Ashton Kutcher got his start on the small screen. His roles in That 70s Show and development of the MTV show Punk’d (which is being kind of reborn with Ustream) allowed him to become a movie star. But these days he seems more interested in using the web to further his career. His recent race with CNN to be the first user with a million Twitter followers was just one facet of what he’s doing online. He also has his own web-based show Blah Girls. But now he’s sending that the opposite way: Back to television.
Katalyst Media, the production company Kutcher runs with Jason Goldberg, has signed a deal with CBS Television Distribution (CTD) to distribute Blah Girls on television. Specifically, the show will run as one-minute interstitials between segments on the entertainment magazine show, The Insider. While the show has run on the web since its launch during TechCrunch50 last June, a television distribution deal has always been a part of the broader goal for the content. And CBS has a larger development deal with Katalyst Media, so this is simply an extension of that.
Still, it’s a bit odd that Kutcher is taking the show to television after going on and on about how his race to a million followers showed that individuals could trump huge media conglomerates. And he beat CNN, but he still apparently needs CBS. Why? Because there’s money there of course, and it’s still tough to monetize an online video venture.
But Blah Girls will continue on the web as well, and I’m sure the CBS gig will get it some good exposure. Find a Mother’s Day episode of Blah Girls below.
Of course he needs CBS. Someone has to fund him.
He (and Jason Goldman) could just be using this as an outreach to further the internet venture that they’re surfing on. They’re on top of their stuff so far, I don’t see them breaking out of the web any time soon.
Think of this venture as a lure-method to get users to jump on the Blah Girls site. It’s not like it’s a fully funded television program. Heck, from the sound of it, it’s more a commercial than anything.
Thank you for this forum TechCrunch
Many people don’t realize that my early work on Twitter began in the late ’60’s when I passed notes in class. After literally stealing my ideas Twitter suggested that I become their CGO their Chief Gynecology Officer.DrRandPink
In terms of Ashton Kutcher – a man called @aplusk little did people know that I finished a strong third in the race to 1 million followers with 325 followers at that time. Yes Oprah and Larry called but I didn’t want to rain on Ashtons parade.
The only real money is on tv and film at this time. I mean real money. Forunately I’m just waiting for one more family member to pass so I can take over our foundation.
I think Ashton is cool and twitter can be both charitable, high brow, informational, social or just what I use it for a bathroom stall’s wall to spew silly verbage. Where else can a gyno get @JennyfromMTV tweet him from an airplane restroom and then receive a tweet from @MarthaStewart about my boxwoods that line our deck looking at the ocean.Life could be worse I do know that TechCrunch makes me smarter. Thanks TechCrunch
K, what?
Now this is a cool comment
Ashton needed to do something about BlahGirls because it was floundering on the web. We wrote about BlahGirls and the lack of traffic and direction here… http://crenk.co...-it-on-twitter/
Who?
Excellent Foresight Because…
TV and the Web grow more interconnected every day thanks to Boxee and the surge in web enabled televisions.
I see Kutcher’s move as a way to put Jim Collins’ (Good to Great) Flywheel principle in motion.
MG,
Great pic of Ashton. : )
Well played Ashton – always mixing sh*t up and trying something different. Whether it becomes a huge success or not, it´s refreshing to see someone making moves like this.
So how will Katalyst media and Ashton compete against Wolfram and Google? What is the new technology?
what a lame concept…and a complete waste of time. wowzers
Get em Ashton
Thanks for the article, sweetheart! Loads of love and kisses 2 all of you!
It’s poo.