The Next Internet Millionaire: Reality TV Rolls Online
The line between “television” and “TV-quality shows distributed online” continues to blur. A perfect case in point is The Next Internet Millionaire, a reality show that has Internet marketers compete against each other with the goal of winning $25,000 and getting in on “the next big thing” with creator and host Joel Comm.
The show looks and feels for the most part like the sort of highly produced, slick reality television show that you might see on Bravo, VH1, or even a broadcast network. In addition, it makes sense to produce a reality show that’s broadcast online about the Internet itself. The show in essence is about making money online, which would naturally appeal to webby folk and those who work in the web business. In fact, I picked up on this site/show from Mr. Make Money Online himself, John Chow.
I’ve wondered about the possibility of having a reality show about Internet entrepreneurs for a long time, kind of an Apprentice for the online set. The Next Internet Millionaire seems to be roughly following this model, but whether or not it hits the mark has yet to be determined.
The premiere episode is somewhat uneven in communicating the challenges that the contestants are being asked to perform, which made it a little bit difficult for me to become involved with the drama of who wins immunity, who might get cut, and so on. There’s also some over-the-top in-show marketing of products, though this is not all that different from what you see on television each day!
Just before the contestants are asked to meet in the ominous-sounding Judgment Room, an awkwardly placed mid-roll ad plays, but luckily it’s pretty short. There’s also a short pre-roll ad. I’m guessing there’s a post-roll ad as well, but I didn’t make it quite that far!
I wouldn’t be surprised if The Next Internet Millionaire is angling to get picked up by a basic cable network. The premiere episode is 51 minutes in length – quite long for watching a program in front of a monitor but ideal for splicing up and allowing for the insertion of commercials on TV.
In any event, the modest success of Prom Queen is laying the groundwork for a new generation of online-based shows. Video podcasts are the grassroots part of this movement, but the era of the well funded and produced shows is coming.
And sooner or later (and likely on the sooner side) online-based shows will gather large audiences and make significant money. And that will really change everything. Television as we know it is radically shifting, even though most people are not yet aware of it.
Episode Two of The Next Internet Millionaire will be available tomorrow, August 27.
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