Ridiculous Content Restrictions Mean NBC Loses Viral Buzz For Emmy Clips

from the how-to-fail,-ungracefully dept

Tue, Aug 31st 2010 6:52am — Mike Masnick

I'm not a big fan of award shows and can't remember the last time I watched one, so it's no surprise that I missed the Emmy's this past weekend. However, in an age where mocking the hosts of these shows for doing a terrible job is considered common practice, apparently a lot of people were impressed by some of Jimmy Fallon's work hosting the show. Too bad NBC can't let people see why. Staci Kramer, over at PaidContent notes that the opening musical sequence (a play on the TV show Glee with Fallon and various other TV personalities singing a Springsteen song) got a really good response online... but NBC can't post it online due to "restrictions." That is, NBC didn't secure the rights to repost the song online, losing out on any potential benefits from helping make the video go viral.

Of course, it's not clear who's "at fault" here, but either way NBC ends up looking clueless (yet again!). It had to know that there would be value in getting such things online, and while the license holders might not have wanted to license it, NBC should have made the point that if it wasn't put online legally by NBC, surely plenty of others would put it online elsewhere for all to see, without NBC or the rightsholders getting any direct benefit. It's really a tremendous "head-in-the-sand" approach to dealing with these issues. Anyone who says they can license music for the show on TV, but not online, is missing the point, and NBC's inability to explain this to them coherently is a negotiating blunder. And, because of that, others get all the benefit of the viral content, and NBC looks clueless online.

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Filed Under: emmy awards, jimmy fallon, licensing, music
Companies: nbc

13 Comments

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OC, 31 Aug 2010 @ 7:09am

no clue?
Maybe that's the new acronym. NBC = No *Beep* Clue
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fogbugzd (profile), 31 Aug 2010 @ 7:13am

newsworthy?
NBC being clueless about online content isn't really news any more.
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Dr. Bob, 31 Aug 2010 @ 7:19am

Couldn't care less about award shows.
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redwall_hp (profile), 31 Aug 2010 @ 7:38am

Re: newsworthy?
Yep. I missed the Olympics entirely this time around. I can't pick up the local affiliate ever since the DTV transition, and NBC won't allow anyone without a subscription to a cable service (that is paying them off) to watch the online content.
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Danny, 31 Aug 2010 @ 7:51am

Re: Re: newsworthy?
Same here on the Olympics. They were being aired on tv in a schedule that really didn't work for me and after getting my feelings hurt trying to watch online I just said forget it. (And that is proof positive that the Olympics are no longer about friendly competition and bragging rights. Its all about money.)
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Danny, 31 Aug 2010 @ 7:51am

Re: Re: newsworthy?
Same here on the Olympics. They were being aired on tv in a schedule that really didn't work for me and after getting my feelings hurt trying to watch online I just said forget it. (And that is proof positive that the Olympics are no longer about friendly competition and bragging rights. Its all about money.)
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Danny, 31 Aug 2010 @ 7:52am

Re:
Agreed. The award shows no longer reflect my taste in television so its a waste of time to even watch them.
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BigKeithO (profile), 31 Aug 2010 @ 9:50am

Re:
Who doesn't like to watch rich, famous people celebrating themselves? What's not to like there?

/sarc
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Aug 2010 @ 10:20am

I did see the video clip somewhere and was surprised it was online but I guess it was early enough to not have a take down notice. Good skit though.
Really not surprised they are missing the boat on this.
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Kingster (profile), 31 Aug 2010 @ 10:49am

Re:
Makes you wonder though... Who owns it? Apparently NBC doesn't... Right? Do the Emmy's?? I just wonder who could actually do the asking for a takedown...
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Ken, 31 Aug 2010 @ 11:35am

Re: Re:
Does it really matter? People are so afraid nowadays, I could send a takedown notice and you know it would be down in minutes.
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Cohen (profile), 31 Aug 2010 @ 12:34pm

And why not the whole show on Hulu?
A trip out of town, a delayed plane, and a failed web connection kept me from setting my Sling to record the Emmys.

So why can't I just go to Hulu this week to watch the damn thing?

NBC, Hulu, the Emmys and all the unions, etc. are missing the point.

TV shows should not have a regularly scheduled time any more. People want to view them when they can.

Advertisers would have made more money for the show on Hulu. How stupid to not have these things online.
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ChimpBush McHitlerBurton, 31 Aug 2010 @ 4:27pm

THE EMMYS??
The Emmys were on??

Why didn't I know about that??

I'm on the internets all the time. Surely I would have heard.

Poo.

CBMHB
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