Harley-Davidson Television Has Launched, and it’s Weird
MoCo has launched an online television channel, which functions like an old-school TV for some reason.
Remember how cool it was when television networks broadcast on a set schedule? Back in the day, if you wanted to catch your favorite show, you had to be in front of the tube when it was set to air, otherwise you’d have to wait for a rerun. So yeah — it wasn’t that cool. In an era where everything from takeout Thai to theatrical releases is available with a few clicks of a mouse, the model seems hopelessly antiquated. Which is why we’re so confused by Harley Davidson TV. Here’s the official description:
“The Motor Company is excited to introduce Harley-Davidson.TV for riders and aspiring riders around the world. Harley-Davidson.TV consolidates hours of past, present and rare video footage produced over the years and brings it home to one convenient destination.
Harley-Davidson.TV will feature a variety of different programs in its 24/7 library of content. It will be available globally though Harley-Davidson.com/TV.”
Everything is broken up into four channels, H-D, Racing, The Garage, and The Factory. The first channel is kind of a catch-all, and showcases high-profile Harley fans riding in cool spots around the world, while the other three are self-explanatory. On the surface, this all sounds great. Give its long and storied history, Harley has loads of amazing content at its disposal, and it makes sense to connect die-hard fans, and — most importantly — new riders with it.
But if you were expecting a bunch of buckets where you could see something, click on it, and watch it, you’re in for a not-so-pleasant surprise.
Because from what we can tell, Harley has harnessed the mighty power of the internet to deliver an experience that’s remarkably similar to what viewers in the 1950s got, just without the rabbit ears. After seeing announcement on Twitter, we went to Harley Davidson TV, and joined a bunch of programming already in progress. It was a jarring, confusing experience, and made us feel we were doing something wrong, like we absolutely had to be missing something. Then we discovered the programming schedule above, and knew that it wasn’t us, it was the MoCo.
After poking around on the site, Harley-Davidson Television seems like the best idea since New Coke. Sure, there’s lots of great stuff available, but who is literally going to set reminders to head to the site at 5:18 to watch The Race of Gentlemen? For a company that’s struggling to remain relevant to a generation of riders and motorcycle buyers, which critics regularly pillory for being out of touch, this seems like a supremely boneheaded move.
We’d love to be wrong here — but is this going to find an audience outside of Harley showrooms? Head to the forum and let us know!
Join the Harley-Davidson Forums now!
