-channel model into a profitable video-intensive broadband platform.
This year Scripps will begin delivering “vertical” multimedia channels with an even narrower focus than its cable channels. These “verticals” will combine video with “text, slide shows, audio, links and specialized tools such as calculators to help viewers do projects.” With its focus on relatively low-cost productions that blend entertainment, information and instruction, Scripps seems well suited to be a relatively early mover into the broadband video space.
The main source cited in the article is Burton Jablin, Scripps Networks executive VP. While Jablin said Scripps remains committed to VOD, he added that today’s VOD platforms “can’t offer as much content of various types as these vertical channels.” Jablin “said the time is right for Scripps to move into broadband now because most viewers who use the web sites associated with Scripps cable networks are already hooked up to broadband,” with Scripps online videos accounting for seven million streams during March. Jablin also said Scripps “expect[s] broadband to be profitable.”
Mitch Shapiro at 1:26 AM|Comments(0)
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