Web Series Statistics

http://corp.visiblemeasures.com/news-and-events/blog/bid/11797/The-Top-10-Most-Watched-Web-Series-January-2010

This article is from Visible Measures, a firm which tracks the consumption and distribution of online video. Much like a typical ratings system, it tracks video plays while also giving commentary as to why certain videos may be regressing or surging in popularity. These are in turn used by producers and advertisers in order to help them spend money in ways that will promote them making a profit. This specific article focuses on the top 10 most popular web series for the month of January based on page views.

I chose this article because it not only outlines the kinds of programs that people are willing to watch on a consistent basis, but also speculates on the current trends of these kinds of programs based on how much their popularity rises or falls. This information is important because it helps to show what demographics are watching web-based content that hasn't originated from television. If someone were to try and produce a web series, comedy and video-game based content seem to be the two most popular genres for the internet community.

The user-generated content which would then be produced, as outlined by the book on page 317-318, goes far beyond simple viral videos and into a much longer and sustained series which builds up a following of fans who will consistently demand more. The article outlines these types of series such as College Humor's "Hardly Working":

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

"Hardly Working" has become a staple for the site as a consistent source of short videos designed to keep their audience laughing with original content while also serving as a portal for viral videos. This has essentially lead larger media outlets to also look for online content which falls within what their audience wants. Gametrailers.com for example offers up several online webisodes of shows which review the gaming industry, which falls within the video-game genre as previously mentioned. With decently produced original content such as this being produced on a consistent basis, it becomes necessary for advertisers to look at these venues in order to help promote their clients on the web to a large audience.