VOD—Video-on-Demand Tweaks Content Distribution, but Not Surprising among Youth Culture Markets

NBC and CBS have recently said they are moving their top shows to video-on-demand which will allow consumers to check-out their favorite shows when they want and where they want, such as online. Warner Bros. now has top shows on AOL; whereas TiVo is prepping for downloads of prime shows onto iPods. Meanwhile, some magazines are moving content into VOD formats (although not many of the leading-edge youth-oriented titles).

As indicated by our research in this year’s Global Youth Culture Studies in North America, Europe, Japan, and China, the youth market is the demographic that’s pushing for customization in their entertainment. Most young people today are so used to peer-to-peer networks, TiVo, and iPods, the ability to download songs and podcasts, they’ve come to expect that their TV shows and movies will be made available when and where they want them via download.

While this shift in content distribution has TV and cable channels scrambling, it’s not surprising among youth cultures which are used to being able to personalize their entertainment. What this change means however, is that it will require a new way of thinking for advertisers who are used to old-school 30-second TV ad revenue model. To engage youth markets in the future, it will require being a part of a new, customer-driven marketplace (and not just through obvious product placements in content) as VOD, online, and iPod viewing will simply become a part of the entertainment landscape.