CBS Sees Sponsored Web Video Programming as Viable Model

PALO ALTO -- It's back to the future for the business of Web video: Advertiser-sponsored programming from the early days of television, when Texaco, Geritol and Lucky Strike paid to develop or sponsor new programming, is the most viable business model now for episodic content created for the Web, says Jigar Thakarar, Director, Web Original Content Strategy at CBS Interactive.

Jigar, based in Los Angeles, recently joined CBS from CAA where he was an agent doing many Web video deals.   He  says in this interview that CBS is actively looking at acquisitions from  "from Web creators to Hollywood talent."

Of the CNET acquisition and the strategy around building the news operation, he says that there is a big focus on developing vertical or niche content.

For more on the strategy at CBS Interactive, check out this interview with CEO Quincy Smith by Joseph Weisenthal over at paidContent.

I interviewed Jigar on Tuesday at Stanford at the Beet.TV online video roundtable.

HP Has MTV-Like Webisode

Tomorrow, HP launches a webisode about college life called  "Dorm Storm."    This show is being distributed by Broadband Enterprises which guarantees 20 million views of the show. Brian Morrissey at Adweek has the details.

Update: 7/28 Adweek's Brian Morrissey has a feature about sponsored webisodes and what's happening at Boing Boing. Check it out.

-- Andy Plesser, Executive Producer