Content Wants to be Monetized - Fighting Online Streaming Piracy
Content doesn't want to be free, content wants to be monetized.
If it can be effectively monetized through advertising, then it can be "free" to the viewer. This makes sense for videos with large viewership, like NFL games and major sitcoms. However, even though this is the prevalent understanding of content distribution, there is plenty of content that can and should be monetized through direct selling, in which case content doesn't want to be free.
UFC and other MMA producers have created a loyal following of people who are willing to pay to view their content, even as they have grown beyond niche audience sizes. They have a right to continue to protect their brand and monetize by charging customers.
Recently these producers, UFC in particular, have begun to more aggressively protect their content and started targeting online piracy. Even Justin.tv had to testify before congress for streaming UFC fights, not for the thousands of other copyrighted material they've streamed over their history.
It's interesting but logical that UFC is leading the legal battle against online streaming piracy, as opposed to the major networks. This makes sense because content owners that make money by charging the audience a pay-per-view or other subscription fee have more to lose with online piracy.
Major networks make most of their money through sponsorship and advertising. Therefore, having someone watch a live NFL game on Justin.tv is an issue of controlling distribution and brand, but there is no direct loss of revenue. On the other hand, anyone selling video directly is potentially losing money every time someone pirates a stream.
At YouCastr, we believe content is valuable, and content owners should have the right to choose how they make money with their content, whether it's through advertising or selling it directly. We even have some MMA fights on YouCastr, including an upcoming MFC Heat XC fight, streamed live this coming Friday night:
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