[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk] According to Reuters, singing sensation Susan Boyle received over 103 million views on 20 different websites this week. I am amazed at how many viewers this single televised event could get. Compared to other single televised events:

• American Idol Season 1 Finale: ~50 million viewers
• First presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama: 52.4 million viewers
• Presidential debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan: 80.6 million viewers (Largest viewership for a presidential debate ever)

I see this phenomenon as a turning point for Internet video industry. It is estimated that the Internet's largest video network, YouTube, is making up to US$500 million in revenue for 2009. That's only about the same as Fox network's quarter with American Idol Season 3 airing and making up 35% of the sales. While the viewership numbers seem to match up, the pricing models are not even close. A YouTube Homepage Roadblock would cost you US$175,000 a day, but a 30 second slot on American Idol costs up to US$700,000. I believe the day will come when having content online makes more sense than having it broadcast on TV. Hulu appears to have got it right for now. I also believe that soon Internet video services will not just exist as websites but as content providers that push content directly to your living room.