“Charging or user subscription is not something that exists on the platform at the moment but is something being looked at for 2012,” Vevo’s UK managing director Jonathan Lewis tells paidContent.
“That may come in the form of charging for additional content, say exclusive content or functionality. There’s a realisation that reliance on just advertising has to be expanded.
“But the advertising model is something we’ve been focused on launching in the UK. Premium services is farther down the line.”
The music video aggregator and service launched in the UK in April 2011, now has a team of 24 and already a significant lead amongst music entertainment services, according to comScore.
Lewis, a former Channel 5 digital media head, claims 19 million monthly uniques and 160 million streams and says ad agencies’ response has been “brilliant”. From relations with EMI, Sony (NYSE: SNE), Universal and indies, it comprises 85 percent of YouTube’s music video content.
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“We’re looking forward to early-2012 conversations with brands about doing programme funding, investing in bigger, long-term programme deals that will run throughout the whole of next year,” Lewis tells paidContent.
“We’ll be getting involved in festivals and bringing over some of the U.S. programming strands like Lift, we’ll be looking for brand partners.”
Now Lewis wants Vevo to get installed on the emerging crop of app-enabled connected TVs. Suddenly, in making the transition from laptop to lounge, Vevo could finally become the MTV for the digital age.
“Connected television could be next over the early part of next year,” Lewis tells paidContent. “We’ve also got our eye on YouView.
“It’s all about placing the right bets with the right manufacturers. We don’t really know what will be the medium of choice when full connectivity comes in the next 12 to 18 motions. So it makes sense to be on as many platforms as possible.”
Vevo also wants to follow the UK with further country launches, Lewis says…
“There will be a big push over the next three months to be in both other European and other international territories.