Rob Black Says Video is Dead
By: Sue Denim

CHATSWORTH, Calif. - Extreme Associates owner Rob Black never has been what most people consider "traditional." Still, it came as a bit of a surprise when he told AVNOnline.com, "Video is dead. The Web is where things are happening now."

He didn't mean video is literally dead, of course—only that sales have slowed in recent years as more consumers opt to get their adult entertainment online. In response, Black is moving a hefty portion of his business online as well, and in some innovative ways.

Black and crew recently launched in beta mode a new webmaster affiliate program, Extreme Cash Cow, which serves as an umbrella for five new websites featuring Extreme Associates' signature brand of ultra-hardcore adult content. During the beta period (which will last through the first week in June), ExtremeAssociatesVIP, SlapHappyGirls, AssEaterGirls, HotPornStarGirls, and HeSheGirls offer affiliates payouts of $35 per sign-up or 60-percent recurring revshare. Those figures will drop to $30 per sign-up and up to 60-percent revshare for affiliates who sign on after the beta period ends. In addition, the affiliate program offers $200 bonuses for webmaster referrals.

Black said new sites will be added frequently. Already in the works are several devoted to the uncommon vision of multiple award-winner Thomas Zupko (AssSports, ThomasZupko, MyMomsAPornStar, and others), what Black referred to as "the ever-popular" PissZone, and an interactive personality site devoted to Black's wife and business partner Lizzie Borden (LoveLizzieBorden). The latter will feature live-cam shows and other ways for users to interact directly with Borden.

Also in the works is an affiliate program for ExVOD, Extreme Associates' video-on-demand library.

Among the most innovative of Extreme's planned offerings, for which there is no due date yet, is a Borden-produced website that will showcase her signature rape-fantasy and violent-seduction themes within an interactive framework that incorporates elements of detective novels and videogames.

"Users will play the role of a detective in crime-scene scenarios, like in CSI," Black explained.

Of particular importance to Black is that he feels all the Extreme Associates sites will be breaking new ground in American Internet porn. That's really nothing unusual for a man who has faced Justice Department obscenity prosecution under two different U.S. attorneys general—and is more determined than ever to push the envelope and prosecutors' buttons.

"These are not overseas 'extreme content' sites," Black wanted people to know. "This is good ol' American hardcore, extreme porn."

Black also wanted people to know Extreme Associates is not giving up brick-and-mortar DVD distribution entirely, but the company has revised its business model to put Web-based content at the forefront. Every new video the company produces will be correlated with a website, and every scene will be available on the Web as soon as it's complete. He predicted one new scene will be released each week during a movie's production. The full-length feature containing all the scenes (typically five per production, Black said) will be available in brick-and-mortar stores after it's been released in stages on the Web.

"I'm fuckin' super-excited about it," Black said with the enthusiasm of a youngster who had just received a new toy. "We're putting new tools together constantly. I'm fuckin' super-excited about it—really super-excited. It's gonna be fantastic."