"Free Watch TV Online" Desires - Why One Website Logged 24 Million Unique Visits in April 2008 and How Other Websites Can Get There by April 2009
Add in "watch TV series online free" at 2,199 -- along with "watch TV online" at 2,078 and "free TV" at 2,120 searches -- and you're already over 12,000 searches per day.
But many people don't type "free watch TV online" nor "watch online TV" into Google.
Untold numbers of searchers looking to watch their favorite TV show online just plop its name into search engines - no doubt a good portion of the 3,524 who type in "Desperate Housewives" each day.
Websites That Provide Free TV Watching Online Will Grow in Popularity in 2009
At least ABC partially recognizes the desires of their "Desperate Housewives" viewers by loading several full and free new episodes online.
But ABC doesn't allow "Desperate Housewives" viewers to view only the clips they want. Remember that unexpected flash-forward of the Wisteria Lane women five years into the future? ABC provided no immediate way for viewers to solely watch that last two-minute clip at the tail end of their season finale.
The crazy-popular daytime show "The View" -- which reached a peak of 30 million viewers during Rosie O'Donnell's reign -- only offers short snippets of videos online, and usually a full day after they've aired.
Amazingly, Oprah's show -- which according to Oprah.com in 2005 -- "is seen by an estimated 49 million viewers a week" -- offers even fewer video snippets than The View!
(As a TV webmaster, I've had people begging to pay me to watch full Oprah show episodes online.)
24 Million Unique Visits in One Month...
By 2009, websites that fill the Grand Canyon-sized void looming between the networks that offer little to no free TV shows online and the millions of people searching for them will truly prosper.
How do I know millions of people are searching for TV shows to watch free online? Enter RedLasso.com, a website that streams live TV channels online and allows bloggers to clip portions of the videos and post them on their own blogs.
The website is so popular, even established organizations such as the online magazine version of People uses them -- and Red Lasso boasted 24 million unique visits in April 2008.
Soon-to-be-King David Versus the Network Goliaths
In Internet history, innovative entrepreneurs that developed better technology than the established hierarchy paved the way to greatness.
Think Napster in the 90s.
Or YouTube.
Recently, Red Lasso received a cease and desist letter from NBC, CBS and FOX. Instead of backing down, Red Lasso hired former CBS Corp Chief Executive Michael Jordan -- what a winning name! - to fight their case, according to Reuters.
Whatever the outcome, the new Internet laws enacted in the wake of this pivotal 'free streaming TV watching' rights case will greatly affect both online TV watchers and webmasters.
Remember, David beheaded the giant.
We'll be watching the battle...online.
Published by Paula Neal Mooney
Paula Neal Mooney has been published in various national magazines, such as Writer's Digest and other parenting publications. She has been writing online since 2005, and focuses on the areas of Christiani... View profile
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- RedLasso.com, a free video-sharing site for bloggers, received 24 million unique visits April 2008
- Oprah, with an estimated 49 million weekly viewers, has yet to offer her show's full episodes online
- Websites that find a way to offer full and legal TV shows online will grow greatly in 2009
16 Comments
Post a CommentAs far as I know there's only one legitimate spot to watch it, They make you do a short survey but after that it's all good. The rest have been scams. Just go here: http://myshorturl.co.uk/lxsjg
Interesting and informative. Thanks for the article!
I love watching tv online. A lot of the British shows or strange cult shows from other countries that I like aren't offered on the limited cable package I have, so it's great. Thanks for this article.
And [we] will be PART of the battle online! VERY informative article. Thanks for this. -- Jeff
Happy Holidays............ Hope it's a good one !!
I watch tv shows on tv. why would i want to watch tv on the internet? Really this internet business is too complicated for me...these are all greek to me.
You always have great information!
Wow, interesting. By the way... I read an article you did some time ago which brought me to AC in the first place. Thanks
I'm breathlessly waiting to see what happens in the online tv world.
This is great!