Blip.tv, which just rolled out a new website, announced they will be partnering with LA-based digital studio The Collective to distribute massive web hits like The Annoying Orange, Fred, iJustine and FreddieW. Instead of just monetizing on YouTube, the shows will be able to draw revenue from places like iTunes, Aol and Blip’s destination site.
Currently many big web hits rely on YouTube’s front page to drive viewership beyond their core fan base. “Google gives us a 48 hour window on the YouTube homepage,” says Brandon Laatsch, whose YouTube channel has more than 1.5 million subscribers. “With Blip we get more control over how we connect with viewers and a better chance to build engaged fans.” The plan with blip.tv, says Laatsch, is to build a dedicated homepage and drive viewers there.
“Producers should really be in charge but need a lot of support,” said blip.tv co-founder Mike Hudack on stage. With a billion views per quarter, blip will leverage its distribution and advertising power to build on the success of The Collective’s stars. The addition of this talent should help grow Blip’s monthly uniques from 300 to 500 million.
“Is there anybody else in here named Fred because we will give you a series immediately,” joked Michael Green, CEO and founder of The Collective. “Seriously though, this is an opportunity to connect artists with their fans without a traditional intermediary and, by doing that, keep a greater share of the revenue for us and the creators.”
Fred will be launching an animated series and says the partnership with Blip will help him produce these more expensive shows. YouTube, while massive, can’t scale like a network, Mr. Green says, which supports a recent story on TechCrunch about the video giant’s plans to become a “network of networks.”
