VideoNuze Posts

I'm pleased to present the 237th edition of the VideoNuze podcast with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

This week we dive deep into the question of whether YouTube is indomitable or vulnerable to new competitors. Colin observes that the 45% revenue split YouTube keeps has opened the door for everyone from Vessel (former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar's startup) to Yahoo to others to approach YouTube stars about better deal terms. Major MCNs like Maker Studios (acquired by Disney) and Fullscreen (rumored to be acquired by Otter Media) are expanding beyond YouTube with their own properties.

However, I don't see much changing with the revenue split, except maybe the largest players getting improved terms. For both established and startup content providers, YouTube offers unparalleled audience reach, publishing tools and monetization. I offer a few examples as proof of YouTube's power: PewDiePie (which now has an astounding 29 million subscribers), Vice News (a pure YouTube news channel now able to take over the NYTimes.com's masthead ad) and Sorted Food (a British startup that has gained 870K+ subscribers on YouTube and now tops its Food category).

For all of these content providers and tons of others, YouTube provides an open, flexible distribution platform unlike anything before it in the media business. Ad splits will continue to be a bone of contention, but YouTube is poised to only get stronger going forward.

(Related, Colin has a complimentary new white paper on how to win and retain OTT customers available here.)

Listen in to learn more!

Click here for previous podcasts

Click here to add the podcast feed to your RSS reader.

The VideoNuze podcast is also available in iTunes...subscribe today!

European broadcast and entertainment giant RTL Group has bought a 65% stake in online video ad platform SpotXchange for $144 million, plus an earnout based on performance and an option to buy the remaining 35%. SpotXchange will continue to operate as an independent company, with CEO Mike Shehan saying that funds will be used to accelerate growth, particularly in Europe.

continue reading

Cloud-based online video publishing company thePlatform has partnered with Verizon Digital Media Services to help drive multi-screen video delivery for pay-TV operators and content providers. Under the deal, VDMS services have been integrated with thePlatform's mpx video management system, forming a solution that will be jointly sold. The primary benefit is streamlined online video workflow which can be managed from a unified console.

Key to the integration is Verizon's single-format video acquisition and distribution capability, which is primarily attributable to VDMS's acquisition of upLynk last November. upLynk enables content to be encoded one time, with the resulting adaptive stream working across all devices, thereby reducing complexity. upLynk complements the EdgeCast content delivery network which Verizon also acquired late last year.

continue reading

As devices continue to proliferate, reaching viewers across multiple screens is becoming an imperative for advertisers. At the recent Video Ad Summit, one of our sessions focused on how advertisers are beginning to do this and what challenges remain. Participants included Larry Adams (Mindshare), Josh Chasin (comScore), Rob Holmes (Comcast), Chuck Parker (Brightcove), Katie Seitz (Tremor), with moderator Jeff Lanctot (Mixpo).

watch the session video

There's a ton of activity in programmatic ad buying against online video, which is now starting to reach TV inventory as well. In a session at the recent Video Ad Summit, Chris Smith, VP, Emerging Media at Turn and John Holmes, Partner at Sq1, explained how they are beginning to automate TV ad buying using programmatic tools and based on users' digital behaviors.

Chris and John presented 3 short case studies demonstrating how this works with cable and satellite operators, along with some of the results. While they both admit it's still very early days for programmatic TV, it's clearly a trend that's starting to develop.

watch the session video

Here's a great example of how convoluted the media ecosystem has become: if you visit NYTimes.com today, you'll notice that upstart Vice News has taken over the masthead ad position. I check NYTimes.com every day and this is the first time I've noticed the Vice News ad though it's possible it has run previously. Vice News positions itself as "an international news organization created by and for a connected generation" and still carries a "beta" label.

The ad itself runs a series of protest scenes from what looks like Ukraine, with periodic statements interspersed like "You go to both sides of the front line," "Look beyond the headlines," "Follow the story wherever it leads" and "Don't just watch the news." Clicking "Watch Now" starts a loop with similar scenes and statements. There is a click through to the Vice News site on YouTube and ability to subscribe (the counter shows 588,220 subscribers so far).

continue reading

A new survey by rich media ad provider Jivox has found that 75% of advertisers are running multi-screen ad campaigns, with 83% of the remainder planning to do so in 2014. The top reason for not currently running multi-screen campaigns, cited by 51% of respondents, was lack of technology. The survey included 130 executives at leading ad agencies.

continue reading on VideoNuze iQ

Viewability has emerged as one of the hottest topics in the online video industry this year, for good reason - video ads that aren't seen diminish the advertiser's ROI and undermine the integrity of the market.

However, the industry is addressing viewability and at the recent Video Ad Summit, IAB presented a session that dug into the details. Participants included Rob Brett (Viacom), Tal Chalozin (Innovid), David Gunzerath (MRC) and Julian Zilberbrand (Zenith Optimedia) with Matt Prohaska moderating.

watch the session video