HBO on Monday announced that it will try to use the Web in a slightly different way than its colleagues at NBC and Fox have used it with Hulu: it will launch its own Web video series called “Hooking Up.”
Jessica Rose of “lonelygirl15″ fame will star in the new show and will be accompanied by video bloggers, sxePhil and KevJumba. The 10-part show will start airing on October 1 and will be offered on its own site, Hookingupshow.com, as well as MySpaceTV, and YouTube.
Ironically, HBO said it will not monetize the show during the first year. Instead, it will let users watch the show during the first year and try selling advertising if the show continues for another season.
More importantly, “Hooking Up” is just the first major announcement HBO has made with its HBOlab brand, which aims at expanding online programming and establishing the company a foothold online. But the question remains: can TV networks establish the same basic business model online? Hulu’s success suggests it’s easier to place TV content online instead of creating original content.
The last comment, that “Hulu’s success suggests it’s easier to place TV content online instead of creating original content,” may only be because internet shows are thought of differently. I’ve never myself watched any internet-only ’series’ show before, because I feel they will be overly tacky and stupid. Perhaps once stations like HBO, with a record of creating amazing content, start creating online-only content will people like me be inclined to give it a chance.
I like it when big companies become “Web’ish 2.0′ish” … It shows that they are not ignorant and willing to compete with innovation! Great stuff!
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I’ve never seen an internet only series before but this one intrigues me. HBO is always innovative with their TV shows and looking for the next angle to strike viewers. This may be exactly what they are looking for to hit the newly growing internet show series. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before but the balance between simplicity and HBO backing it will be enough for me as well as other followers to give it a shot.
Craig
http://www.budgetpulse.com
You’ve never seen a web series before? There are hundreds of them. There is some in depth coverage of the show over at Tubefilter News that you might be interested in:
http://news.tub...e-a-web-series/
It doesn’t seem interesting at all.
DeFranco from YouTube? Come on…get better actors.