Google and Its Content Hoover

September 7, 2010

Nothing works better than money when one wants to grease the content skids. Financial details are tough to get and then difficult to verify. In today’s content Jacuzzi, one pays to play. Two examples:

“YouTube Seals Its Biggest Premium Sports Deal Yet”. Google has found a way to make major league baseball find love and affection for distribution of baseball games in a handful of countries. If this generates clicks, I think the Google will extend the deal. Why would the major league play ball? My hunch: money.

Google, AP Strike New Deal On Web Licensing Rights”. Google and the Associated Press seem to have found common ground. My hunch is that money makes the dominance of Google palatable.

So what?

First, these deals may be precursors of more high value content tie ups. A big pile of content means that lots of users will visit Google. Good for Google, reasonably good for its partners, and possibly lousy news for other distributors.

Second, once Google users get out of high school, those viewing habits may be tough to change. Google has time on its side and content creators with some old school love do not have time.

Third, other vendors who want to compete with Google will either have to pony up or watch the Google start thinking exclusive. Yikes.

Stephen E Arnold, September 7, 2010

Freebie.

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