Why NBC Gets More Web Traffic Than Other Nets, Even As Its TV Ratings Lag

(MoneyWatch)  Here's a counter-intuitive data point: NBC, the fourth-place broadcast network, nonetheless leads its broadcast counterparts in Web site traffic so far this year, and by a substantial margin. According to comScore Media Metrix data, NBC.com had 11.4 million unique visitors last month -- no. 2 Web site ABC.com tallied only 6.8 million. The network's Web site also ranks first in other metrics including total visitors, time spent and time spent per visitor. NBC says the rise is due to several factors, such as special content surrounding the wedding of Pam and Jim on "The Office" and a relaunched "Jay Leno's Garage," a mini-site that focuses on Leno's love of all things automotive.

But, really, is that all there is to it?

I'd posit it's also something else -- NBC may not have the highest ratings, but it has the most online-friendly content. Once again, it comes down to the radical decision to schedule "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m. five nights a week. Not only does it mean that NBC has less dramas on its schedule, but it also adds to the NBC content that is essentially little, easily consumable tidbits of comedy. The consumption of these tidbits, which is called "video snacking" in online media circles, is still the predominant way that consumers watch video online. Once you add up "Leno," "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and "Saturday Night Live," you've got vast stockpiles of video Doritos and Cheese Doodles to hand out to viewers, which are easily consumed during a quick break between studying spreadsheets and checking email. Full episodes of "House" don't fit the bill.

Reminds me of an insightful story I read back in September in New York Magazine called "The Viral Video Factory" (oops, that was the name of the link at nymag.com to the story; it's actual name is "The Bit Factories"). The story, part of a package about the seismic shifts in late-night TV, points out how important it is for comedians these days to produce content that can go viral. Worth a read.

Previous coverage of NBC at BNET Media:

• NBC's Intriguing Jimmy Fallon Experiment
• How Patient Will NBC Be About "The Jay Leno Show"?
• NBC Upfront Strategy: Hold Back Inventory For Scatter