Broadband Content Bits: Gigantic; Katie Couric; McCain-Letterman; Spike TV-Worldwide Biggies
This story was written by Amanda Natividad.
-- Gigantic launching pay video site: Music label and film production company Gigantic is launching a website offering $2.99 streams, Variety says. Gigantic Releasing will differ from Hulu in that it distributes films rather than aggregating content and streaming embedded ads. It's also not quite like pay sites like *Amazon*, *Netflix* and iTunes in that it eliminates the wait time from when a movie is released in theaters and released (legally) online. Former Miramax exec Mark Lipsky, who's heading up the new venture, says filmmakers will get a bigger cut of Gigantic's take, but wasn't clear on how many films the site would be streaming.
-- Katie Couric anchoring live webcast on Election Night: Aside from broadcasting its regular live coverage of the election results, CBS (NYSE: CBS) News has tapped Katie Couric to anchor an additional live webcast. Immediately following the results coverage, Couric will incorporate questions from the online audience received before and during the webcast.
-- McCain appearance spikes Letterman's online clips: Last Thursday's apologetic appearance by presidential hopeful John McCain on CS' The Late Show With David Letterman brought in record views, according to CBS internal stats. The interview has garnered over one million views. It also drew nearly five thousand viewer comments.
-- Spike TV and Worldwide Biggies adapting web series for TV: The companies have agreed to adapt online comedy series MoCap, LLC for TV. Worldwide Biggies will produce six half-hour episodes of the mockumentary-style show, which Spike TV will premiere in January 2009. Recently, Nick At Nite aired the Worldwide Biggies-developed First Annual Worldwide Fido Awards, spun off from the online dog community (which, I assume, is a community for dog lovers, not a community run by dogs).
By Amanda Natividad