Yesterday the FOX Entertainment Group announced that it was launching three online TV channels for its FOX, FX and SPEED networks. It will do this in co-operation with Brightcove, a site specializing in delivering Internet TV. I have no doubt that this is an important step towards making Internet TV mainstream, but what does it imply? A few thoughts on what this new way of watching TV might have in store for us:

Less advertising?

Probably not. FOX will still make us watch ads online, but the magic of user metrics might bring us advertising we actually either want to see or at least ads that have something to do with our interests, instead of making us switch channels, sit or fast forward through all sorts of advertising that more often than not is of no interest to us whatsoever.

 All our favourite FOX shows online (in good quality)

It’s not like we cannot already watch or download all sorts of shows we desperately need to see RIGHT NOW!… but on FOX’s new online channels we’ll be able to watch all our favourite FOX programmes (like for example 24, House or The Simpsons) online in a decent quality (with less or at least more targeted advertising thrown in). I think this is awesome – I don’t dig lousy quality (and probably pirated) TV shows. They have to look good and sound good. High quality streaming Internet TV is what we need to lift the overall visual quality of online video content.

Engaged viewers (which makes everyone happy)

If FOX gets this right, there is huge potential to get their online viewers involved  (a la YouTube). An online TV channel without the possibility for users to get engaged is rather pointless – they could just keep broadcasting the old way. But if they let us post our own videos and comments, FOX will make valuable connections with its viewers. Not only for its own shows, but also for the companies it sells its online advertising to: engaged and attentive viewers is what advertisers want, and there they could get them.

We will of course have to wait and see how this project pans out, but I personally think that this is the way to go about TV in the not too distant future. Online TV will eventually become mainstream TV, and this new venture is a strong signal. And I hereby also want to put in a request for a high-quality streaming HBO online channel!