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Why is Funimation putting anime on YouTube?


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Richard J.



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis.
PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:51 pm Reply with quote
I think the YouTube streams work out rather well actually. They get a small (though likely worth it) profit from advertising and since the streams are legal, they encourage purchase of the product. Think of it as a psychological trigger, you're getting a taste of the legal product and linking that product with Funimation. The people who are willing to buy anime want to test the show and often the dub, this allows that in a legal way that is extremely easy to use.

If the comments Zalis116 mentioned of Greg Ayres are accurate (and why doubt Mr. Ayres right?) then it may be a result of the fanservice-filled trailer for the Negima OVA on YouTube that the DVDs are selling really well. (Hell, I'm tempted to buy the OVAs and I am a serious manga fan with this series.)

Regardless, the YouTube streams likely cost them little, make them more, and potentially raise sales. It's just anecdotal, but we've comments right here in this thread (and I've seen them elsewhere as well) from people who watched a show on the stream and then bought the DVDs. I'm biased in favor of Funimation but you have to admit, it seems like a fairly win-win for them.

Those that don't want to buy can watch the legal streams and at least provide a little money (and maybe someone will buy afterall) and those who want a legal way to check a series can do so as well. I hope to see them do even more with this as time goes on.
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 7578
Location: Wales
PostPosted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:45 pm Reply with quote
Richard J. wrote:
I think the YouTube streams work out rather well actually. They get a small (though likely worth it) profit from advertising and since the streams are legal, they encourage purchase of the product.

Exactly. People are going to try and upload the stuff anyway, why spend time and money getting it removed when they can put it up themselves and profit from it in the process.
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v1cious



Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 6199
Location: Houston, TX
PostPosted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:07 pm Reply with quote
i actually have the same question, but in a different context: wouldn't it be more productive for them invest in higher quality video sites like Veoh, VREEL, or even their own? the only thing i can see them getting out of using something so low quality is name recognition.
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TheVok



Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 613
Location: North York, Ontario, Canada
PostPosted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:04 pm Reply with quote
Richard J. wrote:
They get a small (though likely worth it) profit from advertising


What advertising? I checked out a short video clip on their YouTube channel just now and there was no third-party advertising anywhere on the page.
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doctordoom85



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 2091
PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:23 am Reply with quote
v1cious wrote:
i actually have the same question, but in a different context: wouldn't it be more productive for them invest in higher quality video sites like Veoh, VREEL, or even their own? the only thing i can see them getting out of using something so low quality is name recognition.


Youtube's audience kinda beats all other video sites' audiences in terms of numbers.

And high-quality, no, that would probably be a bad idea. If entire series are legally available for free and in high-quality, that might hurt DVD sales. Better to release low-quality and hope people buy the DVDs for the better quality.
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Cetus-kun



Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 139
PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:00 am Reply with quote
TheVok wrote:
Richard J. wrote:
They get a small (though likely worth it) profit from advertising


What advertising? I checked out a short video clip on their YouTube channel just now and there was no third-party advertising anywhere on the page.


If you don't see it there when you were playing any of the videos did a little ad with a x in the corner pop up?
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LatwPIAT



Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Posts: 26
PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:02 pm Reply with quote
Should have known this was USA only, right?
Silly hopes. You're not allowed to get up anymore.
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Spotlesseden



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: earth
PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:43 am Reply with quote
i just checked out the funimation stuffs in YouTube. Most if not all thier video have low views count. I guess it doesn't hurt to put them on youtube.

I wish they can have one full ep per video.
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Rowanoverdramatic



Joined: 22 Aug 2008
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 11:18 am Reply with quote
LatwPIAT wrote:
Should have known this was USA only, right?
Silly hopes. You're not allowed to get up anymore.


If you're talking about the Youtube channel, I can play the videos, and I'm not in the US..=/
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khimru



Joined: 28 Jun 2008
Posts: 52
PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 5:58 pm Reply with quote
walw6pK4Alo wrote:
And the thing that no one ever brings up are programs that let you rip the flash video from streams. What then?
Then you have copy of the show with bad visual and audio tracks sitting on your HDD taking valuable space,

Why will you want this? If I like the show - I'll buy it, if I dislike it - I'll drop it. I download files from YouTube sometimes - if it's something funny and I want to have it, but to download Funimation shows... It does not worth it.

Actually YouTube is perfect for Funimation's goal. It's easy to use, well-known and quality is bad enough to make people want to buy DVDs...

v1cious wrote:
i actually have the same question, but in a different context: wouldn't it be more productive for them invest in higher quality video sites like Veoh, VREEL, or even their own? the only thing i can see them getting out of using something so low quality is name recognition.
This WILL cannibalize DVD sales - and they are not ready yet. I suppose at some point YouTube will offer something similar: see video for free, add a little money - and get high-quality version.

Rowanoverdramatic wrote:
If you're talking about the Youtube channel, I can play the videos, and I'm not in the US..=/
Can you play all videos, including aforementioned Negima's promo?

Some videos are restricted to US, some are not, I'm not sure why.
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TheTheory



Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: Central PA
PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:04 pm Reply with quote
khimru wrote:

Some videos are restricted to US, some are not, I'm not sure why.

Licensing, most likely. I'm guessing that they only have US rights, or something like that.
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Super_Vegeta



Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Posts: 141
PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:58 pm Reply with quote
Richard J. wrote:
I think the YouTube streams work out rather well actually. They get a small (though likely worth it) profit from advertising and since the streams are legal, they encourage purchase of the product. Think of it as a psychological trigger, you're getting a taste of the legal product and linking that product with Funimation. The people who are willing to buy anime want to test the show and often the dub, this allows that in a legal way that is extremely easy to use.

If the comments Zalis116 mentioned of Greg Ayres are accurate (and why doubt Mr. Ayres right?) then it may be a result of the fanservice-filled trailer for the Negima OVA on YouTube that the DVDs are selling really well. (Hell, I'm tempted to buy the OVAs and I am a serious manga fan with this series.)

Regardless, the YouTube streams likely cost them little, make them more, and potentially raise sales. It's just anecdotal, but we've comments right here in this thread (and I've seen them elsewhere as well) from people who watched a show on the stream and then bought the DVDs. I'm biased in favor of Funimation but you have to admit, it seems like a fairly win-win for them.

Those that don't want to buy can watch the legal streams and at least provide a little money (and maybe someone will buy afterall) and those who want a legal way to check a series can do so as well. I hope to see them do even more with this as time goes on.




Yeah, I'm really glad that Funimation has episodes available to view on Youtube and on there official site(s). I've actually purcahsed several series that I thoroughly enjoyed because after sampling the series on Funi's site (or youtube page) I thought that the series was good, and decided to get it.

Which is a good thing because prior to this most. . . OK ALL of my anime purchases were complete blind purchases based on recommendations from others. Luckily I like a lot of different kinds of shows, and luckier still I haven't bought a series I didn't like! Anime hyper

But I don't have to worry about that as much now, because I can at least sample stuff that Funi is releasing. I hope that some of the other publishers follow suit.
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DFBTG



Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Posts: 385
Location: Hell
PostPosted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:03 am Reply with quote
While I'm happy to have a legal (and yes, more importantly (to me), free) way to watch the shows, at the moment Shikabane Hime is the only one I want to, and youtube quality sucks...a lot. I rewatched episode one and for the most part I didn't mind, but I'd prefer to have higher quality. And personally, the whole "show low quality and maybe people will buy the DVDs for higher quality" thing doesn't work with me. Chances are I'm less likely to buy it, because I'm less likely to finish the series. And unfair though it may be, the low quality mars my view of the show, even if it's because of the streaming service and not the show itself.
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HMMcKamikaze



Joined: 20 Jul 2006
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:23 pm Reply with quote
Is this not the next step to drawing in new fans and increasing sales? Well, maybe not this specifically, but taking advantage of all the internet has to offer is, as far as I'm concerned, the only way anime companies can turn things around. As mentioned before, anime is hurt by the fact that it does not air frequently on television, so a whole audience that watches shows but does not pay for them is left out. This way viewers will be encouraged to try out things they wouldn't see otherwise. I know that's the case for me. I got started in anime by catching epsiodes of Trigun and Rurouni Kenshin on youtube, though, those were illegally hosted, of course. It was only later when I wanted to own my favorite shows in a higher quality format that I began to buy them, and once again, youtube is a great place to take advantage of that increasing appreciation of the medium since quality is poor enough to allow for a satisfactory experience, but with room for improvement..
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