Sponsored Video Streaming: A Series

It's no secret that there have been quite a few growing pains within both the entertainment and advertising industries with the overwhelming increase in online video content. It seems that the entertainment industry has tried a number of solutions, from trying to shut down anyone sharing the content (and this goes all the way back to Napster), regulating the content by sharing it themselves, and finding ways of using it to their own financial benefit. This final solution has certainly been met with its own roadblocks (we all grimly remember the 14-week writer strike) but it seems the dust is finally starting to settle and some truces have been called.

Many of the major networks began streaming some of their shows online with full episode players, including ABC, Fox, The CW, CBS, and NBC. Not all were as quick onto the train, but now most channels offer their shows in this way. Some only have a few episodes, while others have entire series. Some require that you be a registered member, and others let you flit in and out at your pleasure. And MANY frustratingly only will show you previews and clips, driving you to your television, however begrudgingly.

More recently, Hulu came out as a new hub with sponsored content much like the network sites. 

Even more recently, CBS has decided to take this further by finding viewers where they already are. In a new partnership with YouTube, CBS is sharing full-length shows on the site with ads before, during, and after the videos, allowing both CBS and YouTube to cash in on the online viewing trend.

But what about Surf the Channel, Ninja Video, and all the sites these hubs collect their content from? The world may never know...

...but until then, there's a lot going on with these sponsored episodes. Some innovative, some boring, some downright maddening--it's time we look at what works, and what's gotta go.