And so it begins with “The Dark Knight” . . . .
louisgray.com: Rent Movies on Facebook With Credits, Starting With WB
A month ago, after Apple announced their in-app subscription model changes, I wondered if content owners would turn to Facebook as a channel, not for more revenue (the 70/30 split is the same), but for the gold mine of demographic data provided by Facebook that Apple is keeping behind an opt-in wall.
If you look closely at the screen capture Louis (@louisgray) provided, you’ll see in the Viewing Details that to watch the movie, you must install an app and possibly become a fan of the page. That’s where Warner Bros will collect all the sweet demographic data they crave.
Think about it and remember what you’re handing over when you like something.
In the past, your movie tastes have been locked away in credit card and corporate databases. Now, they’re readily available in a Facebook Insights page for the movie you watched. The next time Warner Bros releases a movie targeting your demographic, expect to they will find spooky clever ways to market to you.
I expect this trend to continue. Content providers will flock to Facebook, especially as they build out their mobile presence.
Like I said, don’t sleep on FB as a viable content distribution channel for pay.
PASS! I’ve said it before and this just makes the point even more. Facebook is the AOL Online of social media. Each new change like this reminds me why I have basically expunged everything out of my profile except for using my wall as an aggregation, funnel for feeds from Twitter, Flickr, etc. And that is something that I think the likes of Yahoo’s Pulse and Tumblr do a much better job of without all the extra risk and data leakin Facebook brings to the table.
Not for me either, just noteworthy. It is a big deal, especially given the other comments I saw today about Hollywood’s desire to turn Netflix into a swap meet of movies, i.e. nothing good to stream.
Should be interesting.