I heard about this show Leverage with Timothy Hutton when I actually had cable. I saw one episode and thought it was okay. I’m without a TV now, so I’m searching for “free” online content. I got my parents Netflix a few months ago, so I borrowed their account. Leverage, Season 1 and 2 are both available on Instant. I actually didn’t realize there was a Season 1, so I started watching, from the beginning. I believe Deep Focus had some data explaining that a viewer was more likely to become an avid watcher if they sought out info on the show BEFORE the first episode. (What about someone who comes in after watching a random episode and then starts from the beginning? ) I’m pretty hooked on the show now, which means I’m more likely to seek out new episodes sooner.

This reminds me of something that Ben Silverman said at NYTVF: Networks are starting to focus more on the “Live” event. This could be a ball game, that truly is live, or simply the first airing of an episode. For example, it’s painful for me to wait until Monday to watch True Blood, when I was used to watching it “Live” on HBO Sunday night.

Give away old episodes? But what about DVD sales? Consumer spending is down; DVD sales are hurting. And people who want DVDs of their favorite programs are still going to purchase them just to own them.

Why not try to increase the fanbase across programming by offering old episodes free online. I can’t even get the first episode of Party Down On Demand! Comcast starts removing old episodes, so that just when it starts to hook an audience and that audience starts to pass it word of mouth, it’s impossible to see from the beginning. Increasing hardcore fans might not always be the answer, but at least you’re starting to get somewhere.