Applications of the Multi-Channel Network Model to New Media Formats

Much has been said about the rise and rapid proliferation of digital and online marketing since the mid 1990’s. Internet based advertising is the single fastest growing ad expenditure category, outstripping TV, radio, and other more traditional media formats. With the rise of “Web 2.0” and the concept of New Media, the internet has entered a period of what has been referred to as “a participatory culture.” Many diverse creators of content and the consumers of that content have come together to form a new system of media consumption. New business models and methods of monetizing content on the internet have formed as well. This paper will examine one such business model—the multi-channel network—and assess its uses, structure, revenue generating capabilities, and the wider implications it has on new media forms and the creators who make their livelihood in new media. It will give some recommendations on facets of multi-channel networks and what a content creator or marketing manager should consider when evaluating joining or creating a multi-channel network