The BitTorrent based news network is media distribution of the future

TL;DR : A newly launched news network is basing its entire existance on using BitTorrent as its infrastructure and primary live distribution channel. Will the subconscious result be more important then the technology itself?

*This was a VERY quick writeup of thoughts, almost like a discussion. Its not supposed to be a Magna Carta of media futures.*

We have grown accustomed to hearing about startups doing cool things in the media space, we even hear of more traditional organizations making the pivot and going aggressively into engagement and digital.

But, much of traditional media and even new-ish media has stayed the same in terms of primary distribution… the expensive backbones / CDN / satellites required to handle the transmission of live signals or the infrastructure acting as “Video CMS” end point to feed content to people on OTT platforms or elsewhere. Even the video CMS is an iteration of existing infrastrcuture made internet friendly.

So how is the new OTT News different? Its entire infrastructure is powered by BitTorrent (yes, that BitTorrent). Contrarty to popular belief BitTorrent’s sole use is not for exchanging pirated software, it is used all over the internet as a means of decentralized distribution, removing the burden from one to many to get the same job done. Here is an overly simplified example to break it down.

You need firewood, which of the two methods is more efficient?

1 person will bring 200 logs to your house from a warehouse 20miles away, you get an order number and wait your turn to have it filled

100 people will bring 2 logs each to your house, some living right next door , others further away. The logs start to roll in immediately.

This is the classic Cathedral vs Bazaar story of open vs closed systems thats plays itself out over and over again — centralized authority vs distributed.

So maybe BitTorrent can change media distribution, but what are the soft and suble implications of running your actual network on the people watching it?

In my experience if the process or medium changes, it alters every aspect along the way resulting in a very different product and consumers. Will the realization that consumers defacto particpate in the structural distrubtion of the content itself make them more likely to “tune-in” knowing that it will potentially propagate that same content forward in a more efficient manner?

Will it reduce the need for closed platforms to display content so it can be displayed as fast as possible (think Facebook Instant articles)?

While this is a bit of a mental exercise, its a fascinating one and forward thinking companies should take note and consider the implications themsevles. Their primary distribution channel of the future could be an un-owned mesh network — similar to the traditional vision of the Internet itself — and it could change media consumption in ways far beyond technology itself.