VideoNuze Posts

Comcast is continuing to add programming choices to its X1 set-top boxes, this morning announcing that the Sling TV international app will be made available. Sling TV international offers live and on-demand streaming of over 395 different networks, spanning 21 different languages. Pricing starts at $10 per month and new users can sign up on X1.

The addition of Sling TV international follows Comcast adding Netflix, YouTube, Pandora and NPR One to X1 over the past 6 months. Because X1 has a broadband connection and can run apps, it’s critical to Comcast’s strategy of bridging online content with traditional TV content. Late last year Comcast also announced deals with AMC and FX to offer subscription, ad-free services from both networks, exclusively for X1 subscribers.

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One of the biggest challenges all ad-supported video providers face these days is how to optimally balance the viewer’s and the advertiser’s experiences. Given the range of non-ad-supported outlets (e.g. Netflix, Amazon, etc.), viewers are getting more accustomed to the pleasure of uninterrupted consumption. Meanwhile, advertisers are more challenged than ever to have their messages seen and their spending optimized.

There’s probably no better example of how to achieve the balance than YouTube’s TrueView ad format, which all of us have no doubt encountered and acted on, since its launch 6 years ago. With the choice to skip the ad after 5 seconds of countdown, viewers feel like they’re in control. And because advertisers don’t pay unless a minimum of 30 seconds of the ad has been watched, the TrueView format is highly cost-effective.

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I’m pleased to present the 413th edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

This week Colin and I wade into the debate over Netflix’s films being banned from consideration at the Cannes Film Festival. We were both struck by Steven Spielberg’s support of the ban, as it seems to us backward-looking and dependent on an outdated definition of what constitutes a “film.” That said, we both understand the deep cultural and economic motivations behind banning Netflix. This week’s BBC report that younger viewers are now consuming more Netflix than BBC content reinforces the global vs. local battle that’s unfolding.

We contrast to this backward-looking approach, by highlighting how Hulu has embraced a viewer-first model, which appears to really be paying off for the service. There are lessons local broadcasters around the world could gain from observing Hulu’s model, starting with giving viewers as much choice as possible.

Listen in to learn more!

 
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A reminder that early bird discounted registration is available for the 8th annual VideoNuze Online Video Advertising Summit on Tuesday, June 12th at the Westin Times Square in NYC. By registering early you save $100 and also double your chances* of winning a 55-inch Roku TV, generously provided by Roku.

The Video Ad Summit is the premier event of the year for anyone in the industry seeking insights and data about online video advertising and how it’s converging with traditional TV advertising, mobile and connected TV advertising and the broader digital landscape. The program includes a compelling mix of keynotes, panel discussions and research presentations covering the hottest topics in the industry. Detailed program info will be posted soon.

Last year's Video Ad Summit drew over 400 attendees and 50+ executive speakers. The 2018 Video Ad Summit will once again be a must-attend event.

I'm excited to have 8 industry-leading companies on board as initial sponsors, including Premier Partners Extreme Reach and Verizon Digital Media Services; Headline Partners AppNexus, Beachfront Media and Operative, and Branding Partners Brightcove, Cedato and Roku. I’ll have other sponsors to share soon.

If you'd like to learn more about speaking and sponsorship opportunities, please contact me.

Learn more and register now!

(*Early bird registrants get 2 entries for the Roku TV drawing.)

MobiTV has been around for a while, starting out as a way of offering TV on mobile devices, but more recently helping pay-TV operators deliver their services via apps, without set-top boxes. To learn more about MobiTV’s strategy and where it fits in the fast-changing landscape, I recently interviewed company CEO Charlie Nooney. The transcript follows.

VideoNuze: Explain what MobiTV does and how you fit into the pay-TV ecosystem?

Charlie Nooney: MobiTV offers small to medium-sized cable providers, app-based TV software as a solution to cut cable set-top boxes. This mobile streaming software allows these cable companies to stay competitive in their markets as maintaining cable boxes are expensive and it cuts costs for them. We also hope to "outfinity" larger cable providers like Xfinity and Comcast, with our solution. Additionally, we were the first company to offer streaming Pay TV software, which is a fun fact that helps us stand out in the industry.

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Viewers are watching TV on more devices than ever. While this makes viewers’ lives more convenient and enjoyable, for advertisers, it has created massive new challenges to keep up. The good news however, is that with the rise of digital delivery, the ability to get ever closer to the advertiser’s nirvana of one-to-one, highly targeted ads, is becoming more realistic.

To help advertisers understand the range of advanced TV ad options, Videology released a handy primer late last week.

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In his keynote interview at New Bay’s Advanced Advertising conference yesterday, I was impressed with how Hulu’s SVP of Ad Sales Peter Naylor continually said that viewers are now in charge and have vastly higher expectations of their TV experiences. Nothing could be truer in the online video era and by putting viewers first, Hulu has hit on a winning formula.

One great example of Hulu being viewer-first is how it provides subscribers with the choice of “Limited Commercials” for $7.99/mo or “No Commercials” for $11.99/mo. Naylor reiterated what Hulu has said many times before, that the majority take the ad-supported plan, which on the surface seems incongruous given Netflix’s and Amazon’s success with ad-free services.

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