Shel Holtz, one half of the amazing Podcasting team behind For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report, has always said that “new media does kill old media.” It could be argued that new media helps old media sell more – especially after you read this fascinating news item from paidContent.org: Disney Sold 1.3 million Movies On iTunes In Three Months: Iger.
Gotta love a quote like this:
“The company, the first studio to sign onto iTunes when it went video, has sold 1.3 million movies in 3 months ending December 2006. In the interview, Iger dismissed fears that digital downloads would cannibalize DVD sales, pointing to record sales of Cars and of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which is on course to be the biggest selling DVD ever. The launch of Pirates of the Caribbean and Cars on iTunes helped push Disney download sales through the 1m barrier, with the total number of Disney downloads sold on iTunes doubling over the Christmas period.”
And it goes on to say:
“It’s interesting, because a lot of the same consumer electronic devices that are being used by the consumer to consume our product on these new platforms are being sold by mass retailers. So their business is actually growing in some respects because they are selling the very goods that are being used to consume the things that we make.”
Did you catch that: “their business is actually growing,” says Bob Iger, CEO of Disney.
Let’s not forget the other saying, “fear is the mind killer.” Does anyone else remember the days when it seemed completely insane that anyone would pay ninety-nine cents for a song? Apple and iTunes wanted to reinvent the singles business in a CD world. What they actually created through the iPod and iTunes is a whole new economy. Granted, I’m not saying this business model is for everyone, but if we’re now starting to see critical mass on video sales through iTunes, what does that mean when products like the iPhone and Apple TV hit the market?
Content is media. Marketers better start warming up that engine now, so we’re all prepared when the light turns green. After reading this news item, it seems like Disney is seeing green as well.
Check it out here: Disney Sold 1.3 million Movies on iTunes in Three Months: Iger – paidContent.org.
Disney Sold 1.3 Million Movies On iTunes – New Media Does Not Kill Old Media
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Mitch…
I just sent this article to a number of my clients, why? Because many of them are still asking the big question … what’s the ROI? If we invest, will we see a return? As a business person running an agency, I get it. It’s a great question…and one that is not always easy to answer. I would love for more stories like this…successful businesses making money via online and digital media. I believe that more stories like this will get businesses to see that yes! … you can make money with new media, and yes you do have to invest in making that happen.
I still can’t fathom why anyone would pay for anything that they can get for free… Are those lame anti-piracy ads at the beginning of most DVDs actually working?
Anyway, no, new media doesn’t kill old media. It kills old industry. Look at how Arcade Fire got themselves discovered through giving their music away online. Way to cut out the agent and the tastemaker. Para siempre viva los bandidos revolucionarios!!!
I think a lot of people do buy this – including me. I know how to get it for free, but between the fakes, frauds, bad quality, viruses, etc… I don’t mind paying to get something that is 100% quality.
As for the Arcade Fire, it’s not technology that made this work – it was only facilitated by it. I do remember that the Barenaked Ladies did the same thing – only back then there was no Internet – just a bunch of passionate fans who took them all the way to number one through more un-virtual ways… like the mail and handing out flyers.