Google Loves "Everybody Hates Chris" Pilot

In a first for a broadcast television network, Google video is streaming the pilot for the new UPN sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" for four days.

In a first for each company, Google and UPN have teamed up to provide exclusive streaming video of the new UPN sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris," loosely based on the childhood of comedian Chris Rock. The pilot episode originally aired September 22, 2005, (to generally good reviews) but is now available online for four days beginning September 26, 2005. The video is embedded within a Flash application, and (obviously) broadband or other high-speed Internet access is useful for viewing the 21-minute episode. Everybody Hates Chris is currently on UPN’s schedule at 8PM Thursday nights.

Historically, broadcast and cable networks have been loathe to authorize Internet streaming of significant amounts of original content via portal sites or search engines for fear online viewership would cut into the original broadcast’s viewership and, thus, advertising revenue. Ratings-challenged UPN, now a unit of CBS Television, however, seems to be banking that publicity and attention surrounding the online streaming deal will help launch Everybody Hates Chris and earn more viewership in the long run.