Twitter misses a trick as Facebook cleans up in MTV deal

Written on 29th May 2009                                                                                                              4 COMMENTS
Martin Bryant, Co-founder, Social Media Café Manchester

MTV has announced a fresh take on their old Total Request Live format that incorporates a heavy reliance on Social Media for audience interaction. The youth TV giant has engaged in formal partnerships with Twitter and Facebook for It’s On with Alexa Chung.

The host, who is well known in the UK as a former model-turned-presenter, is making her American debut in a show that will use Twitter on-screen to encourage the audience to get involved. Content from Facebook and Youtube will also be integral to the format.

What’s striking is that MTV’s partnership with Facebook involves a revenue-sharing deal that the Twitter deal doesn’t. Cnet reports that the Facebook deal includes selling “sponsorship packages that encompass both TV spots and social-media ads”.  The Twitter deal sees Twitter building a back-end for MTV to use without any money changing hands.

Now, you could argue that as Twitter is still ‘pre-revenue’ they’re more interested in building their reputation in the broadcast media business at the moment. That’s probably the case; after all this is the second Twitter-based TV show that’s come to light this week. Still, it must hurt Ev, Biz and co. a little to see Facebook brokering a sweet deal while they work for free.

It’s On with Alexa Chung launches on MTV in the USA on June 15th.

facebook, interactivity, media, mtv, tv, twitter

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Hobnox Channels and its talented users challenge MTV

Written on 28th June 2008                                                                                                              2 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

While typing this article, I’m listening to an intimate concert José Gonzalez gave in Berlin. It’s published on Sly-Fi, the music channel of Berlin-based Hobnox, that is temporarily functioning as the new MTV for me. Especially as they’ve interviewed the musician as well. Exactly the kind of experience marketing manager David Noel was hoping for: “MTV stopped producing music focused shows that also feature upcoming bands, we think that there is a gap to close.” So the team from Hobnox wants to satisfy all the music hipsters who are fed up with the musical atrocities of Rihanna and Enrique Iglesias.

Noel: “Right now, we produce editorial content for three channels in the broad areas music, film and culture”. The next step though, is more interesting. Hobnox will integrate content from talented users into existing shows or create new shows around them. “The existing formats are always made in a way that our users can easily make these shows themselves. Like the iNterview format. Just grab a laptop with a webcam and answer the questions your fans or friends send you.” (Here’s the latest episode with The Ting Tings)

The player does have some problems (in Firefox) though, as I can’t manage to get the embed code or a direct link. But if Noel and his team fix this, I think I can call Hobnox once again one the coolest start-ups of this year. These new plans make it even better. Seesmic has already proved that using your users’ content for shows can turn out to be really good move, as the funny g-spot episode showed. If Hobnox does the same, but with media talent, this German site could soon become one of my favorite channels.

berlin, germany, Hobnox, jose gonzalez, mtv, music, Television, videos

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