VideoNuze Posts

The VideoNuze 2012 Online Video Advertising Summit is coming up, just 2 weeks from today, on Tuesday, June 19th in NYC! If you're still sitting on the fence deliberating about whether to attend, here are 5 great reasons you need to be there.

1. Amazing speakers - Hear from executives who are driving online video and online video advertising, who will share their experiences and insights. Headlining the program are 2 firesides chats, the first with News Corp's Chief Digital Officer Jon Miller (interviewed by NY Times reporter Amy Chozick) and the second with Comcast's SVP and head of its 20 million subscriber video business, Marcien Jenckes (interviewed by me). In addition to Jon and Marcien, almost 40 other speakers will participate, representing every aspect of the ecosystem.

2. Actionable data and information - Expect to come away with actionable data and information from sessions that span every angle of the online video world. There will be research-intensive sessions, case studies, best practices, tech demos, deep-dive topical discussions and more, all intended to make you smarter and more prepared in your day-to-day and strategic roles.

3. Great networking - As important as the sessions are, what happens at the networking breaks and meals means just as much. These are the times to interact with your industry peers, build your network and expand your perspective. Attending are dozens of industry executives from agencies, brands, publishers, technology providers and others in the ecosystem.  

4. Learn from key technology providers - The Video Ad Summit is generously supported by 14 industry-leading technology providers, who will have a table-top presence and multiple representatives attending. It's an excellent one-stop opportunity to meet with them and learn about their technology and solutions in an informal setting.

5. Win an $850 Samsung 40" SmartTV - Last but not least, one lucky attendee is going win the drawing for an $850 Samsung SmartTV, courtesy of Jivox. We'll be doing the drawing just prior to lunch and you'll need to be in attendance to win. Don't miss out!

If all of that still doesn't convince you why the Video Ad Summit is a must-attend event and you have questions, then feel free to contact me!

Learn more and register now

If you watch TV programs via VOD from your pay-TV operator, then you've probably had one or both of two curious experiences I've had: either the same, untargeted ad plays repeatedly at the breaks, or no ad (and therefore no monetization for the content provider) plays at all. With over 600 million monthly VOD views occurring these days, the lack of dynamic, targeted ad insertion in VOD diminishes the user experience and leaves lots more money on the table.

There are multiple reasons to explain all of this, but one of the main ones is that there are very hard technology problems involved to solve it, as the pay-TV infrastructure (notably the set-top boxes) vary widely in their capabilities. Creating a platform that runs across pay-TV operators' different infrastructure, at scale, to enable advertising, has been a very tall mountain to climb. Now, after years of hard work and investment, BlackArrow, the company that decided to address the situation, looks like it has finally arrived at the summit.

In this interview at the recent Cable Show, BlackArrow's CEO Dean Denhart explains that the company now has agreements covering 30 million subscribers, with Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Rogers, which are all rolling it out. He walks me through a handful of slides that explain exactly how the BlackArrow system works and the progress programmers, advertisers and pay-TV operators are making. And importantly he discusses how the online video and on-demand TV worlds will converge over time. Watch the interview (15 minutes, 18 seconds)

Watch the interview

Talk to anyone around the online video ad space about key challenges, and the topic of audience measurement - or the lack thereof - quickly comes up. But in an interview I did at the Cable Show with Discovery's Chief Digital Officer JB Perrette, he re-frames the problem as actually not being with measurement itself, but rather that there isn't an accepted "currency" throughout the industry.

As JB explains, the industry is drowning in data, but since everyone has their own, there's no Nielsen-like standard yet to use for buying and selling of online video ads. JB notes Nielsen itself is trying to evolve, but is challenged with its current panel-based measurement approach. JB adds that changing a standard where billions of dollars are at stake takes time, but he's confident eventually it will happen.

JB also discusses Discovery's deal to acquire Revision3 and how Discovery is "buying the capability to develop content across all screens," how marketers are looking for authentic engagement opportunities, why "TV is the last frontier of difficult navigation," and the role that brands play in a world with infinite content choices. Watch the video (13 minutes, 46 seconds).

Watch the video

I'm pleased to be joined once again by Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, for the 135th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for June 1, 2012. This week we cover 3 different topics: Verizon's announcement of ultra-fast new broadband service tiers (up to 300 mbps); TiVo's new "Stream" companion device which will allow 1-click video downloading to iOS devices and the fresh rumors around Apple introducing a television following CEO Tim Cook's interview at the D10 conference this week. We wrap up on a light-hearted note - the hilarious video from Funny or Die for Under Armour, "Tom Brady's Wicked Accent."

Click here to listen to the podcast (20 minutes, 11 seconds)

Click here for previous podcasts

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There were 4 separate research studies released yesterday from important video technology providers, all pointing to continued change and growth in video viewership and monetization. Below I've shared key highlights from each, along with links to obtain the original research.

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Audio has always played a big part in the entertainment experience and DTS, a premium audio technology provider, is looking to now deliver the same expected level of audio quality to connected and mobile devices. As Geir Skaaden, VP Products and Platforms for DTS explains in this NABShow interview, the company has been working hard to integrate with partners to raise the audio bar for UltraViolet delivery and for tablets, mobile phones and online experiences. The company had a slew of announcements at the NABShow and Geir discusses the highlights. Watch the video (5 minutes, 46 seconds)

Watch the video

I am super excited to announce two additional fireside chats at the VideoNuze Online Video Advertising Summit on June 19th in NYC - one with News Corp's Chief Digital Officer, Jon Miller, and another with Comcast's SVP/GM, Video Services, Marcien Jenckes. Each plays a key role in driving their respective companies' digital video, advertising and technology strategies.

Jon came to his position at News Corp. (where he serves on Hulu's board) after previously starting a VC fund, serving as AOL's CEO and doing stints at IAC, Viacom and the NBA. Marcien oversees all aspects of Comcast's 20 million subscriber video business including on-demand and its new "X1" video platform which is unifying the entertainment experience across connected devices. Prior to Comcast, Marcien ran the media business at Grab Networks and was a senior executive at AOL.

Both Jon and Marcien are as plugged in as anyone I know and Summit attendees will benefit greatly from their perspectives. Having spent lots of time talking about how the video industry is evolving with both of them, I'm confident they'll be candid and insightful, adding huge value to the Summit program.

Learn more and register now!

At last week's Cable Show, BTIG's media analyst Rich Greenfield and I sat down for a wide-ranging discussion of what's happening in the online video, broadband and pay-TV industries. If you're not familiar with Rich's work, his blog posts (note: registration required) are required reading for anyone in the business. I'm a big fan and always learn something new from them.

In our discussion we talk about a number of topics that Rich has written extensively about: why broadband ISPs should price on speed, not usage, why TV networks should get over it with Dish Network's new Auto Hop feature, why Aereo is so disruptive and yes, legal and why we'll see a "virtual" multichannel distributor emerge soon. Rich also shares thoughts on TV Everywhere's challenges, Disney/ESPN's big out-of-home opportunities, the role of escalating sports rights fees, Apple's plans for a TV, and what's ahead in the video industry. Watch the video (26 minutes, 47 seconds).

Watch the video