Improve your memory: watch free TV on the web

Today Reuters reported that free, streaming web-based TV is a hit with viewers and advertisers. This from the same network that sold a huge number of shows over iTunes, more than 6 million at last count. It appears that Disney found a good balance, offering two choices to viewers: watch for free with interstitial ads, or pay for an ad-free experience (at least, through June 30th – no word on an extension).

Although I’m being humourous on improving your memory, there were interesting findings on the free episodes offered: more that twice as many people reported that they remembered the advertisers than those viewers watching regular broadcast TV…

“An [ABC] online exit survey posted the first week of the two-month trial showed that 87 percent of respondents could recall the advertisers that sponsored the episodes they watched. That compares with typical ad recall of about 40 percent for commercials viewed on television, industry sources said.”

I’ll guess that if people watch a show on a broadband connection they’re (currently) viewing it right on the PC, and as such the traditional TV viewing experience and environment changes. I wonder if they were the same national ads? As noted previously, TV viewing is changing. And I’ll also guess that ABC extends the free, commercial-supported viewing through the summer.

If the ads are interesting, I’m more inclined to watch: the technology is such that Internet broadcasters can use dynamic ad placement systems available in IPTV to provide more targeted commercials to the viewer.

Next: allow viewers to me download the episodes, ads and all, and view them where I want.

Tags: microsoft, dvr, iptv, iTunes.