Here’s the thing. The fact that consumers identify with particular shows and stars rather than networks doesn’t mean that an a-la-carte business model works. Let’s say it did work briefly. Let’s say J.J. Abrams created a new show, distributed it for free with minimal but targeted ads, generated a huge audience, and made a lot of money. That doesn’t mean the logical chain of events wouldn’t start all over again. Abrams would become an executive producer (or at least figurehead) over more shows, which would ultimately get bundled together in some way to fatten paychecks and fund more content development. Voila, we’re back to a network-type model.

I’m sure there’s some flaw in the argument above, but I have a really hard time seeing how the a-la-carte model, to say nothing of the *free* a-la-carte model, can realistically work. As much as I may want to pay only that $3.65/mo for ESPN.

Tangentially, I think Liz is absolutely right about this being the right moment for premium video content online. We’re at that place in the cycle of development for a new TV platform.