Cost of video content?

[gaydemon]

Just wondering, recently there have been a lot of new DVD sites - sites which offer full DVDs split up into scenes and to download or watch online. They seem to have plenty of content, even 1000s of DVDs.

What are the costs to get such DVDs licenced for a membership site?

If i had to guess I would have thought that the costs are huge to put such Video / DVD library sites together.

[xstr8guy]

Last time I looked, it was about $250-350 to license a DVD.

[basschick]

i have a friend who has several dvds out and he wrote to the dvd archive sites. most of them are paying a flat $150 per dvd - the advantage of buying in bulk.

[Chubbs]

I was chatting with the owner of a big dvd site a while back. He was bragging to me about how he had another new dvd site launching and that he need to "run to the dvd store" to get some movies. I never questioned him on it but it sounded like he was just using reg. dvd's that he converted somehow.

I quit promoting his sites after that.

--Chubbs

[basschick]

he could have been using that as a cute expression that meant he was heading over the worldwidecontent.com - for that matter, maybe he goes to a content broker in person. i used to drive over to WWC to pick up DVDs of content.

maybe would be worth asking him who he licenses his dvds from.


I was chatting with the owner of a big dvd site a while back. He was bragging to me about how he had another new dvd site launching and that he need to "run to the dvd store" to get some movies. I never questioned him on it but it sounded like he was just using reg. dvd's that he converted somehow.

I quit promoting his sites after that.

--Chubbs

[AnthonyDeAngelo]

we license our DVDs under contract for a share of on-line VOD and PPV revenue - or we license the DVD titles to certain markets and in various formats for limited distribution rights or, to networks for broadcast for limited runs and of course, we sell the manufactured DVDs outright but, we don't sell the content from the DVDs - and that doesn't sound very lucrative at $100 - $350 does it? even x 10 or more - seems like your really shooting the wad and dumping - and at that point, the content is far from exclusive - its "virtually" ubiquitous

[basschick]

you're thinking of this from a DVD producer perspective, but most of the DVDs they buy are either older and have run their consumer lifespan or were shot specifically as web content.

i've seen the same scenes from DVDs used in more than 40 paysites - and those are just the ones i've seen. heck, my friend frank has sold some of his sets more than 100 times each.


we license our DVDs under contract for a share of on-line VOD and PPV revenue - or we license the DVD titles to certain markets and in various formats for limited distribution rights or, to networks for broadcast for limited runs and of course, we sell the manufactured DVDs outright but, we don't sell the content from the DVDs - and that doesn't sound very lucrative at $100 - $350 does it? even x 10 or more - seems like your really shooting the wad and dumping - and at that point, the content is far from exclusive - its "virtually" ubiquitous

[gaydemon]

That is cheap.. Surprisingly so. But it makes sense if the content has had its day, and no longer got shelf space in stores or online. But I guess its also why the DVD sites hardly ever got the really good stuff.

[xstr8guy]

we license our DVDs under contract for a share of on-line VOD and PPV revenue - or we license the DVD titles to certain markets and in various formats for limited distribution rights or, to networks for broadcast for limited runs and of course, we sell the manufactured DVDs outright but, we don't sell the content from the DVDs - and that doesn't sound very lucrative at $100 - $350 does it? even x 10 or more - seems like your really shooting the wad and dumping - and at that point, the content is far from exclusive - its "virtually" ubiquitous

I does make sense if you can sell 100 licenses at $250 each though. ;)

But yeah, that would destroy any further retail sales of the title.

[basschick]

not necessarily. WE see hundreds of sites every week, but there are still casual surfers out there who buy DVDs rather than join sites - and those who like a scene they see in a video site so much that they'll buy the DVD.


I does make sense if you can sell 100 licenses at $250 each though. ;)

But yeah, that would destroy any further retail sales of the title.

[xstr8guy]

not necessarily. WE see hundreds of sites every week, but there are still casual surfers out there who buy DVDs rather than join sites - and those who like a scene they see in a video site so much that they'll buy the DVD.


I see your point. I probably overstated that, lol.

[AnthonyDeAngelo]

you're thinking of this from a DVD producer perspective, but most of the DVDs they buy are either older and have run their consumer lifespan or were shot specifically as web content.

i've seen the same scenes from DVDs used in more than 40 paysites - and those are just the ones i've seen. heck, my friend frank has sold some of his sets more than 100 times each.

yes, I guess that I do tend to look at things from the producer's pov - makes sense... I guess it may be time to open our vaults and start pumping all of our content into the cosmos... maybe but then again, we're just seeing new interest in the EU (again) so, I don' t know how long we should hold out

we've already sold over 2,000 copies of most of our popular videos - do we wait until 3? - not in today's market... I'm just not sure about dumping... and we're still selling huge numbers of bundles now here in the US... this is all so confusing - and of course, there is no real rhyme or reason to the trends of purchasers and especially the retailers...

[basschick]

one thing that might be worth considering... licensing some of your older or less sold content to sites that list the names of the stars could help get your company and your own names out there and help you become better-known.


yes, I guess that I do tend to look at things from the producer's pov - makes sense... I guess it may be time to open our vaults and start pumping all of our content into the cosmos... maybe but then again, we're just seeing new interest in the EU (again) so, I don' t know how long we should hold out

we've already sold over 2,000 copies of most of our popular videos - do we wait until 3? - not in today's market... I'm just not sure about dumping... and we're still selling huge numbers of bundles now here in the US... this is all so confusing - and of course, there is no real rhyme or reason to the trends of purchasers and especially the retailers...

[AnthonyDeAngelo]

now that's a good idea... thanks Basschick