Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has teamed with Google to distribute a new internet-only cartoon series in an unique way: through the AdSense network. Google will use AdSense’s targeting capability to distribute 2-minute sponsored clips of “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy” to male-oriented sites that carry AdSense ads. Some of the clips will feature pre-rolls and others will have overlays. Some clients are paying big bucks for MacFarlane to create original cartoons for them. Explains the NYTimes:
…The partnership with Mr. MacFarlane represents a bold step into the distribution business, one that, if successful, will surely send shock waves through the entertainment business. “Cavalcade” is not only from a high-profile Hollywood talent, but also carries a multimillion-dollar production price tag, by far the largest amount spent on original Internet content to date. “We feel that we have recreated the mass media,†said Kim Malone Scott, director of sales and operations for AdSense.
Hollywood’s big problem in the new internet age is the high cost of doing business compared to the relatively low revenue generated online. Could this be a new model? Google thinks so.
