VideoNuze Posts

Microsoft and Akamai have announced general availability of Azure CDN from Akamai, which provides Azure cloud customers integrated access and support for Akamai’s global content delivery network. The partnership was initially announced last September and the companies have been working closely on integration and on-boarding charter customers since.

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Video ad tech provider Cedato has launched CedatoX, a private video ad marketplace, connecting supply and demand on the Cedato platform at the server level. In a briefing, Cedato’s CMO Dvir Doron told me that the key benefits are simple setup and transactions along with proven revenue lift for participating publishers.

Dvir highlighted that CedatoX addresses the pain point of video transactions being complicated for both sides to configure and maintain. With CedatoX, private transaction terms are set and managed on the platform. The result is more effective yield and fill rates.

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I'm thrilled to share that Charlie Chappell, Head of Global Integrated Media, The Hershey Company, will be our afternoon keynote guest at the 6th annual VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit on Tuesday, June 16th in NYC. Charlie is leading the transformation of Hershey’s approach to modern media. Prior to joining Hershey’s in 2012, Charlie spent 12 years at P&G where he was part of the P&G Digital Leadership Team.

Charlie will be interviewed by Matt Spiegel, SVP, Marketing & Technology Solutions at MediaLink on topics including how Hershey’s is using video to connect with its customers, the company’s approach to allocating spending between video and TV and how brands need to leverage new technologies to stay competitive.

Charlie’s session complements our morning keynote with Marc Debevoise, EVP/GM, CBS Digital Media, CBS Interactive. Marc oversees the network’s digital initiatives in entertainment, sports and news including CBS.com, CBS All Access (its subscription streaming service) and CBSN (its 24/7 digital news network), among others. I’ll be interviewing Marc about how broadcasters are being impacted by the rise of online video viewing and how they’re innovating to compete.

Charlie and Marc are part of an fantastic group of 30+ industry executives from A+E Networks, American Express, Bloomberg Media, Conde Nast, IAB, Initiative, Mindshare, NBCU, Newsy, Turner, Viacom, The Washington Post, The Weather Company, Whistle Sports, Xaxis, Zenith and many others who are participating in the Ad Summit.

Last year's Ad Summit attracted over 450 attendees so register early to save and to win a 55-inch TCL 4K Roku TV!

Learn more and register now!

FreeWheel has acquired Paris-based video supply-side platform StickyADS.tv, for an undisclosed sum, the companies announced this morning. StickyADS.tv is one of the largest independent SSPs and has a team of approximately 100, including a beachhead in the U.S. that was established last Fall. The companies have been working together since last year, including an integration when StickyADS.tv was one of the initial SSPs to join FreeWheel’s Preferred Partners program.

FreeWheel’s co-CEO and co-founder Doug Knopper told me that the acquisition was in direct response to customers’ requests to have a single platform to manage both video ads that are direct sold and those that are transacted programmatically. FreeWheel’s customers are among the biggest broadcasters, cable networks and online publishers, and while Doug said direct sold still accounts for the vast majority of inventory for its customers, they recognize how critical programmatic has become and are aggressively positioning themselves for the future.

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OpenSlate has released data revealing vastly different YouTube viewing for men vs. women. OpenSlate said that 62% of YouTube views by women aged 18-34 are in the Beauty & Style category, more than 10x the viewership of the next category, Health & Fitness, which had a 6% share.

The Beauty & Style category is dominated by Face & Body Care, which accounts for 40% of the views, followed by Make-Up & Cosmetics (34%) and Hair Care (13%). OpenSlate also found that Beauty & Style has the highest women 18-34 audience composition, followed by Food & Drink (38%) and Shopping (33%).

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I'm pleased to present the 321st edition of the VideoNuze podcast with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

Hulu was in the news in a big way this week, confirming a WSJ report that it plans to launch a skinny bundle next year. As I wrote on Monday, the move raises numerous questions, which Colin and I debate on this week’s podcast.

Absent more information, I’m still somewhat skeptical. It feels very risky to me for Disney and Fox to convert Hulu into a pay-TV competitor. It’s also not clear that the economics of a direct subscriber relationship are superior to the steady flow of monthly retransmission consent and affiliate fees. Finally, I wonder about how big the addressable market is and how appealing the Hulu skinny bundle actually will be, particularly from an all-in cost perspective.

Colin, on the other hand, is much more optimistic. He doesn’t believe there’s much risk, thinks the economics are better going direct and believes the service can be very appealing. So clearly we’re coming at this from very different angles.

Listen now to learn more!

Click here to listen to the podcast (24 minutes, 40 seconds)

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The VideoNuze podcast is also available in iTunes...subscribe today! (note the link has been updated)

YouTube drew 2,700 industry executives to a cavernous Javits Center for its Brandcast NewFront to tout its audience scale vs. primetime TV. CEO Susan Wojcicki said that during primetime in the U.S. more 18-49 year-olds watch YouTube videos than the top 10 TV shows combined, according to a Google-commissioned Nielsen study in December, 2015.

Based on the same study, Wojcicki said that it reaches more 18-49 year-olds than any broadcast or cable TV network, on mobile alone. But YouTube is not only proud of its mobile viewership, it also said the number of hours watching YouTube on connected TVs more than doubled in the past year.

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Don't miss out on a chance to win a 55-inch TCL 4K Roku TV by registering early for the 6th annual VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit on Tuesday, June 14th in NYC.

Yesterday’s news that Magna Global has committed $250 million of client spending to YouTube - all shifted from TV budgets - is another critical reminder of how dynamic the TV and video advertising markets are. Our keynoter from last year’s Ad Summit, David Cohen, president of Magna Global N.A. told the WSJ, “We have negotiated a meaningful share shift from linear television to digital video.”

The decision will be a key part of our “NewFronts, Upfronts and the Transitioning Ad Market” fireside chat featuring Adam Shlachter, President, VM1, Zenith and Maureen Bosetti, Chief Investment Officer, Initiative, which is Magna’s sister IPG company. Once again, Tim Hanlon will moderate the discussion which will examine the dynamics of budgets are being allocated between TV and video.

The exciting program will feature 13 sessions spanning all the hottest industry topics. Over 30 executives are already confirmed to speak, from industry leaders like A+E Networks, American Express, Bloomberg Media, Conde Nast, IAB, Initiative, Mindshare, NBCU, Newsy, Turner, The Washington Post, The Weather Company, Whistle Sports, Xaxis, Zenith and many others.

Last year's Ad Summit drew over 450 attendees and I expect similar attendance this year too, so register early to reserve your place!

Many thanks to the 15 industry-leading companies on board so far as sponsors, including Title Partner Videology, Premier Partners Altitude Digital, DashBid, Extreme Reach, Verizon Digital Media Services and VertaMedia, Headline Partners Alphonso, Beachfront Media, Cedato, FreeWheel, Genesis Media, JW Player, Operative and Placemedia and Branding Partner Roku.

Learn more and register now!