CBS Invests in the Next Internet Big Shot

A partnership with big media with big promotional muscle that is certain not only to introduce new Internet stars, but to draw more attention to the medium in general.

“Big Shot,” the upcoming daily online show where wannabe singers, actors, models, comics and sports stars will compete in popularity contests for a chance to be flown to Hollywood to get that big break, recently got a big break of its own.  CBS – whose President of Interactive, Quincy Smith, has made headlines with strong statements, and bold acquisitions and initiatives – has just announced a “50% ownership stake in ‘Star Search’ of the YouTube Era.”

The deal will provide content for CBS’s vast on-and-offline network, including local affiliate websites, which are scrambling to find relevance in a niche (not local) culture.  ###

Madison Road Entertainment, envisioned as a company that would seamlessly blend advertising and entertainment, and which initiated this project, approached CBS to distribute the content. “But when we wrapped our

hands around it, we figured it could be a much bigger, more robust experience if we became an owner of it and combined it with our deep distribution opportunities and our show (‘ET’),” Nogawski told Daily Variety “The more people that can find out about this, the more likely it is that this can grow into a viral experience.”

Get it?  CBS gets equity in a fledgling market and product, “Big Shot” gets hundreds of distribution partners and the best promotion money (err equity) can buy.  It’s a win-big-win-bigger situation.

The idea of the show is to create new Internet stars.  And this partnership with big media with big promotional muscle is certain not only to introduce new Internet stars, but to draw more attention to the medium in general. 

The show/site’s launch date has been pushed from September 10th to January 7th.  We’ll be here waiting, ready to let you know whats good, whats bad and generally what’s what.