Can video websites that bet on PGC and compete with traditional TV stations get out of the predicament?

March 14 (Reporter Zhang Zhichang) The end of 2014, the first year of self-made video websites, not only completed a new round of industry reshuffle in the field of video websites, but also raised new questions about the future development direction of major video website companies.

After a sober reflection on the previous content market and business model, the video website industry began to collectively invest in PGC content production in 2015. The transition from self-produced dramas to PGC can be said to reflect the video website industry's continuous exploration of new business models, and also foreshadow the beginning of its interest disputes with traditional TV stations over content.

Testing the waters of PGC video websites, the industry continues to explore

The so-called PGC is a content production model in which professional film and television producers produce video content and then broadcast it on an open platform such as video websites. Unlike traditional video content copyright purchases, video websites no longer need to pay fees to copyright holders, but share advertising revenue through profit-sharing.

Although the entire video website industry's comprehensive attention to PGC began at the beginning of this year, with the "Qingzhe Plan" launched by Tencent Video and hundreds of CPs as the trigger point, looking at the previous actions of major video websites in exploring high-quality content, it is not difficult to find that the transformation to PGC has long become one of the most urgent agendas for the video website industry.

As a believer in PGC, Sohu Video launched the online talent show "Looking for Good Songs" in cooperation with 56.com at the end of last year, while iQiyi invested heavily in shooting "4+X super web dramas" represented by "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" and "Ghost Blows Out the Light". LeTV exclusively revealed the trailer of "The Legend of Miyue" which became popular before it was aired. Youku Tudou directly increased its investment in PGC business and made it one of the core businesses to be developed this year.

As for the established trend of video websites transforming to PGC, in fact, they are more helpless than proactive. First, the end of the UGC era has prompted video websites to start moving towards more professional PGC, and the "rising tide" under the purchase of copyright content has forced video websites to re-explore new business models under PGC. When the copyright price market is difficult to return to rationality, and before the video content payment model is launched, how to squeeze the last drop of advertising profits in the video content market may be the only way out for major video website companies.

The child takes the father's surname! Using PGC to compete with traditional TV

The game between video websites and traditional TV stations can be said to have a long history. Although video websites have been slightly better than traditional TV stations in terms of broadcasting platforms in recent years, from the perspective of video content production and control, video websites have in fact always lagged behind traditional TV stations.

Take the implementation of Mango TV's "exclusive broadcast" strategy, which caused a sensation last year, for example. This integration of traditional TV stations and new media has caused panic in the entire video website industry. Behind the so-called "exclusive broadcast" strategy, in fact, is a competition for high-quality content resources. Of course, this incident also taught major video website companies a vivid lesson, that is: children must take their father's surname.

In addition, in the past two years, the content of TV programs with high ratings has been deeply mined, and movies, games, and e-commerce have been made. A series of derivative benefits have not only driven up the price of copyrights, but also made it difficult for video website companies to get a share of the pie. Under this circumstance, seeking IPs that control high-quality content resources has become another focus of the game between video websites and traditional TV.

In fact, there is no need for video websites and traditional TV stations to be in an awkward situation of being incompatible with each other. In contrast, the way to avoid conflicts is to explore and create content resources on their own. This is also one of the important reasons why video websites turned to PGC content production in 2015.

Whether it is the exploration of new business models or the frustration of competing with traditional TV stations, the pace of the video website industry's transition to the PGC path has become more determined. In the natural continuation and upgrade process from UGC to PGC, another round of industry reshuffle in the field of video websites is inevitable.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.