ITV - paid for previews next?

UK free-to-air broadcaster ITV is looking at making preview episodes of its shows available on-demand for £1 or £2 per episode.

Carolyn Fairbairn, group director of development and strategy at the UK broadcaster revealed the plans at the Digital TV World Summit, organised by TBIVision's parent company Informa Telecoms & Media.

"We think people might pay for preview episodes, £1 or £2 to see the next episode of a series. Along with other large media owners we're thinking about [charging for content]," she said.

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tbivision.com

....better move than switching some channels to the pay model but I can see it falling flat after an initial buzz, content will be critical, ..

BBC stuff is Free, Ch4 is free

Does this mean the end of ramming trailers down the viewers' throats on screen at every opportunity?

If they can get newspapers, magazines and websites to pay for previews rather than ITV sending them out of DVD then they are on to a winner but why would I want to pay for a preview?

I'm sure a lot of people would want to see the next episode of their favourite drama a week early, especially with big cliffhanger episodes of soaps

It's quite a nice idea, although it's a shame that it can't be don with their most popular programmes which are live (X-Factor, Celebrity, Talent etc)

What are you talking about? The BBC and C4 rarely show the next episode online. I'd much rather pay to see a future epsiode than one that's been already been on TV.

But that's irrelevant as neither offer the service proposed by ITV.

More "less commonly" than "rare".

BBC Three and Four have shown advance previews of several shows. Spooks was one, wasn't it?

Anyhoo - this isn't the worst idea they've ever had, but it would have to be a pretty compelling show to make me fork out up to £2 to see it a week early.

If they went with soaps at 50p a time I could see it having real potential as a steady trail of additional income for them, but if they're a little greeedy about it then it may die on its ass.

No doubt they'll be falling over themselves to write out cheques to UTV and STV for their share of the income.

Oh.. be back in a second - there's a flying pig tangled in my washing line.

Fair point Gavin. If ITVplc starts charging for previews, then STV and UTV potentially lose out twice - no income from the previews and some people have seen the programme before they get the chance to screen them.

But I suspect the current arrangements of ITV network will be out of the window anyway by the time this starts.

My pure gut feeling is that Archie Norman - as a complete stranger to the tv industry - is going to try to take an even tougher line than Michael Grade with the STV/UTV situation. It'll be interesting to say the least to see what Mr Norman and the new chief execuive get up to...

ITVplc gets its way... or ITVplc hands back its C3 franchises.

Yep, I'm pretty sure in the early days of BBC3 they showed the next episode of EastEnders directly after the BBC1 showing. BBC4 showed the next episode of QI after that week's on BBC2. Although of course once you watched one of the BBC4 episodes you wouldn't watch the one the following week on 2 as you'd already seen it... so you ended up just watching the 'next episode' previews

Perhaps this individual, of whom I know nothing, will take a more pragmatic approach than either of those outcomes you mention. I think there's a workable middle ground in there.

The real issue for ITV going forward is financial. They need to plug the hole in their pension scheme and start generating replacement income for their falling advertising revenues.

Pay-previews seem a sensible toe-dip in this direction, and its good to see something positive coming out of their HQ rather than endlessly kvetching about their C3 partners, as if their success or lack of is down to them.

I hope this new chap continues these more focussed efforts.

There could do with an number of other operates of channels do and place ITV2 and ITV3 etc on the Subscription banner on Sky and cable, While keeping it free on freeview.

Now you'll tell me that utter crap, and under workable, will what if I told you Dave does this? and there a few others aswell




There has also been a few online preview, of the BBC3 show like that comedy I can;t remember.