The internet has revolutionized a lot of industries. The music industry was flipped on its head thanks to .MP3 downloads and the iPod. Mobile check deposits and services like Apple Pay have shaken up the banking industry (I can’t remember the last time I walked into a bank branch). Neflix and Hulu wiped Blockbuster off the face of the earth. And as of late, the internet has set its sights on the broadcast industry. I don’t think the web will make broadcast television obsolete (at least not anytime soon), but the internet has proven to be a place for new, original programming and exclusive content. And it’s proven to be a viable platform for distributing content. Here are some of the biggest advantages of digital content distribution.

No Time Constraints

Live streams offer much more flexibility than broadcast television. There is no 30 or 60-minute standard. At BMG, we’ve produced everything from a 15-minute wrap-up show for truTV to 7-hour live stream for Buzzfeed. The content is what drives the program length, not vice versa.

New Opportunities for Engagement

With live, digital content, your viewers are already watching your content from a phone, tablet or laptop. It’s much easier for your audience to interact with a program if it’s right there in front of them. Whether that’s through social media or through a comment section or live chat, your audience can easily – and seamlessly – engage with your content.

Digital Content Distribution = New Revenue Opportunities

There’s a small, start-up company in Seattle called Amazon… you’ve probably never heard of them. Amazon just recently got into live content and – of course – it’s revolutionary. Their flagship program, “Style Code Live”, is a daily live show focused on style (duh) and beauty products. Celebrity guests and designers will come on the show and talk about the latest style trends or talk about their latest products. As viewers are watching the program, the products that the guests are discussing pop up in real time, so viewers at home can seamlessly purchase products in real time without leaving the page. Aside from the Amazon model, there are still “traditional” ad revenue opportunities – whether that’s a video add or sidebar add during a live stream.

Opportunities to Break New Ground

There are more and more players arriving to the live streaming party every day. Everyone is hungry to produce content and everyone is looking to do something new and exciting. The web allows you to get adventurous. You can do a 24-hour live broadcast. Or a live stream spanning multiple countries across multiple continents. Anything is on the table and there aren’t as many limitations as with broadcast television.

Opportunities to Supplement Existing Shows

Broadcast television isn’t going away. Networks just need to adapt to these recent industry changes. One way to do that is by levering the web to supplement existing shows. We recently produced a 2-hour live broadcast for truTV and the Impractical Jokers at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. In addition to the live broadcast, truTV contracted us to produce a 30-minute pre-show, 15-minute post-show and 2-hour concurrent web cut, all of which was only available on truTV.com. Tru was able to leverage the larger event to get fans tuned in to the web and excited about the live broadcast.