In its monster hit "Lost," ABC has found more than just a highly rated, award-winning television show with the potential to spin off sequels. "Lost" has become a world of its own, albeit fictional, that, with its labyrinth of clues and multilayered plots, has become the test case for the marriage between new technology and creative content.

Getting "Lost" has never been easier. It's on your TV set, your DVR, your iPod and DVD collection — and that's just the Wednesday-night program itself. Surf the Web and there are countless "Lost" sites — some designed by ABC or the show's creators, and others by the legions of fans.

Still not "Lost" enough? There are books, magazines, trading cards, calendars, apparel and an upcoming board game.

During spring sweeps, "Lost" was estimated to draw about 16.43 million viewers nationwide; many in the all-important 18- to 49-year-old demographic. But "Lost" has become something more, a model for a new media age, one that has far-reaching financial implications for artists and producers as new technology almost demands that they produce original content for Internet sites and blogs, DVDs, podcasts and books.

What's happening with "Lost" is also a sign of the changing nature of TV watching itself, dividing its followers into two groups: the loyal audience that tunes in every week and the fans who devour every bit of information made available to them on the Internet, and in books and magazines.

"The show is the mother ship, but I think with all the new emerging technology, what we've discovered is that the world of 'Lost' is not basically circumscribed by the actual show itself," executive producer Carlton Cuse said.

Other networks and producers are following "Lost" closely to see if this multimedia franchising model can work for them. As technology allows more viewers to tune in how and when they want — most noticeably, commercial free — networks are looking for new ways to distribute their shows and spark buzz. Network marketers are working closer than ever with writers and producers to generate campaigns that blend content with marketing strategies.

Billboards and TV commercial spots? Passe. Taking cues from high-profile promotional campaigns for big movies, ABC mounted an Internet assault last year, which paid off and taught its competitors a thing or two about marketing in this new age. (Fox and NBC followed suit this year with highly successful launches of "Prison Break" and "My Name Is Earl"). Instead of sucking life out of "Lost" by playing clips on the air ad nauseam, ABC went to town creating even more intrigue about the airliner that crashed than co-creators J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof managed to pack into their $11 million, two-hour pilot.

"You have to be judicious about not letting the technology wag the dog of content, if you will," said Stephen McPherson, president of ABC prime-time entertainment. "You just can't say, 'It's a successful show, so let's put it on 20 platforms.' But the idea that great content can be used in a multitude of different ways is ... a wonderful opportunity."

The new platforms provide myriad ways for the networks to sell shows. "I look at marketing more like developing content for the show," said Mike Benson, ABC's senior vice president of marketing. "We're setting out in our marketing to prove what these shows are. And while we can hype and sell, I'd rather tell a story than sell a story."

ABC is developing an interactive Web site to delve into aspects of the show's mythology that will never be explored on air. Content for the site is being created by a "Lost" staff writer.

"We obviously come up with these ideas based on the storytelling, what's cool to us," Lindelof said. "But then our masters will provide us with resources to do this stuff if there's a potential revenue stream down the line. So we're scratching each other's backs."

"There's something about this big puzzle that everybody wants to be the first to solve," said Eichenlaub, 29, of Hudson, Fla. "If I was alone in it, it wouldn't be so fun. But it sort of sprung up, this whole subculture of fans who really see it like a video game."

Networks and studios that want to thrive in this new age are going to have to become as "platform-agnostic" as the Generation X and Y viewers they are targeting, said Bruce Gersh, senior vice president of business development for ABC Entertainment. "We are reaching viewers primarily via the television screen, but as we look into the crystal ball, who knows how many more products might be out there that will allow our consumers to have a great viewing experience?" Gersh said.