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VINDICO Served 5 Billion Video Ads in Q2 '11, Estimated 40% Market Share
Video ad platform VINDICO posted a strong Q2 '11, serving 5 billion video ads, up from 1.8 billion in Q2 '10. When VINDICO compares this amount to theapproximately 13.7 billion video ads that comScore reported as delivered during Q2, VINDICO estimates it has close to 40% market share. The company reported that it is now working with 200 clients, a 400% increase over last year, which includes 21 of the top 50 TV advertisers.
Categories: Advertising
Topics: VINDICO
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SNL Kagan Forecasting 10% of U.S. Homes Will Cut the Cord by 2015
Researcher SNL Kagan is forecasting that 10% U.S. homes (12.1 million) will cut the cord on their pay-TV subscriptions by the end of 2015, substituting in over-the-top alternatives. At the end of 2011, 4% or 4.5 million homes will have done so. Still, Kagan sees pay-TV subscriptions actually increasing, though not at a rate fast enough to maintain current penetration levels (see yearly forecast after the break).
Kagan isn't providing any additional profile information on these cord-cutters, but as I've said before, I think the most vulnerable buckets are the "cord-nevers" (i.e. college grads and others who simply don't sign up for pay-TV service in the first place) and entertainment-only viewers who don't care about live sports that are only available on cable TV channels.
Categories: Cable TV Operators
Topics: SNL Kagan
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SupersonicAds CEO Sees Social Game Incented Video Model As the "New Prime Time"
Incented video views in social games are all the rage and yesterday, SupersonicAds, one of the many players in this space, raised a $4.2 million financing from Greylock (bringing its total to date to $6 million). I caught up with SupersonicAds CEO and co-founder Gil Shoham who sees this model as the "new prime time" as it marries the massive usage of social game use in Facebook and elsewhere with brands' desire to reach the audience.
For those not familiar, companies like SupersonicAds (and others such as Jun Group, Blue Noodle, WildTangent, Social Vibe, etc.) work with social game publishers and social networks to promote video ads that reward users with virtual currency for viewing (see Kellogg's example below). Gil sees the reward as the "hook" to get users watching, but the post-viewing engagement (e.g. "Likes," click-throughs, sign-ups, etc.) are based solely on the brand's appeal and the strength of the creative. Gil said 50-80% of users watch the full video, with an average 20% of those "Liking" the brand and 40% returning later to visit the brand's web site.
Categories: Advertising, Games, Social Media
Topics: Facebook, Greylock, SupersonicAds
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New CBS Licensing Deal Doesn't Offer Amazon Much Differentiation vs. Netflix
Amazon and CBS announced a licensing agreement this morning, which, while a step in the right direction for Amazon Prime, doesn't seem to offer it much differentiation. The press release states that 18 CBS TV programs are part of the deal, though the only ones identified are "The Tudors," "Numb3rs," "Medium," the "Star Trek" series, "Frasier" and "Cheers." A quick glance at Netflix's catalog shows that all past seasons of "Numb3rs," "Medium," "Cheers," "The Tudors" and the original 3 seasons of "Star Trek" are available on streaming. Only "Frasier" isn't available on streaming, though it is on DVD.
Perhaps some of the other programs in the deal aren't already available on Netflix, but the group identified today underscores how networks' and studios' non-exclusive approach means that any distributor with a willingness to pay will get essentially the same content.
Categories: Aggregators, Broadcasters
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KIT Digital Sees 39% Revenue Jump in Q2 '11 to $48 Million; Provides Guidance of $210 Million for Full Year
Video management software provider KIT Digital has released preliminary Q2 '11 results, with record revenue of $48 million (up 39% from Q1 '11up 108% from Q2 '10) and EBITDA of $9.5 million (up 34% from Q1 '11 and 125% from Q2 '10). In addition KIT provided full year 2011 revenue guidance of $210 million.
In an interview, Gannon Hall, EVP, Global Marketing and Adam Davis, Global Communications Manager told me that approximately 30-35% of the Q2growth was organic, with the remaining coming from growth through acquisitions. Over the past six months KIT Digital has acquired at least 4 companies and it has recently completed "Project Delta," an internal integration and restructuring process.
Topics: KIT Digital
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Coldwell Banker's On Location YouTube Channel Helping Reinvent Home Search
Never mind that Coldwell Banker is a 105 year-old brand; it is pursuing a thoroughly up-to-date strategy of engaging with its customers through the use of online video. Coldwell Banker's "On Location" YouTube channel turns the process of finding a house from a dry text-oriented approach to one that's graphical and video-based. At last month's ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit, Michael Fischer, Coldwell Banker's Chief Marketing Officer, explained the company's strategy and how it's executing (see below for session video).
One data point has galvanized the company: 73% of homeowners are more likely to work with a realtor who offers to do a video for their listing, however only 12% of the real estate industry currently has YouTube accounts. That disconnect has led Michael and the Coldwell Banker team to see video as the thread that pulls together all of its online efforts. Michael believes that with the explosion of online video viewing, consumers have come to expect a video-based experience and that Coldwell Banker can differentiate itself by delivering it.
Categories: Brand Marketing
Topics: Coldwell Banker, YouTube
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ESPN3.com Attracted A Record 548,000 Unique Viewers for Women's World Cup Final
ESPN3.com attracted 548,000 unique viewers on Sunday afternoon for the USA-Japan Women's World Cup Finals, the highest the network has receivedfor a women's sporting event, and the 8th-highest of all events streamed on ESPN3.com. Total viewing time on ESPN3.com, ESPNnetworks.com and the mobile WatchESPN app was 38.6 million minutes, or an average of just over 70 minutes per unique viewer. The iPad was the most popular device for using the WatchESPN mobile app, with 38 minutes average time spent viewing.
Categories: Cable Networks, Devices, Mobile Video
Topics: ESPN
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Updated Orb Live App Allows Users to Stream Hulu and Other Premium Video to Mobile Devices
Orb Networks is releasing the latest version of its Orb Live app today, which allows users to stream content from Hulu, Netflix, Amazon VOD and other sources to their mobile devices. Users download free Orb Caster software to their PC or Mac, and then by purchasing the $9.99 Orb Live app are able to stream video from their computer to their mobile device. The iOS version of Orb Live is available today, with the Android version coming in mid-August.
The new Hulu feature is useful for gaining access to the free programs that are available on Hulu.com since you currently have to subscribe to Hulu Plus in order to gain mobile access though its app. In addition to Hulu and other premium content, new features in Orb Live include adaptive bit rate capability to deliver the optimal experience depending on fluctuating connection speeds. Orb has also created an index of all premium content available so that when users search for a particular show, its availability on multiple sites is surfaced.
Categories: Aggregators, Mobile Video, Technology