All about Digg

So Yahoo! has declined Microsoft’s $44.6 billion approach offer. Will Bill up the ante or turn his focus elsewhere? Dom White at the Sunday Telegraph thinks the latter and points to Digg as a potential purchase. No figures were batted about but the list of investors and 24m monthly uniques amongst a key target audience must be getting Microsoft excited.


Digg has gone from strength to strength since its birth in 2004, but what I find most interesting is the growth of Diggnation, Digg’s spin-off weekly video podcast (think Wayne’s World but replace music with technology). Presented by Kevin Rose (Digg’s founder) and Alex Albrecht, the hour long show already pulls in 4.2million viewers each month. What’s interesting is Rose’s return to his roots, before Digg he was a cable TV producer and he has already pulled in show sponsors (GoDaddy, Netflix, Becks (?)) who get ad space and plugs during the show, without inhibiting the laid-back, grassroots style of the show.


Diggnation is part of a wider network of internet television shows made by Revision3 (again founded by Rose), an “an actual TV network for the web, creating and producing its own original, broadcast quality shows”. Available as podcasts, all content is syndicated through Revision3.com but also iTunes, YouTube and BitTorrent. Just two weeks ago it was even announced Revision3 shows would be available to watch on Virgin Atlantic flights.


So good for brands? Well the shows survive through the revenues from advertising so there is plenty of ad space available but don’t forget the PR opps , from product plugs / reviews to CEO interviews.