ITV joins Bebo’s ‘open media’ platform and possible implications for telecommunicationsPosted by Paul r

Yesterday Bebo announced that ITV is to join the ‘open media’ platform “giving free and open access to premium TV content to Bebo’s community of 40 million users worldwide”. ITV will have a ‘member profile’ on Bebo that will host multiple channels, each promoting individual programs. Bebo users could then choose to become ‘fans’ of programs and be notified when new content is uploaded to the ITV profile.
Users will be able to integrate video content into their own profiles. Interactivity elements include teaser clips, interviews, blogs, forums, galleries, a wall for users to post comments.
Imagine the possibilities:
highly popular individual users (those with many ‘fans’) developing their own channels based on open media content?
viral distribution/marketing?
Media companies can use their own video players which can carry their own advertising. Bebo gets to facilitate value-added experiences to their customers, increasing the likelihood of network extension and member-retention.
Somewhat ironically, I was reading about this idea in a Telco 2.0 posting this morning that questioned the sustainability of telcos morphing into media companies. In fact, Telco 2.0 stated that “Someone who isn’t a telco will have a smash-hit way of blending video, interactivity and social networking”. Rather than become a media business, Telco 2.0 say that the role of the telco is to become a logistics solution provider.
Key trends
For me, the Bebo/ITV announcement is another indicator of the symbiosis between traditional media and social media; it marks another important milestone in the migration from closed to open content distribution, and the use of social networks as a hub for entertainment and connectivity.