In the mid-to-late 2000s, it seemed like there was nothing PBS could do about its declining viewership. Over the ten year period from 1998 to 2008 ratings dropped a whopping 37%. But it seems the organization may have found a way of reconnecting with its audience.
This week, PBS announced it had rocketed to the 15th spot in most popular video sites as measured by Comscore Mediametrix. In June, PBS streamed more than 145 million videos with an average viewing time of 18 minutes (the average viewing time for all sites is in the region of three minutes.)
PBS has done a great job reinventing itself online. The company has just finished a redesign of its website, pbs.org, introducing new search functionality leveraging RAMP's MediaCloud. As well, it is a truly multi-screen service with clients for the PC, iPad, iPhone, and Android (although I was unable to find the client in the Android market.)
The company is also pushing the boundaries of TV by premiering shows online before they are broadcast on your local PBS channel. This fall, some episodes of "The Fabric of the Cosmos" will be available on mobile devices one week before they are broadcast. Such approaches seem to be working and attracting a younger audience: 75% of PBS.org users are between the ages of 18 and 49.
PBS is a wonderful example of how OTT can allow a content provider to re-engage with its audience. Making its content available to potential viewers on whatever device they choose is working to expand the audience. It also helps the company achieve its key goal of delivering content that "educates, informs and inspires" to America at large. We can only hope PBS inspires for-profit broadcasters to follow their lead.
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