web series issues - excerpt from discussion

Interesting discussion going on through the Craig Endler (SyFy) Twitter account http://twitter.com/Syfy about web distribution, feasibility and similar issues - one of the many spokes to the wheel that is the changing face of entertainment

here are some of the tweets (from Dec. 20) the most recent one on top (so read from the bottom of list to top)

# Which is why I like to push for putting as much of our content online as possible, within reason. I.e. #Caprica is on syfy.com right now :) about 11 hours ago from web

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I missed a tweet that said, the Internet can actually HELP (i.e. be additive) to regular TV viewing, piracy aside. So that's a GOOD thing. about 11 hours ago from web


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More people are watching more TV than ever before. HOORAY! Just like any industry undergoing changes, we'll sort it out eventually. about 11 hours ago from web

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@michaelk42 LOL, @doctorow and I have talked MANY times about this issue! Piracy aside, the Internet is actually GOOD for TV viewing. about 11 hours ago from web in reply to michaelk42

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iTunes sales and online ads add only a (small) fraction of $$$ to the pot, not enough to make Web distribution viable in and of itself about 11 hours ago from web


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The problem is, there is no way for CRAIG CO to both distribute CRAIG's SHOW internationally via the Web & recoup its costs...not yet anyway about 11 hours ago from web


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business model needs to be developed to accommodate the ease of distribution online. Which will probably take a while. about 11 hours ago from web


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It's a business model that's a legacy from a time when international distribution wasn't even possible. Now that it is, a new.... about 11 hours ago from web


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Now, extend that out to all the other territories out there, and you understand why the rights issues are so prominent. about 11 hours ago from web


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Sci Fi UK payes for the UK rights so they don't want Syfy in the US to stream CRAIG'S SHOW in their territory. They want to show it. about 11 hours ago from web


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the US rights to CRAIG's SHOW to Syfy for $500k. Now they need another $1.5 million. So they sell it to Sci Fi UK for $150k, etc. about 11 hours ago from web

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...networks in different territories. For instance, CRAIG CO. makes CRAIG's SHOW. It costs $2 million per episode. CRAIG CO. might sell... about 11 hours ago from web


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hundres of thousands. Some cost SEVERAL million dollars PER EPISODE. To offsets those costs, the rights holder sell them to different... about 11 hours ago from web


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Here's a quick 101 on TV economics that might help. First, TV shows are VERY expensive. We all know that. Even an inexpensive show costs... about 11 hours ago from web


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Syfy is not the rights holder to the shows we air, we're basically the "U.S. rights renter". The underlying rights holder controls the rest. about 11 hours ago from web


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See next RT @ixalion I think the point is that they are asking for it, people try to acquire it, and Syfy says "no". :| about 11 hours ago from web


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The should get it from the people who have the online rights to it in their country. They should not use that as an excuse to illegally DL about 12 hours ago from web about 12 hours ago from web