Internet video-TV royalties soar more than 10 times times industry infighting

Commercial newspaper reporter Xu Nan Zhang Li/Venjiaojian/comics

Video version of the inflation rate to catch up with the property market

"The new" dream of Red Mansions "network copyright has been sold to 200,000 yuan per episode. Just finished the "Golden Wedding 2" network copyright has reached 60,000 yuan per set, compared to the "golden Wedding" each set of 4000 yuan cost, has risen 15 times times! "A domestic video website marketing Manager Levine excited to describe the recent months copyright prices rose rapidly.

"Now the TV series pricing mechanism is like house price, as long as some people buy in the market, the price will be endless." I know the last year to get a VC injection of a video site, a year's cost is more than 200 million yuan, and this money must be spent, in addition to buying hardware is to buy content resources. Said Nasin, director of foreign affairs at the video network.

A video site Zhang manager told reporters: "Originally this year the company intends to spend 20 million yuan to carry out the original film and television play procurement, but did not expect the version fee rise so fast, according to the current situation, the money is only enough to buy more than 10 film and television works, or even to achieve profitability is not. ”

It is reported that last year's new TV series "Three Kingdoms" sold to video site prices have exceeded the 100,000 yuan per episode mark. Although this price has greatly exceeded the average TV station to buy TV show cost standard, but also has its special reasons. Huayi Brothers Providence Film and Television Co., Ltd. Marketing director Go King said, the new "Three Kingdoms" a set of shooting costs close to 2 million yuan, the equivalent of 4 ordinary TV series costs, in accordance with input and output ratio, equivalent to 25,000 yuan a set of prices, this price is not very high.

Reporter learned that the 2008 video site to buy TV drama is generally not more than 30,000 yuan a set, now 40,000 yuan a set of TV series has been quite common. When the Red River North and south of the "martial arts" all 81 set only to 100,000 yuan to sell to Sina, in exchange for today, this version of the fee is not enough to buy a dream of red mansions. "The general copyright that Yau sees the net buys has already risen 3 to 5 times times, the solo play is increased 10 times times." "This price is going a little too far," said Li Zhu, president of Yau-Vision network.

What is the reason for the film and television play network copyright prices soared overnight? Will the Chinese video site "straighten out" the road to be hampered by the difficulty of withstanding copyright prices?

A boom or a bubble in royalties

From 2008 before the "Free lunch", to the beginning of 2009, tens of thousands of yuan a drama, and now at a time of a hundred thousand of Yuan, a year of film and television play network copyright prices rose 10 times. Some analysts, the soaring copyright prices so that more and more film and television companies to earn pots full of, promote the film and television play and network video industry interaction between, which for the entire industrial chain would have been a good thing.

But in fact, for film and television production companies, the percentage of income from TV network copyright is not large. Go King said that the network copyright is only a small part of the copyright revenue of Providence TV TV series, and has not brought huge economic returns for enterprises. Generally speaking, a hot TV series sold to the TV station the first round of the price has been more than 1 million yuan, even if sold to video site is 100,000 yuan, but the video site to buy this price is also less than the TV station 1/10. "To rely on video sites to digest the production costs of TV dramas, the role is very small, certainly not feasible." Tai Xiaojie, deputy general manager of Chinese artists Network, said that for TV dramas, the role of video site is mainly to increase browsing volume, expand influence.

The price of royalties soared, the gospel or disaster? "Before the copyright issue was put on the desk, the video site to share the main, users can upload their favorite episodes, we just need to focus on traffic, the main task is to ensure the smooth video." Now, the domestic copyright market is gradually standardized, the purchase of genuine has become a video site must fulfill the responsibilities and obligations, the cost of the site more, the Internet users watch the film and television drama is also less. ”

For the current network video copyright price, Zhang Manager holds the bubble theory, "2008 Soldier Assault" edition fee is each episode 3000 Yuan, 2009 release "My Regiment" starts directly to reach each set 20,000 Yuan, 2010 "The myth" the final transaction price also in each set 200,000 yuan. It is also a hit drama of the year, the price increases at a glance, this is not a bubble or what?

Film and television play into the first resource of video site

There are a few opinions on the industry's evaluation of copyright fee bubbles. Li Zhu will be the reason for the increase in the video industry copyright awareness, "the network was full of piracy, now with the whole industry is actively buying copyright, the price of copyright naturally rising higher."

In response to the demand for hot market, Analysys International analyst Tang Yizhi that the internet to watch video, 70% of netizens will choose to watch film and television drama works, netizens in the watch only accounted for 20%. Wanrui Data President Qinwen's survey showed that the ratio reached 90% and 14%, "which shows that TV plays are an important resource for gathering the popularity of video sites." In particular, the current video site or advertising revenue as a profit point, they need a large number of users to watch to get advertisers input, which requires video sites must buy a lot of film and television play to attract viewers, "Qinwen said.

During the Spring Festival, Sohu won the "Country Love Story" exclusive new media copyright, and synchronized with the launch of CCTV, a day after the creation of 8.39 million times the number of plays, Sohu Video has become online since the number of TV dramas in a single day of the crown. Film and television drama on the popularity of video sites and the attraction of advertising can be seen.

In this respect, Go King said: "Video copyright has risen beyond the expectations of people, including the vicious competition of the site." "The core of competition is nothing more than the possession of exclusive resources," he said. At present, TV dramas are still the main content of the video website to attract traffic and profit. Hold High-quality, exclusive TV drama resources of the video site, not only can attract more browsing volume, improve the quality of the platform, in financing also more can get the favor of VCs. "Internet-specific ways of communication, but also exacerbated the competition between video sites." A TV station to buy 4,000 sets of TV series can meet the demand for the whole year, advertising heavily in the prime of the TV series. But the video site belongs to on-demand form, no gold file and non-gold file, video site needs a lot of TV resources to meet the needs of advertisers. ”

Qinwen that, "The price of the video site can not simply be measured by market supply and demand, because in the video site industry chain, high-quality resources are always scarce, every site wants to use the TV play to promote popularity, attract advertising." Compared with television, the network needs more, it can open all the links at the same time to attract viewers.

Price inflation is purely industry "infighting"

about whether the video site in the face of copyright fees, "price violence", China Internet Association, the Secretary-General of the Network Copyright Alliance Wang Bin has a deeper analysis. In her view, 2009 is the watershed of Internet development, this year, the Internet company's technology reached a critical point, each other in the hardware equipment, bandwidth capacity of the gap is getting smaller, along with the speed of bandwidth, the promotion of three-network integration, video site market has three new changes. The first is the rapid growth of advertising revenue for video sites, and individual companies have begun to profit, which has increased the likelihood of individual video sites listing this year. Followed by last year many VC, listed companies began to dabble in the field of network video. CCTV and local television stations with content advantages and the Sheng of listed companies, such as Sohu, Baidu and the other, have intensified the competition. Then there is the last year the country launched a video site clean-up, more than 500 sites were banned, the market relative norms.

Wang bin to price inflation, "based on the above social, market environment, China video website Market pattern is being reclassified." The current market cake is actually expanding, and this year will undoubtedly be the ' cake-splitting ' most crucial year. So the price increases with the competition for the advantages of film and television resources.

The most concern is not the price competition between the industry, but rely on high prices to seize the single play to suppress peer phenomenon. "Some of the deep pockets of the enterprise, the expensive to buy a solo play is not to expand the content of resources, but specifically to find some play their own television dramas on the site to sue, the purpose is to suppress competitors, improve their brand." High-priced buying has not only been a commercial act, but a commercial competition, the peer is to take the right to play alone as a weapon, on the one hand, to suppress competitors, on the other hand, when the other party filed a lawsuit, I turn to sue each other, this has been completely plunged into a vicious circle of Nasin told reporters that in the hands of some of his peers, there are now dozens of lawsuits suing other companies for copyright infringement. In this respect, Wang Bin asserted that the network video version fee soaring price is the result of infighting among industry peers. The resulting high prices, and eventually the video site to swallow themselves.

In the face of increased competition in the video site copyright prices soared, film and television production companies do not feel at ease to "sit for the benefit of the fisherman." "Price too fast rise, not conducive to the development of video sites, but also not conducive to long-term cooperation between the two sides, I hope that we are wise some, so that video site to develop healthily." "Go King's words represent the views of most production companies.

Ma Zhong, the president of Tzu-Wen film and television, said that in Europe and the United States, investment in a TV series under 1 million dollars, only rely on audio-visual copyright can get all the proceeds, before the Chinese market has also been a TV drama from the audio-visual copyright to obtain 10 million or 20 million yuan in the situation, but now the audio market is extremely Has basically lost market competitiveness. As a new export of copyright revenue, he also hopes to have more long-term cooperation and development with video network.

Compared to the one-time sale of copyright to the television, advertising revenue and TV producers do not have a relationship with the practice, some film and television production agencies also want to cooperate with the video site can introduce a system, that is, according to the click Rate and revenue and the site to achieve a split-share transaction. Go King that this approach is clearly good for the producers, but there are some difficulties in the actual operation, such as how the producers to control revenue and click-through is a problem.

Copyright Fee black Box operation "unspoken rules" rampage

"Black-box operation, collect kickbacks, high prices", on the one hand, malicious competition between peers "hoarding", on the other hand, the market mechanism is not sound caused by many problems. "The gray area of the video website film and TV play copyright purchase has become a common phenomenon." "A large video website procurement director Li (a pseudonym) to reporters, in a film and television drama began to sell network copyright will often have the release company released" Wind ", according to star lineup and propaganda offensive to determine the size of the" fat ", the next thing becomes very simple The issuing company starts on the spot to set the price of the film at a high, scaring off some small video websites first. For the remaining large video sites, the distribution company will be in the form of a separate "interview" to promote the film, and this process is often the process of black-box operation.

Not long ago, Li in order to be able to get a well-known film and television drama network premiere copyright, a total of nearly 200,000 yuan cost to manage down, "the money is not only to give the company a certain rebate, more important or let others can think of us later." Face money is "dive", Li very helpless.

Recently, the new version of "Dream of Red Mansions" network broadcast right "Flowers have the Lord", Li called it a black-box operation to buy a typical case of copyright, "at the end of last year, to" a dream of Red mansions "as the representative of the four famous dramas hot, a number of copyright distributors and However, the production side has been on the Internet Copyright marketing program has not yet been released, delaying the release of the bid time and price. But just before the Spring Festival this year, the new media copyright of the dream of red mansions was suddenly taken off by the copyright distributor. In Li View, the production side has been to the network Copyright marketing program has not yet been released to evade, in fact, is in the video site to seize the time "PR", and so on both sides of the appropriate price, to a "blitz" to end the transaction.

60% Copyright exists price hoax

"It's been a one-off to buy a rebate, and if it's compared to a false price, it's just a paltry one." "Li said the hoax is actually the buyer and the film and television companies play a" double act ", jointly issued a high purchase of copyright false news, so as to pressure other video sites, to reduce other video sites through the auction to obtain the copyright probability. "At present, false prices because of simple operation, the small and medium video site ' Shanshi ' almost tried, so in the market is widespread." He assured reporters that more than 60% of the film copyright in the market is a problem of false price, the price range between 15% to 20%. Go King also said that the new "Three Kingdoms" after a number of TV dramas shouted out a set of seventy thousand or eighty thousand yuan, or even more than 100,000 yuan price, but most of them belong to the "wool", are their own yell, the real price is not how much is known, because the overpriced TV series is often a price without the market.

In this respect, Li Zhu also confirmed that at present some video sites in the copyright trading, there is a real reliance on private negotiations, network resources to buy, black-box operation and other prominent problems, and even some of the high price of the TV dramas, are not sure whether really in accordance with the transaction price paid.

In response to the above problems, the Xin said that at present, China's video web site industry for the copyright pricing mechanism, bargaining mode, copyright transactions, or the final distribution mode, are lack of public credibility of the reference indicators. In order to gather popularity, the purchase of movie and TV play resources is almost crazy. "A few years ago, the content producer came to us for a price, and we thought about buying it." Now a group of network video companies or copyright distributors chasing the producers to buy, the price is also soaring. Jizhong is still filming the "Journey to the Westward", the copyright distributor ran to Anhui to discuss the purchase matters. "Nasin said.

Some websites begin to personalize their work

In the face of the current chaotic and complex video site competition, for the increasingly high network copyright costs, some of the industry's video sites have begun to act to crack the "price of the riddle."

"Cracking high prices is actually saving yourself." "Last month Youku and Tudou announced jointly to create" network Video broadcast mode "in the buyout of the exclusive play resources for free exchange. 酷6网 also announced a formal separation of video footage and a copy of Hulu's long video site. PPLive is involved in the event, live broadcast content resources, to avoid the high film and television drama video copyright content expenditure, Tudou is too expensive for the United States, the future will reduce the U.S. play, and to launch a "Chinese creation" concept to create a homemade network play. Video network is rarely bought solo play, mainly to buy the Kyushu Dream Network and other copyright distributors of content resources, and copyright cooperation 55 divided into cooperation mode. The first video of the core of the competition in the online lottery and mobile TV business, currently they are planning to work with the hospital line, hoping to open the film copyright high price breakthrough.

Expert advice

Third-party cooperation model to crack high price dilemma

Li Zhu suggested that the establishment of a "buyer and government-made copyright fund", through the intervention of government departments to guide the development of the industry. "The government has the credibility advantage, through the government coordination, for the network video company cooperation and the competition constructs a harmonious platform." Copyright Fund, a large number of buyers to form a larger consortium, at the appropriate price to buy film and television drama resources in the members to share. This can save the network video side of the cost of expenditure, but also to avoid the vicious competition in the fight, and eventually broken ring industry healthy development. ”

Wanrui data, which has the advantage of data research, has begun to try the "third party cooperation" model to crack the high price dilemma. Qinwen said that the healthy development of an industry requires a healthy operating mechanism and that fair and impartial cooperation between the supply and demand sides of the industry is the most essential element. The current network video company's profit model is still advertising revenue, but in reality, many advertisers do not know whether their advertising has played a role in achieving the desired effect. On the other hand, some video resources are content producers and video site cooperation, not the site directly to buy video, but to take content to cooperate with the site, after the site broadcast and the site into advertising costs, or divided into users pay-click Network Video. In reality, this is manifested in local TV news and website cooperation. If this pattern is in TV dramas, film broadcast in the promotion, should be cracked to bring new models, but, in reality, rarely take this model, because in addition to the site, content producers, advertisers do not know the actual video is clicked, it is difficult to have a network of companies with enough credibility.

"We hope to provide accurate and impartial third-party monitoring data for the industry chain parties," he said. "Qinwen said that for the number of broadcast, traffic, independent users and other terms of the definition and calculation, WANRUI data are developing relevant guidelines and rules, to promote this business model, the establishment of a transparent pricing market to ease the problem of high prices.

Wang bin also has a small "ambition", they are preparing to convene China TV Series Copyright Association and Internet Association member units, together to explore the new era of network video development direction, and is expected to introduce industry norms in April this year.