Last June, NBC entered into an alliance with YouTube to provide selected video clips to be posted on the popular video sharing site. It was crafted to promote NBC programming, the deal provides NBC with its own channel on YouTube. For at least one show, it’s working quite well.
A clip from the Conan O’Brien Show, a spoof on the new Apple iPhone, has taken off. The very clever clip has had over 1.6 million views since January 12, making it one of the most successful viral videos of the year. The upside for NBC? While there is no advertising in the clip, the promotional value of the segment is enormous.
It’s interesting to see how a broadcast network can be helped by YouTube, not hurt.
