Entertainment content purchase via advertising viewing credit

摘要

The purchase of entertainment content online via advertising credits is disclosed herein. One disclosed embodiment comprises providing an advertising content item to a user over a network, and awarding an amount of advertising viewing credit to the user based upon the advertising content item provided to the user. Next, a request is received from the user to view an entertainment content item. In response, the entertainment content item is provided to the user, and at least a portion of the advertising viewing credit is deducted in exchange for providing the entertainment content item.

主权项

1. On a computing device, a method of providing audio and/or video entertainment content to a user over a network, comprising:
providing an advertising content item to the user; awarding an amount of advertising viewing credit to the user based upon the advertising content item being viewed by the user; receiving a request from the user to view an entertainment content item; verifying that the user has sufficient previously-earned advertising viewing credit to pay for the entertainment content item before sending the entertainment content item to the user; if the user has sufficient previously-earned advertising viewing credit to pay for the entertainment content item, then sending the entertainment content item without interspersed advertising to the user, and deducting at least a portion of the previously-earned advertising viewing credit in exchange for the entertainment content item; and if the user does not have sufficient previously-earned advertising viewing credit to pay for the entertainment content item, then prior to sending the entertainment content item to the user, then providing an option of sending a first portion of the entertainment content item without interspersed advertising in exchange for the previously-earned advertising viewing credit and sending a second portion of the entertainment content item with interspersed advertising, and providing another option of presenting one or more additional advertising content items to the user and awarding additional advertising viewing credit to the user based on the additional advertising content items viewed by the user.