VideoNuze Posts

Just weeks after closing its acquisition of Time Warner, AT&T has begun the process of revamping HBO’s traditional success formula, with Netflix envy apparently the main catalyst. According to a new NY Times article detailing a town hall meeting that Warner Media CEO John Stankey had with HBO employees, the new strategy boils down to wanting HBO to produce vastly more content with a goal of driving up engagement time and growth.

That sounds a lot like the formula that Netflix has employed for years, spending billions of dollars per year on scores of original programs in a global land grab for subscribers, while de-emphasizing profit maximization. Of course Wall Street has fallen in love with Netflix’s approach. Conversely, HBO has pursued a more limited “boutique” content strategy, with a few key marquee programs, while maximizing profitability.

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At our recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, the “Video’s Programmatic Roadmap” session explored how programmatic is becoming more mainstream in premium video, why connected TV is a huge growth area, how brand safety and viewability are being ensured, the various ways data is being used by both advertisers and publishers, plus lots more.

Participating on the session were Melissa Bonnick (SVP, Programmatic Strategy, Affiperf/Havas), Eric Hoffert (SVP, Video Technology, AppNexus), Sean Holzman (Chief Digital Revenue Officer, Bonnier), Keren Katz (Head of Bidder and Buyer Development, Programmatic, Microsoft), with Brian Leder (Partner, Chief Strategy Officer, Promatica Consulting), moderating.

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There’s a ton of innovation driving the video industry and video advertising forward. At our recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, our innovation session focused on areas like voice-activated video search and monetization, mobile/vertical video, optimizing the ad experience, how organizations can build innovative video cultures and much more.

Participating on the session were Corbin de Rubertis (VP of Innovation, Meredith Digital), Henry Embleton (Head of Ad Products and Revenue, Ellation), Kevin McGurn (Chief Sales Officer, Vevo) with Eric John (Deputy Director, Video, IAB) moderating.

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Video ad tech provider Cedato has introduced a new video ad format called “IntentView.” The ad appears for 5-6 seconds as a picture-in-picture corner window with audio off as the video content runs. On the desktop if the viewer hovers their mouse over the window, it expands to the full player, initiates audio and pauses the content (on mobile the viewer has to click). In this way the format is entirely opt-in and 100% viewable.

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We were fortunate to once again have 2 senior ad agency executives participate in a fireside chat at the recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit to discuss their thoughts on the NewFronts and Upfronts, and what’s ahead in 2018.

Maureen Bosetti (Chief Partnerships Officer, Initiative) and Mike Law (EVP, Managing Director of Media Investment, Dentsu Aegis Network U.S.) were interviewed by Matt Prohaska (CEO and Principal, Prohaska Consulting) on a variety of specific topics, including how their agencies are using data and leveraging technology, their advice for ad tech providers, how technology is impacting their staffing and organizational structures, the role of programmatic and how the next generation of buyers is being educated, plus much more.

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As more TV viewing moves to streaming, connected TV is emerging as the most important new source of premium ad-supported inventory. At our recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, we dug into this unfolding opportunity on a session Rich Calacci (Chief Revenue Officer, Pluto TV), Jim Keller (VP, Sales, Hulu), Frank Sinton (Founder, Beachfront Media), Seth Walters (VP, Demand Partnerships, Roku), with Colin Dixon (Principal Analyst, nScreenMedia), moderating.

The panel explored the key advantages of connected TV ads, including enhanced targetability (at the user level), measurability, in-flight optimization and real-time feedback loops. The panelists also noted that with more cord-cutting happening, CTV is a critical way to reach certain households and build cross-screen campaigns. Still, the panelists noted that it’s relatively early days for CTVs, as virtually all TV will be streamed within 5 years.

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I’m pleased to present the 426th edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

First up on this week’s podcast, we discuss Magid’s latest research showing another uptick in cord-cutting intent among pay-TV subscribers, especially for millennials. Even sports fans are now considering cutting the cord. Perhaps most surprising, cost is no longer the main motivator; it’s not watching enough TV to make it worth it.

That’s indicative of more pay-TV subscribers shifting their viewership to SVOD, and suggesting an opportunity for low-cost virtual pay-TV operators to gain momentum. One such player, Sling TV just made some interesting updates to its service this week which we discuss.

I think the Magid research is part of the reason why we need to revise how we talk about cord-cutting. Increasingly, I think an equally, if not more appealing, option for prospective cord-cutters will be downgrading to a skinny bundle, rather than dropping entirely. More on this on VideoNuze soon.


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