MySpace’s Original Content Push: Foil Against Facebook?
By Rafat Ali - Wed 25 Jul 2007 10:19 PM PST
Read the post below first for the context, and then this: one thing that seems to be happening is that MySpace is now going full steam ahead into becoming a conduit for original and other kinds of content, perhaps as a way to attract new users, and then increase the time spend on the site.
-- First the [re]launch of MySpaceTV late last month.
-- Sony Pictures Television is on the verge of launching its MySpace broadband channel the Minisode Network, with old shows (Diff’rent Strokes, The Partridge Family, etc.) cut to 3-5 minutes.
-- Then other smaller deals like manga entertainment distributor Tokyopop’s launch on MySpace last week.
-- And now, it has announced a deal with Fox and the Producers Guild of America to recruit talent in original programming. They’ve launched “The Storyteller Challenge”, a program inviting aspiring producers to enter their original 5 – 7 minute TV pilots on a dedicated MySpace page beginning September 4, 2007. Two winning entrants will each receive $25,000 and an opportunity for a development deal with Fox.
-- Also, expect the NewSite (Fox-NBCU JV on online video) to be a big provider of video to MySpace.
Will it work? Would be tough to make it work in face of all other media companies going in for distributed deals, not just one destination...but then again, too early to tell.
Posted in: Companies, Facebook, News Corp., Fox Interactive





