Ripe Digital’s Downfall Had Obvious Cause

I was just reading about Ripe Digital, one of a slew of original digital content creators founded in recent years, filing for bankruptcy.  They follow in the footsteps of 60Frames and ManiaTV.

While I am sure their founders are blaming the economy I think the answer is far less obtuse.  According to NewTeeVee, Ripe Digital raised over $45 million in financing.

Ripe Digital was focused on creating entertainment for dudes with the online networks RipeTV, OctaneTV and FlowTV, featuring such shows as Sexy Road Test, Funk Flex TV and Pauly Shore’s America.  LINK

And there it is – one cannot hope to recoup $45 million on a slate where the biggest draw is Paul Shore.  It’s not that there isn’t money to be made in this space, it’s just that it is wildly unrealistic to think in terms of tens of millions of dollars.  Those who succeed in original online video will do so by radically reducing overhead, staffing and all the other acoutremonts of the old media world.

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• ManiaTV shuts (inquisitr.com)

Interactive TV is Here

Ok, that might be untrue in the sense that you interact directly with the TV (there are a few limited examples of this but none of any import) but many people, especially Gen Y and younger, are spending plenty of time interacting with their TV via the internet.

ArsTech has some great overview on the Grunwald Associates study:

“Grunwald surveyed 1,277 kids and young adults between 9 and 17, 1,039 parents, and 250 school districts across the US. 64 percent of those surveyed told the consulting firm that they go online as they watch TV, and almost three-quarters of that group (73 percent) said they considered themselves to be actively multitasking when they’re watching TV and using the ‘Net at the same time. 42 percent reported that their attention is split between the TV and Internet equally, while another 47 percent said that once they start using the computer, the Internet becomes the focus of their attention. ”

I’m not surprised that so many kids multitask but it is interesting to ponder the potential for such behavior from a marketing and entertainment angle.  What can be done beyond polls and contests and RT-chat?