Written by Liz Gannes
Posted Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 10:28 PM PT

 

Veoh to Get Paid to Link to ABC

Veoh has struck a deal to index TV shows from ABC and ESPN, making it only the second portal to get official entertainment content from the Disney-owned networks after AOL. However, the deal is sort of silly because ABC doesn’t actually allow embeds of its content, only links to launch its player (which requires downloading the Move Networks plug-in). And it’s not like anyone else can’t also link to ABC’s player; the difference is ABC will be paying for any traffic Veoh drives, according to the New York Times.

Despite an upcoming revamp, ABC’s outdated anti-embed policy for its TV shows doesn’t appear to be changing. See above a screenshot of how ABC content “appears” on Veoh, with a warning that “The player for this video will open in a new window.” It’s the same thing on AOL. According to a release emailed by Veoh, ABC will allow embeds on Veoh only of its short-form programming, and only once the player relaunch happens later this year. (ESPN content is somewhat more flexibly and easily embeddable.)

At this point finding TV content on the web is kind of like participating in a treasure hunt, with various networks hiding videos behind this door or around that bend. C’mon people, it’s not like we don’t know how to use Google or type in the URL bar!

Veoh has trumpeted the fact that it has Hulu content, which it gets by pulling in and embedding Hulu embeds. That reportedly drew the ire of FOX, and we’re not sure if things have been patched up. When Hulu recently started adding new partners, Veoh was not on the list. But Veoh continues to embed FOX and NBC content from Hulu.

Veoh does have official distribution deals with CBS, MTV, and the WB.

Matt Murphy, senior vice president for digital media distribution at Disney and ESPN Media Networks, told the New York Times the company was considering distribution on Hulu and YouTube in the context of regular re-evaluation of its digital business. Which makes a lot of sense — they should just do it already.

Veoh, meanwhile, just raised $30 million, adding to its long list of big-name backers and bringing total funding to $69.5 million, but it also made a lot of its users hopping mad by cutting off access to its site from hundreds of smaller international markets.

Sphere
Topic: Networks & Studios, Startups
« Previous Post Next Post »

Comments & Trackbacks

  1. [...] ABC’s online content, but since ABC doesn’t allow sites to embed its video player, it looks like you won’t actually watch ABC shows on Veoh; the site will just offer links to AB…. ABC, in turn, will pay Veoh for the extra traffic it receives. I’m inclined to agree with [...]

    Roundup: Veoh to get ABC content, the shrinking venture capital industry and more » VentureBeat on June 23rd, 2008 at 5:15 am - Permalink

  2. [...] future does look bright for Veoh though, which has just raised another $30 million in funding. This adds to the funding already obtained, and also increases the [...]

    ABC Pay Veoh For Video Traffic | TV Network Embraces The Web - But Still No Embeds » Web TV Wire on June 23rd, 2008 at 8:54 am - Permalink

  3. Bad move on Veoh’s part….why would you want to drive people away from your UX? Is ABC’s content that valuable? Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come for Veoh.

    Video sites need to be destinations - not gateways.

    Kieran on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:51 am - Permalink

  4. [...] Veoh to Get Paid to Link to ABC, NewTeeVee [...]

    SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 23, 2008 | AffiliateNetworkz.com - affiliate networks news and trade secrets on June 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm - Permalink

  5. [...] NewTeeVee: ABC wants what Veoh has — traffic — and is willing to pay for it, which means Veoh’s now an ABC affiliate of the online kind. Could this be the new way to monetize traffic? [...]

    What’s On GigaNET: George Carlin, for Starters - GigaOM on June 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm - Permalink

  6. [...] NewTeeVee: ABC wants what Veoh has — traffic — and is willing to pay for it, which means Veoh’s now an ABC affiliate of the online kind. Could this be the new way to monetize traffic? [...]

    What’s On GigaNET: George Carlin, for Starters - GigaOM on June 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm - Permalink

  7. If video sites should be destinations and not gateways, then ABC’s anti-embed policy wouldn’t be so archaic afterall right? Go to them to watch the content.

    I can understand the idea behind not allowing embeds - they want to reap the benefits of the video advertising PLUS the banner advertising on the page.

    But allowing your content to go elsewhere provides new distribution channels, which means more viewers than you have to active market to, but still make money from them because the advertising follows the content.

    If the pricing for the advertising for the video content proper, the videos themselves should be profitable WITHOUT banner advertising and therefore the new views should more than make up for the lack of banner ad revenues.

    I would love to see NT do some research on the pros and cons of embedding from a financial standpoint.

    David Mullings on June 23rd, 2008 at 6:12 pm - Permalink

  8. [...] Veoh to Get Paid to Link to ABC, NewTeeVee [...]

    » SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 23, 2008 A+ Computer Professionals: SEO, Web Design, Hosting, Site and Script Installations and Modifications, PHP Coding, and Web Traffic on June 23rd, 2008 at 6:29 pm - Permalink

  9. [...] Veoh to Get Paid to Link to ABC, NewTeeVee [...]

    SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 23, 2008 | Techno Portal on June 24th, 2008 at 12:27 am - Permalink

  10. [...] However…although the collaboration seems to have the potential to be hugely successful there are still huge criticisms. Despite the partnership, the videos won’t actually be embedded within Veoh, but the site will just offer links to ABC’s media player. ABC still is not open to the idea of embeds, so videos will have to be viewed in a separate window. ABC, in turn, will pay Veoh for the extra traffic it receives. I’m inclined to agree with NewTeeVee’s Liz Gannes, who describes the deal as “a bit silly.” (read her article here) [...]

    Flypaper.tv » Blog Archive » ABC to feature on Veoh. Or is it..? on June 24th, 2008 at 8:17 am - Permalink

  11. [...] meanwhile, of course, Veoh’s promotional real estate is getting more valuable, with ABC paying the site for any traffic it generates. Viral, meanwhile, had not been effectively monetized, said Paez. And Veoh has been making cuts [...]

    Veoh Quits Viral; Should Portals Make Content? « NewTeeVee on July 1st, 2008 at 1:31 am - Permalink

  12. [...] month Veoh raised $30 million (total raised $70 million), signed a deal with ABC and was added to [...]

    Veoh Launches Behavioral Targeted Advertising  »TechAddress on July 14th, 2008 at 5:35 am - Permalink

  13. [...] Veoh, which has amassed a mix of UGC and professional content from the TV networks, has launched a new behavioral ad targeting system that promised to connect video and display ads [...]

    Google, Veoh Launch New Ad Initiatives « NewTeeVee on July 14th, 2008 at 9:56 am - Permalink

  14. [...] Veoh to Get Paid to Link to ABC NewTeeVeeVeoh has struck a deal to index TV shows from ABC and ESPN, making it only the second portal to get official entertainment content from the Disney-owned networks after AOL. [...]

    Get paid To Promote at any Location | Paid-To-Promote.net | INeedQuickMoney.com on October 20th, 2008 at 12:12 am - Permalink

  15. [...] an official partner of ABC and Hulu. To score ABC content is somewhat of a coup; Watercooler joins Veoh and AOL as the only sites with official deals with ABC, as far as we know. However, since ABC [...]

    Watercooler Gets ABC, Hulu for TV Communities « NewTeeVee on October 20th, 2008 at 5:00 am - Permalink

Leave a reply








Safari hates me

If your comment doesn't show up immediately, it may have gotten caught in our trusty (but occasionally overly ambitious) spam filter. Please drop us a note and we'll retrieve it.