Multi-channel network
organization that works with video platforms to offer assistance to a channel owner
A multi-channel network (MCN) is an organization that works with video platforms to offer assistance to channel owners in areas such as "product, programming, funding, cross-promotion, partner management, digital rights management, monetization and sales, and audience development," in exchange for a percentage of the ad revenue from the channel.
Name origin
The term "multi-channel network" (MCN) was coined by former YouTube employee and Next New Networks co-founder Jed Simmons. It has since become standard vocabulary in the YouTube ecosystem.
At the time of YouTube's acquisition of Next New Networks (2011), the word "Network" had a confusing meaning inside of YouTube considering its engineering culture. Prior to 2011 many names were used to describe YouTube channel companies, including Online Video Studio (OVS), Internet Television Company (ITC), YouTube Network or simply Network. Due to confusion both in the market and internally, YouTube senior executive Dean Gilbert wanted to clarify what a YouTube "Network" meant. Simmons, whose background was from cable TV and Turner Broadcasting (home of CNN, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network et al.) hoped to distinguish companies who actively owned, managed and programmed original channels on YouTube from those that aggregated channels and creators but did not focus on channel programming and content. The Multi Channel Network name was chosen for those who actively managed AND programmed channels to emulate cable TV programming companies such as Turner, Discovery, Disney, Comcast and MTV Networks that owned and operated multiple channels ("multi-channel"). The MCN name was born within YouTube and its ecosystem.
Sub-networks of MCNs are known as SubMCNs, Virtual Networks, Proprietary Networks, Content Distribution Networks, SMCNs, VNs, PNs, or CDNs.
The public source identifies “Multi-channel network” as organization that works with video platforms to offer assistance to a channel owner. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Multi-channel, network and organization.
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This entry incorporates text from “Multi-channel network” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.