Thesis
YouTube comes to TV: a comparative case study of content creators on professional platforms
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Mar 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000549
Abstract
Social media has taken over the entertainment industry creating new content possibilities, redefining television, and allowing anyone to become a celebrity. In recent years, social media celebrities, particularly YouTubers, have made their way on to traditional platforms such as broadcast and cable networks. The purpose of this study is to determine what effects this type of transition can have on both the professional platform as well as the user-generated-content (UGC) platform. To do this, the researcher analyzed four YouTubers (Lucas Cruikshank, Grace Helbig, Colleen Ballinger, and Lilly Singh) and their respective professional programs. The results of the study concluded that professional platforms (broadcast, cable, streaming service) can gain temporary value from working with content creators, but success level cannot be definitively predicted. There was also not sufficient evidence to make a definitive conclusion about the success of certain genre or content types. The researcher also concluded that the established social media presence of the creator can be directly affected by the length and success of the professional content. Creators who had a decrease in YouTube and Instagram activity, viewership, and engagement, had a higher level of network success for the professional content. In addition to the professionally-generated-content (PGC) program, all of the creators went on to be involved in other entertainment endeavors as well which suggests that celebrity via UGC can be a viable method of talent search.
Metrics
62 File views/ downloads
85 Record Views
Details
- Title
- YouTube comes to TV
- Creators
- Schelley M. Thomas
- Contributors
- Helen Claire Cowart (Advisor)Michelle McHugh (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- ix, 215 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Television (and Media) Management; Cinema and Television; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 991014913449704721