That work you didn’t get done on the plane because you were watching TV during the whole trip? You’re not going to get it done in the taxi on the way to the meeting, either, if you’re headed to New York. TV.com reports that NBC Universal has joined up with Clear Channel Taxi Media to put NBC content into New York City taxicabs.
Starting this month, several dozen cabs will have LCD monitors installed so that customers in the back seat will be able to watch TV while they're en route to their destinations. Assuming this initial roll-out is well received, the plan is to offer NBC programming in 5,000 New York City cabs.
I predict that it will take about twenty seconds for NBC Universal’s marketing folks to start using the taxicab monitors for cross-promotion and product placement. Picture this hypothetical scene in upcoming Universal Pictures movie The Bourne Ultimatum: Jason Bourne is in New York City to hunt down his past. He’s spotted by Interpol agents in Grand Central Station but is able to slip into a taxi and persuade the driver to speed away just in time. As Bourne calls the only person he can trust on the latest Nokia phone prototype, we can see that an episode of NBC’s Heroes is playing on the monitor in front of him.
Given NBC’s success in reaching an upscale audience with Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, you can bet that in the cabs around Manhattan they’ll be showing content from that show to try and appeal to even more wealthy businesspeople.
In related news, viewership of NBC television shows among New York City taxi drivers is expected to rise by about 4000%.
Article comments
1 - TV and Film Guy
This piece has been selected as an editor's pick. Congratulations!
2 - Eric F.
Cool! Thanks!