Last week I posted a blip on the benefit YouTube had been offering CBS.  As surprising as it was to many in the television industry, CBS said YouTube was actually helping the network.  At the same time that many were saying YouTube would turn into a huge, expensive liability for Google, the search company was working with CBS to prove a point:  online video helps offline video, not the other way around.

CNN has the scoop and some seriously interesting statistics to share on the specifics of the CBS deal:

• CBS offered free video clips in exchange for a "brand channel" on YouTube
• In exchange, CBS was given the option of searching through YouTube for content that it owned the copyright to… and was given the choice of having the content remove or sharing in the revenue that advertising on the clip was generating
• In about a month, CBS had uploaded 300 video clips which had been viewed almost 30 million times;  it also had 35,000 subscribers to its "branded channel"
• David Letterman scored an additional 200,000 viewers after his show aired on YouTube;  The Late Late Show's viewer population increased by 7% in one month
• CBS came out #1 in viewership across all age groups for the month and tied for #2 among 18 - 49 year olds

CNN goes on to suggest other ways that networks could take advantage of YouTube.  My favorites include showing 3 minute clips of potential new shows to get a feel for viewer response before investing millions on an entire season and showing audition tapes on YouTube to let the public vote on who to cast in a new role.  Seriously stop and think about that for a minute.  That is HUGE!  The television networks could save a ton of money (not to mention make a little).  And how fun would it be to vote on who you want to see star in the next hit television show??

Do you have to be a major network to take advantage of online video?  Of course not!  You can use it to show off new products, run promotions, or hold contests.  If you can put it in front of a camera, you can use online video to publicise it.  You don't need a brand channel to get exposure, either.  I've seen videos made by Joe User in his basement get 80,000 views in a week.  80,000!

So tell me… what's your first video going to be?