Via: http://buy.louisck.net Louis CK cuts out the middle man and makes a LOT more money distributing his video online, a photo by thepetecom on Flickr.
Following in the footsteps of Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails fame), comedian Louis CK distributed his latest comedy special online, bypassing traditional distributors and apparently made a mint. Reuters reported (goo.gl/EaKsy):
C.K. said the $200,000 he has has profited so far is "less than I would have been paid by a large company to simply perform the show and let them sell it to you." But fans would have had to pay about $20 for the video, he estimated, rather than $5.
Also, the D.I.Y. approach allows him to keep the rights to the special, and allows fans more freedom in how they can view it, since the download is not encrypted or regionally restricted.
C.K., the creator and star of the FX show "Louie," says production of the video cost around $170,000, covered largely by the cost of tickets for the two shows he filmed and edited together for the special. Developing his website to sell the special cost about $32,000. Sales of more than 110,000 copies have so far brought in more than $500,000. PayPal charges and other costs left him with "around $200,000 (after taxes $75.58)," he wrote.
To me, this is awesome news. I love it when people are able to get past the traditional gatekeepers of the entertainment industry and sell directly to the consumer. It saves everyone time and effort and usually makes it better for the consumer. I'm not sure of CK was being serious when he said that all he ended up making off of the experiment was $75. $200,000 is an awesome take, though, and I hope he keeps going with it. Imagine if he took his show off of TV and just let people download each ep for a buck. Or maybe he could just post each ep on YouTube and see how much the ads on their net him.
I'm fascinated by this new direction because it upsets the traditional distribution model for media that has been in place and in power for basically the last century.
My only question is how Louis CK would have done if no one knew who Louis CK was. Like Trent Reznor, capitalizing on his own success thanks to that century-old model allowed him to build an audience, effectively, on someone else's dime. How does someone make $200k without having to go the traditional route, at all? Has anyone even managed to do such a thing yet?
