Congratu-freakin-lations: Mainstream Media Gets It Right!!!

Yesterday I posted about the need for free time-limited DRM, ad supported downloads of broadcast television content.

Yesterday I had an interesting chat with Dina Kaplan over at Blip.tv around the need for mainstream television to take on the direction her company has followed; namely, allowing some form of free downloads of streaming digital content. And today, they reportedly did it!

NBC DID SOMETHING INNOVATIVE IN DIGITAL! 
WooHoo!

Here's the story: NBC launched NBC Direct, empowering users to DOWNLOAD FREE episodes of their premier first run shows with a one week DRM license.  While I'm sure there will be advertising, this leaves us asking: what took so long?  But let's give them some credit for being a first mover.  It's an overdue bold move, and I for one applaud the initiative.

And now for the kicker: the NBC website still promotes iTunes downloads, a contract that is set to die any day now.  With their content available on Amazon (and free previews of their new shows there as well), shouldn't they be directing buyers to Amazon?

When a senior NBC executive stated yesterday (at an Jack Meyers breakfast) that NBCU was not a traditional media property, someone to my immediate right (from another traditional media property) snickered.  Well NBC, congrats on the great strategic move.  We'll see who laughs last.

TREND TO WATCH - with SpiralFrog traffic skyrocketing (just met with them this morning) I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the future of ad supported time limited DRM licensing!

For more on NBC's recent digital media moves including Hulu check out these posts: NBC signs with AmazonUnbox, Hulu and the future of online video, the youtube killer that wasn't, and the post that started it all, ClownCo is now Hulu: Update with interview.