Syfy discovers free streams build audiences

I have to wonder how someone could get so stuck on an outdated business model that they miss the obvious. That’s exactly what the big media suits continue to do at their own peril. Not all are clueless.  Cable / satellite channel Syfy not only streams most of its original programming to anyone on an ad supported basis, it’s also using the net to successfully build audiences. Case in point, the channels popular Sanctuary series began as a set of webisodes that not only tested the shows viability, but built a ready audience for the shows debut as a full length series.

Hoping to create more interest before the regular episodes of new series Caprica begin to air and release online, Syfy has been allowing anyone to embed the shows pilot. We’re only too happy to take advantage of that and have linked Hulu’s stream below. Lesson for the likes of the big studios and Rupert Murdock?  Imagine building an audience at very low cost and selling advertisements on the medium you use to promote it. Instead of fighting ad supported online content, you might try using it to your benefit like Syfy has. You might even find quality sites like Third Pipe will embed your content and promote it at no cost to you.

Syfy hopes to build momentum for its highly anticipated series Caprica by allowing Web sites to stream the two-hour series pilot in its entirety.

Syfy is providing sci-fi oriented Web sites with video embed codes to offer a stream of the program, network president David Howe said during a media call last week. The pilot is also available at Syfy.com.

Syfy last summer distributed the same pilot of Caprica — a prequel to the network’s popular Battlestar Galactica series — via home video and iTunes, although it did not disclose sales figures for either distribution platform.

“The pilot will be available to anyone who wants to watch it,” Howe said. “We’re very excited about it, because it speaks to what we want to do with Caprica — the anticipation and buzz for the show has been like no other, and I think the more people we can encourage to watch that pilot and then come in for the series, the better we will be.” (EZTV)