According to various reports, a failure to agree on advertising terms has meant that UK TV network ITV, Simon Cowell and YouTube have made no money from YouTube videos of Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle.
The line goes like this: ITV and YouTube have disagreed over the type of ads to be shown against the videos, with ITV wanting pre-rolls, and YouTube wanting overlays and surrounding ads. Because they can’t agree, no ads have been shown against the anywhere from 40 million to 100 million (reports conflict) views of Susan Boyle singing videos, therefore as the headline at Mashable suggests “ Susan Boyle Video Profits: $0. ”
It’s a great tale, accept that it’s so completely not true it begs belief that anyone could suggest as such. Yes, ads haven’t been shown on YouTube with the video, but there is clearly a value in having free exposure to 100 million viewers, most of who would never have been aware of Susan Boyle or even Britain’s Got Talent to begin with.
But lets not talk in theory, because here’s some facts from our Susan Boyle file. Susan Boyle is negotiating a record contract with Sony BMG . Celebrity show contestants usually have to sign over part of their earnings to the shows producers (Simon Cowell), and the TV station might even get a cut. If the record deal comes through, there’s a pile of money from the YouTube videos, because lets face it, she wouldn’t be an international sensation without them. But it gets better, because there’s also a Susan Doyle movie in the works . Again, this will result in profits for Cowell and ITV if it happens. Last but not least is the massive exposure Britain’s Got Talent has received; the show could have increased ratings in the UK, meaning more ad sales for ITV, and the format has had massive international exposure, meaning more rights sales to other countries.
Indeed the only person who hasn’t made money off of Susan Doyle is YouTube. Given the millions the rest are making, ITV shouldn’t be asking YouTube for ad money, they should BE PAYING YouTube for all the free advertising.
