Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly writes an excellent weekly column called Life of Reilly (what else?) that has anchored that publication’s back page for years. You can say it’s one of the reasons I subscribe, but since I haven’t missed an issue in 40 years you can also say it’s a small one.
Whatever the measure of Reilly’s appeal, Verizon Wireless is betting that it will translate to the small screen — the really, really small screen. The carrier is actively touting Reilly’s participation in its V Cast video offering. Here’s a blurb from the kind of press release that will make a self-respecting journalist blush:
“For the first time, Sports Illustrated brings original and exclusive content from one of its most well-known personalities, popular SI columnist Rick Reilly, directly to the phones of Verizon Wireless V CAST customers. Starting today, V CAST customers can access ‘Riffs of Reilly,’ a weekly two-to-three minute video segment that offers the very latest from Rick Reilly. Following the exclusive V CAST period each week, “Riffs of Reilly” will also be available online at SI.com – Sports Illustrated’s Web site.”
So if I understand the pitch correctly, your $15-a-month V CAST subscription will get you a couple of days worth of first dibs on this and other “original and exclusive” content — on a teenie-tiny screen — after which anyone with a browser can watch it for free.
Reilly’s good but he ain’t that good. … And, Rick, a word of advice: Don’t quit the day job.
