Self:

An Email to Hulu

February 15, 2009 by Kyle Brady
Tags: "Dollhouse", "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", Hulu, TV, TV Networks, Video
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I just sent off an email to many different contact email addresses to Hulu because there are already whispers that Dollhouse's premiere "tanked" and the return of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles "fell"... with complete and utter disregard for the fact that a large portion of the very immense, and devoted, audience watches the content through methods that are not on a "live TV" distribution schedule.

I believe it is Hulu's duty, as the first legitimate and popular, online TV distribution system to convince the networks that the online viewers are no different than those who watch it when the network believes people should.

Otherwise, shows will continue to be canceled despite large audiences and cult followings, and regardless of the high quality of the show itself.

The email:

I wanted to point out something obvious, in case you guys haven't thought of it.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is one of the best TV shows in existence right now, let alone the fact that it's SciFi.  But TV networks are full of retards who jump off a bridge at the first sign of a non-mainstream audience.

And for shows like "Dollhouse", and "Terminator", a majority of the viewers are nerds.  Which also means you're probably seeing very high views through your service on each new episode within, say, a week of it's premiere on TV.

What I'm getting at is this:  FOX has moved "Terminator" to Friday nights, and "Dollhouse" started on Friday nights... they're not even giving the ratings a chance.  But in addition, I don't believe they include the viewership from legitimate services like their online distribution, or Hulu itself.  And people are already whispering about how "Dollhouse" "tanked" in the ratings, and "Terminator" "fell".  I bet your stats would disagree.

This needs to be something that you impress upon your content suppliers.  Not only should you provide them statistics, weekly, on what is watched, and by how many people, but you should also be constantly repeating that these viewers count no less than the "live TV" version does.  If a network cancels a show because they don't get enough live viewers, when a large part of their audience actually watches it online, that's complete crap.

Networks need to realize that the future of video media is not schedule-based TV, but rather "on demand" content, with the Internet as a viable and legitimate source.  And by continuing to kill and maim, intentionally, some of the best shows, they are reinforcing the Old World media mindset that nothing but the-night-of views count.

Which, again, is crap.

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