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Apr-29-2008WB Network to Return as a Web Site(topic overview)
CONTENTS:
- Although TheWB.com online network will feature some shows currently on The CW and others that are popular in the same demographic, Warner Bros. (More...)
- Television Group (WBTVG) has stepped up its multiplatform digital media efforts with the launch of two new broadband destinations, KidsWB.com and TheWB.com. (More...)
- WBTVG has created an application on Facebook Platform, which will allow seamless integration of Facebook's social networking utility on TheWB.com, as well as bringing TheWB.com's entertainment content to Facebook users. (More...)
- The site will offer a lineup of original online-only series, including "Sorority Forever" from a team that included the makers of Web hit "Prom Queen," and an untitled project from "The O.C." creator Josh Schwartz. (More...)
- "We're in the multi-platform storytelling business, no longer just the television business," said Bruce Rosenblum, president of Warner Bros. (More...)
- Mattel Inc. and McDonald's Corp. have agreed to participate in the venture, which will target children 6 to 12 and draw upon the studio's cartoon characters. (More...)
SOURCES
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Although TheWB.com online network will feature some shows currently on The CW and others that are popular in the same demographic, Warner Bros. Television Group President Bruce Rosenblum said Warner Bros. is '''fully committed to The CW,''' reinforcing the notion that this venture and the broadcast TV network are separate businesses. Although Mr. Rosenblum did not disclose numbers related to the cost of these initiatives, he did say Warner Bros. is '''making a meaningful investment''' and is '''taking it seriously.''' These sites take a page from the TMZ.com book. TMZ got its start as a popular celebrity news Web site and then became a popular first-run syndicated TV show. [1] Warner Bros. Television Group will resurrect its former broadcast network, The WB, as a new ad-supported Web video-based interactive site, TheWB.com. The site will feature some of the studio'''s most popular shows from its library targeted to the 16- to 34-year-old demographic.[1]
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros Television Group will relaunch the WB Network as an online video site offering original programming alongside reruns of shows such as "Friends" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to court a new generation of viewers.[2] The Warner Bros. Television Group is set to resurrect its now defunct WB network as an online video site that will offer reruns of past popular shows such as "Friends" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," among others.[3]
Warner Bros. Television Group said in a statement that TheWB.com would be used to broadcast full episodes of their hit shows including "Friends" and "Smallville". This online destination would also be used to broadcast some made for internet series. The second project is KidsWB.com which is aimed at the kids online. It would broadcast animated features including Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo along with superhero series like Batman. The company added that they would generate revenues through online advertising.[4] Time Warner Inc.' s Warner Bros. Television Group says TheWB.com will replay full episodes of shows such as "Friends" and "Smallville" along with made-for-online shows.[5] KidsWB.com, geared for children, debuted Monday, featuring animated characters from the Warner Bros. library, which includes Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo and DC Comics heroes like Batman. TheWB.com — with full episodes of shows such as "Friends" and "Smallville" and made-for-online shows — is to launch in a beta test format next month, according to Time Warner Inc.' s Warner Bros.[6] Warner Bros. also will launch KidsWB.com, a site aimed at ages 6-11, featuring the studio'''s collection of animated favorites, from classic Looney Tunes sketches to more recent fare. Both sites are touted as '''interactive and personalized,''' allowing users to create playlists and communities based around their preferred programming. TheWB.com will include shows from its broadcast lineup, including '''Buffy the Vampire Slayer,''' '''Everwood''' and '''Roswell,''' in addition to shows produced by Warner Bros. Television such as '''The OC,''' '''Veronica Mars''' and '''Friends.'''[1] KidsWB.com takes a nod from virtual worlds and allows visitors to create customized avatars for use on the site. By viewing clips or playing games, users will be able to earn points toward digital assets, such as hidden videos, additional games and avatar accessories. Through these digital properties and development, Warner Bros. will work with advertisers to deliver content to these younger, niche audiences. These online networks also will include original short-form content and programming. TheWB.com will have original series from '''The OC'''s''' Josh Schwartz and '''Laguna Beach'''s''' Gary Auerbach, while KidsWB.com will include '''Plastic Man''' and '''The Wizard of Oz''' in its digital lineup. The WB ended its run as a broadcast network when it merged with UPN to create The CW in 2006.[1] Time Warner's (TWX) Warner Bros. TV production arm is launching two ad-supported TV portals --TheWB.com and WBKids.com--in an expensive bid to distribute its own content to consumers. TheWB.com, set to launch in beta next week, will get shows from the now-defunct WB TV network, like "Smallville," "Gilmore Girls", shows from the Warner library like "Friends," and a slate of new series from big-name TV and film directors such as McG ("Terminator 4," "The O.C."), Josh Schwartz ("Gossip Girl"), and Big Fantastic, producer (with Michael Eisner's Vuguru) of the Web series " Prom Queen."[7] TheWB.com will target 16-to-34-year-old viewers and the new shows will be written and produced by Josh Schwartz, best known for "Gossip Girl" and the "The O.C." The launch follows an industry trend, as media companies are having growing issues with attracting younger viewers who would rather spend time texting on cell phones or watching videos online at their own leisure.[3] TheWB.com targets 16-to-34-years-old viewers with new shows developed by writer and producer Josh Schwartz, known for "Gossip Girl" "The O.C." and "Terminator 4" director McG. The launch comes as media companies struggle to court a new generation of viewers, who spend as much time watching television as they do sending text messages on cellphones and watching online videos.[2]
On the talent side, WBTVG has lined up director/producer McG ( Terminator 4, the '''Charlie'''s Angels''' movies) and writer/producer Josh Schwartz ( Gossip Girl ) and Big Fantastic (producers of the internet series Prom Queen ). TheWB.com currently has seven short-form shows being developed for site, including Sorority Forever, which execs are describing as '''Prom Queen meets The O.C.; Exposed, billed as a thriller concerning a college student with a hidden past; Chadam, a 3D animation project based on the surreal character that appears in videos by the alt-rock band The Used; Rich Girl/Poor Girl, a class-based comedy set in Los Angeles about two teen girls who switch places; Lockdown, a show about a model being kept prisoner in her own home; a reality series about a high school musical production called High Drama: Against All Oz ; and an untitled series about a fictional Hollywood rock club. WBGTV is also launching a separate youth-oriented portal, complete with its own virtual world.[8]
McG plans to team with the producers of the digital series "Prom Queen" for a new show called "Sorority Forever." The site will feature an application that permits users of Facebook to grab Warner Bros. images to decorate their profile pages without violating the studio's copyright. Warner Bros. said it would provide its programs to Fancast, the video site of television programming owned by Comcast Corp. Warner Bros. is relaunching its children's site, now named KidsWB.com, with Comcast as a distribution partner.[9] Free to Web surfers with advertisements, the sites will provide a new revenue stream for Warner Bros.' television group, which relies on selling TV shows like "Two-and-a-Half Men" and "ER" to television networks. The announcements reflect an increasing push to put TV series and TV-like content online as young people in particular spend more time in front of their computers and on their mobile phones. Executives said they aren't de-emphasizing TV as a medium, but see the digital platforms as fruitful creative and business opportunities.[10] Television Group. Both sites will be supported by ad revenue, with deals already in place with Mattel Inc., McDonald's Corp. and Johnson & Johnson, the company said. Group president Bruce Rosenblum said via Webcast from New York that the digital push was intended to make the television studio's content available to viewers such as his 20-year-old daughter and her friends, "who are watching on laptops and cell phones."[6] The site is set to launch in a test format next month. A second site, KidsWB.com, is aimed at children and debuts Monday. It features animated characters from the Warner Bros. library, which includes Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo and DC Comics heroes like Batman. The group says both sites will be supported by ad revenue, with deals already in place with Mattel Inc., McDonald's Corp. and Johnson & Johnson.[5] KidsWB.com gets episodes of "Bugs Bunny," "Scooby Doo," the animated "Batman" series and Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Warner Bros. says it already has advertising deals for both sites in place with Mattel Inc., McDonald's Corp. and Johnson & Johnson.[7]
Television Group (WBTVG) has stepped up its multiplatform digital media efforts with the launch of two new broadband destinations, KidsWB.com and TheWB.com. The premium, ad-supported video-on-demand outlets have attracted such advertising and promotional partners as Mattel, McDonald's and Johnson Johnson. [11] The launch of TheWB.com along with another broadband site, KidsWB.com, is the centerpiece of a digital initiative announced Monday by the Warner Bros.[12]
TheWB.com and KidsWB.com launched by Warner Bros. Media Company Warner Bros has announced that they are launching two new online portals to broadcast their media content online. These two new projects are: TheWB.com and KidsWB.com.[4] Schwartz is developing a new show for TheWB.com that "takes viewers to the front of the line and behind the soundboard of a fictional Hollywood rock club," Warner Bros said in a statement.[2]
"Chuck," for example, was sold to NBC, while "Pushing Daisies" airs on ABC. Those networks have the rights to rebroadcast episodes on their own Web sites in the current season, leaving TheWB.com at least a season behind on offering the shows, Rosenblum said. Warner Bros. is attempting to make its site more than a destination for watching streamed shows. It also will be possible to viewed TheWB.com inside Facebook users' home pages and vice versa.[6] The executives were in New York to pitch the digital strategy to advertising agencies. Warner Bros.' move to make its content available on its own branded Web site comes well after other industry steps in that direction.[6] LOS ANGELES (AP) — Warner Bros. says it's launching two Web sites to capture new ad revenue and a younger generation of viewers.[5]
The site is aimed at adults aged 16 to 34 with a skew toward women, and will combine past successful shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Smallville" with new original programming, including a drama from the creator of TheOC.com and Gossip Girl. Warner Bros. execs will also pursue distribution and licensing relationships to push its content to other sites including Fancast.com and AOL, and will seek to bring in outside content.[13] Warner Bros. has recruited several producers to develop content for the site, including Josh Schwartz, creator of "The O.C." and McG, director of the "Charlie's Angels" movies.[9] "We are developing targeted niche destinations that will fulfill advertisers' appetites." Its website, TheWB.com, is scheduled to debut in August and will feature episodes of such popular Warner Bros. -produced series as "Friends," "The O.C." and "Gilmore Girls."[9] KidsWB.com will feature programming drawn from the Warner Bros. studio's library of classic animation, including Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics.[12]
Teicher said Mattel's sponsorship will focus in particular on DC's Batman character, because the company has a sponsorship and promotional relationship with the Warner Bros. around the upcoming film. The launches comes two years after the shutdown of the WB cable channel, which was replaced by The CW. Warner Bros. executives said people shouldn't view its recent moves as a replacement for television. "This is not an incubator for cheap development for cable and television," said Craig Erwich, EVP of Warner Bros.[13] Although earlier efforts sputtered, Warner Bros. now believes that targeting younger audiences with advertiser-friendly online communities is the most promising strategy. "I see ourselves as being in the storytelling business, and this is just a different platform to tell stories," said Bruce Rosenblum, president of the Warner Bros.[9]
TV also touted previously announced initiatives -- a partnership with corporate sibling Time Inc. to create TV and online extensions for Essence Communications and its own recently launched parenting portal, MomLogic.com. "These destinations are perfect examples of our digital strategy to create targeted, niche destinations that present a fresh and compelling point of view to audiences," Warner Bros.[12] The studio has produced monster TV hits like "Friends," but finds itself in an awkward position as a TV production arm without a sister broadcast network. ( Time Warner does own half of the CW network with CBS Corp. (CBS).) Networks now are airing more shows they produce in-house, where they can reap more revenue from syndication and licensing sales.[10] The ventures in digital still appear to be experimental for the studio. In terms of syndication and DVD sales for these library shows, Mr. Rosenblum said the company is '''not seeing a diminution of value in the short run,''' although '''some reduction in value in the long run is yet to be determined.''' Earlier this month, The CW conducted a digital experiment of its own by keeping the newest episodes of '''Gossip Girl''' off its site, CWTV.com, in hopes of improving broadcast ratings.[1] We appreciate Rosenblum talking the talk and walking the walk. While this all sounds worthy of many hours of guilty pleasure, it just doesn't make sense not to combine it with current CW shows (one of the most popular of which, Schwartz's Gossip Girl, was just taken offline to avoid competing with its broadcast slot huh?).[8]
A prime example would be Schwartz's "Gossip Girl," which has generated low ratings for the CW network but has a strong loyal online audience.[3] Schwartz's "Gossip Girl," for instance, has failed to generate big ratings for the CW Network, but has attracted a loyal following online.[2]
In a somewhat strange move, the CW Network has recently pulled the show from online in an effort to boost TV viewer ship.[3] The CW Network, which once streamed full episodes of the show on the Internet, decided recently to pull it off the Internet to boost TV viewership.[2]
The WB lives on. Eighteen months after shutting down its TV network that captured the youth zeitgeist with such shows as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Dawson's Creek," Warner Bros.[9] The Warner Bros. Television Group is launching its much-anticipated portal for old TV shows, and adding into the mix original, short-form series.[8]
A new children's site at KidsWB.com.com is geared toward children six to 12. It will offer thousands of classic shows and hundreds of game-like experiences involving classic characters from Warner Bros.[13]
WBTVG has created an application on Facebook Platform, which will allow seamless integration of Facebook's social networking utility on TheWB.com, as well as bringing TheWB.com's entertainment content to Facebook users. Another component of WBTVG's multiplatform expansion is MomLogic.com, an online destination and community for moms of all ages. The site has introduced a series of new customization and personalization features which allow users to access the content that most pertains to them, based on their stages of parenting and the ages of their children. [11] TV Group that includes a partnership with social-networking site Facebook. TheWB.com, set to launch in beta in May and go wide in August, will target the same adults 16-34 demo as its linear-TV precursor and feature programming from the old channel, as well as original broadband content.[12] Scheduled to Beta launch in early May with a wide launch planned for the end of August, TheWB.com will target adults 16'34 with a collection of The WB Network's most popular series and other successful programming, as well as original series created specifically for the new site.[11]
Television Group yesterday unveiled a slate of new ad-supported digital initiatives, including a video portal at TheWB.com, a youth site at KidsWB.com, and new made-for-Web programming.[13]
The content should also be massively syndicated and syndicatable. It should be on Hulu ( with which Warner Bros. recently signed a deal ) update : TheWB.com's content will be on Hulu, and the site also may include licensed third-party video and but also everywhere else.[8] Warner Bros. lacks a major broadcast network, and it has sold distribution rights for shows it produces to other companies.[6] Warner Bros. executives said the WB.com won't interfere with the ratings- challenged CW, which aims at the same young audience as the new WB.com.[10] More on this after the press conference, but Warner Bros. has decided to relaunch The WB online, acc.[12]
Television said Monday that it was resurrecting "the WB" vibe and moniker -- on the Internet. The Burbank-based television studio, part of the Time Warner Inc. empire, has been experimenting with ways to parlay its strength in TV programming onto the Web.[9] Rosenblum downplayed the impact of revenue from the venture on parent Time Warner Inc., which brought in $46.5 billion in 2007. "I would not be focused on the revenue piece of this for a handful of years," Rosenblum said, explaining that online viewing is just beginning. "We're still in the embryonic stage of this platform," he said.[6] Between the two sites, Mattel, McDonald's and Johnson & Johnson have signed on as advertisers. "This is not about supporting TV; this is about creating a separate business, and we regard online video as a separate form of storytelling," WBGTV president Bruce Rosenblum said.[8] Johnson & Johnson, McDonald's, and Mattel are among the launch sponsors of the digital expansion moves.[13]
Mattel has the right to launch advertising and promotions on DC HeroZone. Its involvement includes "fun and interactive ways to further engage kids on the site while also integrating deep online brand features," the companies said in a statement.[13] TheWB.com will launch publicly by the end of August. Comcast has been signed as the initial distributor for content from both sites, putting the sites' content on its entertainment and listings site Fancast.com as well as its video-on-demand service.[1] In an effort to dig deep into the social-networking sphere, TheWB.com has partnered with Facebook.com to allow users to view content through an application on the social-networking site. TheWB.com users will be able to check their Facebook accounts. Both sites will allow users to visit the other without leaving the original.[1] The site will also feature a Facebook Platform application that will allow visitors to use Facebook's social-networking function, as well as make TheWB.com content available on the Facebook site.[12]
The site will offer a lineup of original online-only series, including "Sorority Forever" from a team that included the makers of Web hit "Prom Queen," and an untitled project from "The O.C." creator Josh Schwartz. [6] TV recruits producers to create original programming for the site, which is scheduled to debut in August.[9] TV Group president Bruce Rosenblum said in a statement. "In much the same way TMZ has, these initiatives enable us to create new brands and reimagine existing ones for a multiplatform playing field," he added. "They are complementary to our thriving traditional business and share the same vision of original episodic storytelling."[12] EVP Michael Teicher's digital media sales group will package advertising and sponsorships. In a press conference detailing the new platforms, Teicher declined to elaborate on the specific form advertising on the new site will take, other than to say his team will offer custom packages. "We will do some traditional placements," he said, adding, "We want to listen to advertisers and understand what their needs are."[13]
"We're in the multi-platform storytelling business, no longer just the television business," said Bruce Rosenblum, president of Warner Bros. [10] The venture marks the first time that characters from across the Studio's libraries of iconic animated properties'including Warner Bros.[11] The rollout of WB.com, which is slated for a test run in May and full launch at the end of August, also underscores business challenges for Warner Bros.[10]
Mattel Inc. and McDonald's Corp. have agreed to participate in the venture, which will target children 6 to 12 and draw upon the studio's cartoon characters. [9]
SOURCES
1. The WB, Kids''' WB Live Again Online - TVWeek - News
2. WB relaunches as online video network | Entertainment | Television | Reuters
3. WB is resurrected as online video network
4. TheWB.com and KidsWB.com launched by Warner Bros.
5. The Associated Press: Warner Bros. pushes shows online with 2 new Web sites
6. The Associated Press: Warner Bros. pushes shows online with 2 new Web sites
7. Warner Bros: We'll Distribute Our Own Shows, Online - Silicon Alley Insider
8. WB to Combine Old TV Shows, New Web Shows « NewTeeVee
9. The WB network will get new life on the Web - Los Angeles Times
10. Time Warners Warner Bros. Plans Web Sites For TV Content
11. Warner Unveils KidsWB.com | Animation Magazine
12. Warner Bros. Unveils TheWB.com, KidsWB.com - 4/28/2008 2:56:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable
13. Warner Bros. Bets Big on Web Ads With TheWB.com, KidsWB - ClickZ
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