Local broadcast TV stations have the potential to tap into a streaming video market worth as much as $40 billion, according to a FierceOnlineVideo report.
Of course, accessing this revenue is tricky.
Current online streaming efforts are widespread but not necessarily organized. For example, a local station may stream its newscasts via its website and may have a branded app that viewers can use on their smartphones or tablets, but it may not be reaching its online potential in terms of audience and ad revenues. Local stations may also stream via a third-party provider, and while that outlet may help the affiliate reach more viewers, there's no way for it to track the size of that audience, what they're watching and what ads they're seeing.
FierceOnlineVideo sums up the opportunities and the challenges in this report.