You have to wonder at the marketing geniuses at places like Acorn TV, a new ‘paid YouTube channel’ that just went live today. After all, when you are running a paid Youtube channel, but that channel only seems to be available in America or the UK, and blocked in countries like Thailand, honestly, do you really think you are going to maximize the money you can make?
Paid YouTube channels, by the way, are a new idea from the Google owned YouTube website as a way to help video creators make money. Channels will offer unlimited views of their content for as low as 99 cents a month.
Acorn TV, for instance, is $4.99, but that allows you to watch stellar TV shows like Prime Suspect, Pie in the Sky and Midsomer Murders and they will be adding new British TV shows every month. For five dollars a month, and as a Brit living overseas, I would pay in a second. But I can’t.
Acorn TV is blocked in Thailand.
Unfortunately, I have noticed this a lot with British programming, as many British TV companies seem to not understand most of the world watching online is not in America.
When you ask why, these companies give you the usual story of “licensing rights”.
Then, as most of the world is not in the UK or the US, and probably would pay for your product if they were allowed to, fix your licensing rights or get left behind.
Seriously, it is not rocket science.
So, as Acorn TV is blocked in Thailand, they won’t be getting my money. Am I annoyed? Yes, I am.
