Free the BSG Mini-series

Dave Rogers sent an email to the SciFi Channel via their feedback form. He asked the following:

I rather hope someone actually reads these things.

Saw Ron Moore's interview in the Seattle Times and his answer to the question about whether or not BSG could appeal to a "mainstream audience" rang true to me.

I'm a fan, and I've managed to convince a few of my friends, who otherwise would not watch a science fiction program, let alone a remake of Battlestar Galactica, to watch the show and they've become fans.

You need to lower the barrier to entry represented by the series' name "Battlestar Galactica." The way to do that is not to change the name, but to make it easier for people to give it a chance, to take a risk that their time and attention won't be wasted.

As I'm sure you're (whoever "you" are) aware, this is not a series you can really just start watching at the beginning of the new season. It really demands that you begin at the beginning, and that means the mini-series.

Why not make the mini-series a free download at the iTunes Music Store?

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So what do you think of Dave's idea? He wanted this to go viral, so I am posting it to help out the cause. Why not make the mini-series free online at this point?

I question it though... Is making it available for free on iTunes really count as mass market? Doesn't a well placed DVD in a Blockbuster reach more people? The people who will sit and watch a science fiction mini-series on their computer monitor aren't really the same people who download Jack Johnson singles onto their iPod... i mean sure there might be some over lap there but I am betting not much.

Comments

[dave rogers]

"Doesn't a well placed DVD in a Blockbuster reach more people? The people who will sit and watch a science fiction mini-series on their computer monitor aren't really the same people who download Jack Johnson singles onto their iPod."

I agree entirely. But I think it's one thing to get a corporation to agree to make something "virtual" free, and another thing entirely to make something physically tangible free. Plus, the iTMS version of the mini-series isn't of the same quality as the DVD, so curious downloaders who liked the mini-series would have further incentive to buy Season 1, as it includes a DVD version of the mini-series, along with all the extras.

Mostly I think the attention that would be directed toward making something fairly significant a free download at the iTMS would also cause some people who might not want to download it to either rent the mini-series from Blockbuster or NetFlix or whatever, or just go ahead and buy the mini-series outright.

Thanks for the link!

[Panic]

It's a great sentiment, and I'm into it, but it really comes down to economics: Apple really makes the money from the iPods, the iTMS is just a marketing tool by which they barely break even. The major money drain is the sheer amount of bandwidth required to support it. Giving away a something that's going to be 600+ megabytes for free would slow down the store significantly and cause Apple to take a major hit financially.

[bakednudel]

I'm actually writing because I'm confused about dave_rogers' blog. I really enjoy what I can see of it, but a) I can only see one screen; there doesn't seem to be a "previous" link and b) there doesn't seem to be any way to comment. Nor is there a user info page, or email link.

I've wasted hours of time trying to read more of his blog!!

Where am I going wrong?

[Dave Rogers]

Let me just say that I never expected Apple would bear the cost of the bandwidth, that NBC/SciFi would underwrite that cost.

I rather doubt it would slow down the store significantly. I don't think we're talking about tens of thousands of downloads here. I'd be happy to be wrong about that, but I really don't think _that_ many people would actually download the mini-series for free who aren't already fans; and I suspect most fans already have the mini-series. But I could be wrong about that, and there might be some exposure there in terms of unexpectedly high bandwidth costs (not to be confused with performance degrading "demand").

Again, I think the major advantage of offering the mini-series for free would be the attention it would attract to the series.

Apple, the iTunes Music Store, pricing, and TV content distribution, are all hot topics right now, even in "mainstream" audiences. Making the mini-series available for free through the iTMS allows NBC/SciFi to leverage off the high attention those topics receive, and direct some of it toward Battlestar Galactica, especially during this low period in terms of having news or items to generate interest or keep BSG in the public eye.

The fans will all be back in October. But new viewers will only appear in significant numbers if there's some "buzz" surrounding the show, even, or especially, while it's on hiatus.

[dave rogers]

"I'm actually writing because I'm confused about dave_rogers' blog."

My apologies. It was a little broken, and like that leaky faucet, I hadn't gotten around to fixing it yet. You're the first person who seems to have noticed! ;^)

I just fixed it.

[bluepanda97]

i just got hooked on the show and it started with iTunes, then i bought the dvds. plus i listen to jack johnson :)

[Trapper Markelz]

bluepanda97 - *Trapper eats his words*

[ronit]

Does anyone know when Battlestar season 3 premiere is available on itunes? It's usually on the day after it shows on scifi channel- but since they been playing it on and on- I have no clue. Thank you to anyone who knows!!!!

[Joshsou]

SciFi already hosts recent episodes of BSG (as well as other series) on it's own website. Why not just host the miniseries as well?