VideoNuze Posts

Below is the 16th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for May 15, 2009.

This week I provide some further detail on a post I wrote earlier this week, "Comcast's Sam Schwartz Offers Some Insights into OnDemand Online Authentication Plans." Comcast's and Time Warner Cable's intention to make cable programs available online to their paying subscribers would be a big leap forward for the video and broadband industries. A key piece of how to bring this to life is "authentication" - how to ensure users are who they are, and that they gain access to programs they're supposed to. Sam explains how Comcast is approaching authentication and what we can expect later this year.

Meanwhile Daisy talks about her post on Beet.tv, "CBS Expanding Original Web Video for New Personal Finance Site," which explores how CBS is pulling video together from its online content group, news division and local stations to beef up the video available at its recently-launched financial destination site, CBSMoneyWatch.com. Also, with the demise of TV Week as a print publication, Daisy talks about the range of industry coverage she's providing at other online and print pubs.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 40 seconds)

Click here for previous podcasts

The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!

Amid the steady stream of sneak peek press releases I'm sent each day, one I received late Tuesday from Tremor Media, the video ad network and monetization platform, caught my eye.

The release cited March data from comScore indicating that Tremor's network now had potential reach of 137M unique users and 57M unique video viewers (both unduplicated). The former number is from comScore's Media Metrix Ad Focus report and the latter from its Video Metrix Ad Focus report.

In particular, the latter number stuck out because I recalled comScore numbers from just 2 weeks ago that revealed the viewership for the top 10 video sites. Google (YouTube) was #1 with about 100M viewers, and Fox Interactive (mainly MySpace) was #2 with about half the amount, 55M.

comScore's new data meant that Tremor's potential reach was second only to YouTube's actual reach. And if you make the argument that much of YouTube's viewership is still UGC, while Tremor's network focuses solely on premium publishers, Tremor would be #1 in potential reach against premium video, a key point of the release. It's also worth noting that 2 other video ad networks focused on premium publishers also show up in comScore's top 10 for potential unique viewers- BrightRoll with 56M and YuMe with 41M.

First, it's important to read these numbers carefully, as there's a little bit of apples vs. oranges going on. The Video Metrix Ad Focus report combines actual viewership by the destination sites (e.g. YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Hulu, etc.) with potential viewership by the ad networks. The report clearly denotes what's considered "potential." If I understand it correctly then, the comScore numbers for ad networks should be read as "here's the total potential audience of viewers you have access to." However, what percentage of this accessible audience actually gets an ad served by the ad network is only known by the ad network itself.

VideoNuze readers will recall there's been a lot of sensitivity around these comScore numbers, since last summer a minor kerfuffle broke out over comScore's ranking of YuMe's traffic. Initially it attributed MSN's full audience to YuMe, but later revised YuMe's ranking down by only included pages against which YuMe ads could be served. comScore also stated that on an ongoing basis it would report "potential" reach for ad networks based on documented agreements and "actual" reach for those networks that included certain tags. The new Tremor numbers reflect this potential reach measurement.

It's also important to remember that comScore filters its data to arrive at unduplicated reach. As I understand it that means that if for example Tremor had USAToday.com and Fox.com in its network (note Tremor doesn't disclose its publishers except to its advertisers) and a single user watched video at both sites, the user would only be counted once in Tremor's potential reach. I don't know how exactly comScore de-duplicates viewership, but let's assume it's accurate.

The extent of Tremor's reach (along with BrightRoll's and YuMe's), particularly against premium video is an encouraging sign. I've written in the past that key inhibitors of TV ad dollars moving over to online video are both scale and various friction points in the ad buying process. The comScore data demonstrates that a cluster of ad networks is emerging that can deliver against TV ad buyer's reach expectations, while adding new targeting and reporting capabilities unavailable in TV. There have also been recent enhancements to these companies' reporting/analytics (particularly around GRPs) to synch up with TV ad buyers' expectations.

I've written a number of times (here, here, here) over the last few months about the recently disclosed plans from Comcast and Time Warner to deliver cable programs online to their paying subscribers. In general I'm a big fan, as these plans offer the potential for users to watch cable shows online that are mostly available through in-home set-top boxes only today. I'm also encouraged that cable operators seem to be going on the offensive to satisfy their subscribers' desire for anytime, anyplace access to content they're already paying for. Being offensive will certainly help mitigate "cord-cutting" tendencies.

However, if there's a fly in the ointment in these plans, it's how the cable subscriber will be "authenticated," or recognized as qualified to access that particular content at the web site where he/she's trying to watch. This is a crucial step because again, these cable operators only plan to provide access to paying subscribers of their traditional video services. To understand this how Comcast is approaching authentication, last week I spoke to Sam Schwartz, Comcast Interactive Media's EVP of Strategy and Development, and president of Comcast Interactive Capital, who is a point man for the company's OnDemand Online initiative.

Overall, Sam explained that the company is still working through how best to authenticate online users and keep content secure. Users will need to log in and then have their credentials checked to ascertain what programming they're entitled to. So the crucial step here is opening up traditional cable billing systems for access by web sites serving up the desired content. This isn't trivial because these billing systems weren't originally built to do this. Therefore there's a need for some type of entitlement database which must be pinged with the user's credentials to verify content access.

To prevent leakage in the authentication process Sam said the company is studying best practices from other digital providers. iTunes is one model which limits content availability to 5 devices. Alternatively, if access is within the home, then Comcast, as a large broadband ISP, would be able to verify IP addresses. Yet another method would be to require a credit card, which would disincent credentials sharing by subscribers. Two Comcast companies, thePlatform and Plaxo are playing key roles in supporting both the content management/distribution and user identification.

All of this is magnified because Comcast's programming partners rightfully expect that any content Comcast is distributing will be done so in a fully secure manner. In the digital TV realm, this has traditionally been handled by the set-top box and "conditional access" software in the headend (a cable operator's distribution hub). Paid online services which are connected to incumbent video services present new issues which free ad-supported sites like Hulu and YouTube haven't had to address.

Sam said pulling all of this together has been a major project, involving 100+ people throughout the company. The complexity becomes quickly apparent as this initiative touches so many different areas - video product management, technology, operations, billing, content acquisition, customer service, online media, etc. Partly as a result of this complexity, Sam explained that at the outset simply enabling its own sites like Fancast or Comcast.net is the goal. Other 3rd party sites may come on board later, only after the model is proven in.

Though it's evident that Comcast is taking a "walk before we run" approach, Sam emphasized the company is moving this along as fast as possible. Its goal is to be in the market this year with OnDemand Online. While the utopian gadflies are already decrying these kinds of paid access services, I think they balance multiple interests well, and will help to preserve the multi-billion dollar video value chain from decomposing into a free but profitless quagmire (like other media sectors have already). If all this ends up working properly, it will be a major milestone for the video industry in general and broadband video specifically.

What do you think? Post a comment now.

(Side note: I was also encouraged to see Time Warner move Turner Broadcasting System veteran Andy Heller to vice chairman yesterday overseeing its networks' push for "TV Everywhere." His role as champion of TV Everywhere gives the initiative added heft. Still, the bottom line here, as explained above, is that the back-end technology must be in place before any programming starts to flow. I hope he has this priority in his new role.)

Jambo Media has moved video syndication another step forward with the official release of "Jambocast," an all-in-one video syndication platform. Jambocast, which is available for white-label licensing, essentially allows vertically-focused web sites to build out their own private video syndication networks. For web site that either don't have their own video, or want to augment what they do have, syndicating video into their sites is a great option. Jambo's CEO Rob Manoff recently explained to me how Jambocast works.

Jambocast follows on the company's success with its own video syndication network, Jambo Video Network (JVN). According to comScore, JVN ranked #18 in March '09, with 9M unique visitors and 37M video streams (U.S. only). As Rob noted, JVN has taught the company a ton about what's required to build and run a syndication network, lessons it has incorporated into the development of Jambocast.

First and foremost is the importance of offering a comprehensive solution. Rob explained that what he sees as unique about Jambocast is that it offers each piece part of what a syndicator would need - a "video syndication network-in-a-box." Customers get a customizable video player, ad management (which is also integrated with 3rd party ad networks), publisher/syndication management, content management and tracking/reporting. Jambocast's goal is to make it easy to get up and running and start making money. As Rob says, "we're a bunch of ad network guys building a video network with an ad network mentality."

Jambocast also responds to what content providers have been telling Jambo for a while: they want full control of where their content resides. Though embedding has become highly popular, Rob sees Jambocast as the "anti-embed alternative," for content providers who want hyper-distribution, but without risk of their brands ending up in undesirable places. Jambocast's syndication management features give web sites the tools to offer 3rd party content providers comfort.

Jambocast is getting quick traction - customers on board include Mondo Media (adult animation), KidsTube (video aggregator for kids), a large pet-related site (undisclosed for now) plus 6-8 others signed up, but also not yet disclosed.

Jambocast is a classic example of how syndication is continues to permeate the broadband video ecosystem. Though it's distinct, I'd put Magnify.net and KickApps in a somewhat similar orbit, with the former placing more emphasis on UGC and the latter more on social media features. Yet all are part of what I refer to as the Syndicated Video Economy, which continues to grow in influence. Having already made its own syndication network profitable, Jambo is now also going to help others do the same.

What do you think? Post a comment now.

(note: Jambo Media is a VideoNuze sponsor)

The ad management company Adap.tv has taken the wraps off its new "Player Partner Program" this morning. Initial partners include Brightcove, thePlatform, Mogulus, VMIX, Twistage and Kaltura. All are now integrated with Adap.tv's "OneSource" ad management system.

Yesterday, Dakota Sullivan, Adap.tv's VP of Marketing told me that though the company has been working with Brightcove and thePlatform informally to date, the new program will provide more structure to partners. Included are a central location on the Adap.tv web site for partners for promotional purposes along with other co-marketing and technology updates. No cash is changing hands with partners though, as Adap.tv tries to maintain neutrality.

These types of partnership programs are springing up all around the broadband video ecosystem, as companies continue to carve out their specific niches, and seek to benefit from partners' marketing efforts in a resource-constrained environment. I expect we'll continue to see them get rolled out.

EveryZing, the search and publishing technology firm, is announcing this morning that it has raised a third round of $8.25M from GE/NBC's Peacock Equity Fund and existing investors, bringing its total funding to date to $22M. In conjunction with the funding NBC Universal will integrate EveryZing's four products into NBC's Media Works platform for deployment across all of NBCU's online properties. Tom Wilde, EveryZing's CEO confirmed it was a flat round and gave me some further details last Friday.

Tom believes that EveryZing is the only 3rd party technology provider that has been integrated across Media Works. This has two key benefits - first, it means EveryZing's products will be readily available to all NBCU properties, thereby minimizing upfront work involved with each successive deployment. And second, the pre-negotiated pricing and standing purchase order means individual properties (and EveryZing) will avoid time-consuming negotiations each time around.

I've been bullish on EveryZing in the past (here and here) as I think their focus on generating metadata for and indexing all content forms (video, audio, text and image) allows content providers to leverage consumers' huge adoption of search. With respect to video specifically, I've long thought that one of the key inhibitors of online viewership has simply been lack of robust discovery in traditional search environments (e.g. Google, Yahoo, etc.). EveryZing addresses this, essentially merging video's surging popularity with search's universal acceptance. One other key benefit this leads to is enhanced targetability of ads.

Tom's been an evangelist on these fronts, recently publishing "Is Your SEM Strategy Ready for Web 3.0," which makes very salient points about how content consumption is shifting from a traditional "container" paradigm to new "objects" paradigm. In the old model, content providers packaged their works into discreet units (e.g. newspapers, albums, etc.). More recently though the content itself has atomized into "objects", which consumers in turn package themselves (e.g. playlists, RSS feeds, etc.). Lacking their historical packaging heft, content providers must find new ways to associate objects, lest many be left undiscovered, and therefore unmonetized.

Tom explained how this notion is at play in the NBC deal. Obviously NBC has a sprawling content empire, which it wants to fully expose across all of its disparate audiences. But until now, even clearly related content hasn't always been shared with users. Worse, this means that interested ad dollars may not be able to find enough inventory to be allocated against, leaving money on the table.

With EveryZing, NBC's goal is to be able to describe and index all of its content, allowing it to drive improved discovery and monetization. In the non-linear video-on-demand world that defines the broadband video experience, my sense is that these capabilities will become more and more valuable.

What do you think? Post a comment now.

Daisy Whitney, my podcast colleague and omnipresent broadband video industry reporter, has recently released an excellent 25-page E-Book on fair use. It is titled "Keeping You and Your Content Out of Court" is a solidly researched piece on an extremely gray subject area that has tripped up even some of the biggest content creators. If you've ever been concerned about how much of someone else's content you can freely use in your work, and what the guidelines for such usage are, this E-Book is a must-read.

The E-Book is available here, with a VideoNuze discount (enter code "VideoNuze" at checkout), for $31.50. Note, there's no commission in this for me.

In this short interview below, Daisy explains what you can expect.

VideoNuze: Tell us more about the E-Book you've written. What are the key benefits to readers?

Daisy Whitney: For the E-Book I interviewed more than a dozen leading copyright attorneys and IP experts, asking for their understanding of fair use and how they advise their clients. I describe the most important fair use court rulings of the last 35 years and what they mean in day-to-day practice. The E-Book gives content creators the tools and "litmus tests" they need to assess whether a video they've created complies with fair use standards. The book is a cost-effective alternative to hiring a lawyer to address these kinds of questions. I hope that creators will learn how to evaluate, edit and distribute their work in a way that avoids any legal troubles.

VN: Why does "fair use" matter to online video creators in the first place?

DW: The fair use doctrine from U.S. Copyright law impacts many decisions video creators make about their videos. For example: What if you wanted to play background music in a video? Can you zoom in on a copyrighted photograph on a web site in your video? And how about incorporating a 5 or 10 second video clip from a TV show? Are you allowed to do any of these things or are you putting yourself at risk of being sued? The answers are not black and white. Just ask the mom of two who shot a video of her toddler dancing to a Prince song and is now being sued by Universal Music Group!

VN: At a high level, what makes compliance with fair use such a gray area?

DW: Fair use - like many areas of law - is ultimately an art, not a science. That's why lawyers have jobs! Fair use isn't a law per se, it's a set of standards, which can be either a sword or a shield. I have distilled what I heard from the lawyers and experts I interviewed into a set of guidelines and precedents which I think will be invaluable for content creators.

VN: Can you give a couple examples of how fair use has been viewed by the courts?

DW: The Harry Potter case - Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling vs. RDR Books, is a great example because it helps to define the concept of "transformative" work, which is an important fair use standard. In the case, Warner/Rowling argued that a new online encyclopedia being written with the use of Potter materials would have competed with a similar project Potter author Rowling was also working on. The court ruled that the new encyclopedia did not significantly alter or change the original work so as to become a wholly new work, therefore it was not considered fair use. Ultimately the author added his own comments and critiques, "transforming" his encyclopedia into a new work and qualifying for fair use.

VN: What are the main things an online video creator can do to comply with fair use conventions?

DW: For starters, they should educate themselves about fair use. For instance, some people still believe there's a mythical "15 second rule" that freely allows you to use 15 seconds of someone else's work. That's not true! If your use of someone else's work causes marketplace harm and infringes someone else's commercial rights, that's where you'll get into hot water. So again, the goal of "transforming" the original work into something new is paramount.

Below is the 15th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for May 8, 2009.

Daisy Whitney and I are back on track with our weekly VideoNuze Report podcast. This week Daisy adds more detail to a story she wrote for TV Week, "Targeted Ads: The Holy Grail?" which explores some recent ad targeting successes and ongoing challenges.

On the same targeting theme, I discuss a post I wrote earlier this week "Food2: A New Example of How Cable Networks Leverage Broadband." Scripps Networks, owner of Food Network and other lifestyle cable channels recently launched Food2, a destination targeted to the age 21-34 demo. It's a move that I believe will be closely watched by other channels looking to benefit from broadband's rise by "super-serving" specific audiences.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 38 seconds)

Click here for previous podcasts

The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!