Google Video Store to Offer TV Shows, Movies, and Music Videos
Last week Google co-founder Larry Page announced the Google Video Store at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. Getting a ground up on their Yahoo competition and addressing a consumer need due to the iPod Video craze, Google is offering free video downloads, video rentals, and premium partnered video content via the Google Video Store.
Major announcements of partnered footage to be available from Google Video Store include media empires such as CBS and the NBA. CBS plans to offer some popular programs such as CSI available for rental via Google Video Store, offering the shows via Internet much faster than it takes to get those shows out in DVD collectors editions – one day after airing.
Yahoo News also runs down other planned distribution : “Another 300 ‘classic’ CBS shows such as ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘The Brady Bunch’ and ‘Star Trek’ will be offered for download and outright ownership for the same $1.99 fee. Other partners include the historical video archive of Britain’s ITN and selected Sony BMG videos. Time Warner is expected to eventually participate in the video store as part of a recently expanded search and advertising deal, Google CEO Eric Schmidt added.”
While Google is taking a bit of the educated geeky approach to the Google Video Store launch by marketing such highlights of the Google Video Collection such as Star Trek episodes and Charlie Rose interviews, they are also aggresively targeting the mainstream with Music Videos from Sony BMG which features artists such as Beyonce, Kenny Chesney, Jessica Simpson, Shakira & Usher. The list of content producers will also include a broad range of entertainment and educational partners including among others, BlueHighways TV, CareTALK, Fashion TV, Here! TV, HDNet, HilariousDownloads.com, Image Entertainment, iWatchNow.com, Kantola Productions, MediaZone, Plum TV, Porchlight Entertainment, SOFA Entertainment, Teen Kids, Trinity Broadcasting Network, WGBH, Wheels TV, and Wilderness Film India Ltd.
The Google Video Store also marks Google’s entry into the major entertainment market and its ability to produce revenue outside of the Google AdWords and AdSense programs, which drive the majority of Google revenue. Almost taking a page from Apple iTunes, the Google Video Store is a first among the big portals and will solidify Google as the innovator in the video on demand download market.
Yahoo, Google’s largest search and entertainment competitor, has major partnerships for Yahoo Entertainment, such as partnerships with iFilm, Warner Brothers, Viacom, and Entertainment Tonight and do not be surprised if the Google Video Store announcement leads to some new offerings and marketing from Yahoo Entertainment
Speaking of Apple and Sony, yes, Google Video Store downloads will be available for the iPod and PSP market : “iPod and Sony Playstation Portable users will also be able to download and watch any non-copy-protected content from Google Video, and even get it specially optimized for playback on their devices.“
