Posts for 'Podcast'

Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 54th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 26, 2010.

This week Daisy starts us off by reviewing new research on the iPad's appeal as an ebook reader. Daisy also reviews sobering forecasts suggesting that the iPad is unlikely to change people's willingness to pay for content (regarding video specifically, Daisy and I agreed a while back that for now its impact for video specifically is likely to negligible). I'm not convinced the iPad will trigger a wave of people willing to pay for content, but I do believe any iPad research is still very preliminary. It's only when users get their hands on the device that we'll really start to learn how impactful it is. The iPad is of already available for pre-order and is set to debut in stores late next week.

We then shift topics and discuss my post from earlier this week, "Here's How Google TV Will Work - And What It Might Mean," in which I described Google's new set-top box and the company's strategy for entering the market. Google's move is likely to set off a fascinating negotiating dynamic with incumbent video service providers, and Daisy and I get into some more of the details.

(Note, Daisy's mic isn't working that well on this podcast, so please be patient)

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 13 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 53rd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 19, 2010.

This week Daisy and I dig into my post from this past Wednesday, "The Battle Over Movie Rentals is Intensifying" in which I described a new $30 million ad campaign that launched this week to promote consumer awareness of movies accessible through cable TV operators' Video-on-Demand (VOD) initiatives. The campaign is being funded by 8 Hollywood studios and 8 cable operators and will run for the next 12 weeks.

In the post I noted how the so-called "day-and-date" availability of movies on VOD (simultaneous with their DVD release), plus the consumer convenience of immediate viewing on the TV, are key VOD differentiators. In today's podcast Daisy and I explore how compelling these differentiators actually are, and how other options such as Netflix, Amazon and iTunes compare. After trying to explain the nuances a bit further, Daisy's reaction was that this stuff is so confusing that "her head is swimming."

Daisy's hardly an amateur, so if that's her reaction, one can easily imagine how many consumers will react as well, as they are bombarded with movie rental offers. Trying to figure out what movie viewing option(s) best meet their needs is going to take some work. But hey, nobody ever said that having a lot of choices is necessarily a lot of fun! Listen in to learn more.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 45 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 52nd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 5, 2010.

First up this week I discuss my post from this past Monday, "ABC.com is Now Achieving 'DVR Economics' for Its Programs," in which I described how ABC is now generating roughly the same revenue per program per viewer in online as it is when its programs are watched in DVR playback mode. Albert Cheng, EVP of Digital Media at Disney-ABC had explained to me last week that ABC recently concluded that since online and DVR are both "catch-up" opportunities, it was more appropriate to compare them to each other than to on-air.

Key to this logic is that ABC maintains a release window for its programs, with them being posted on the site 4-6 hours after broadcast. As a result, people who really want to see the program when it's first available still watch on-air (and may in fact re-watch online or via DVR). As long as there's an audience for broadcast, and online doesn't cannibalize it, the logic makes sense to me. Albert also explained that there's further upside in online through increasing the ad load, which is something ABC has experimented with.

Daisy picks up on that point, noting that CBS's Anthony Soohoo told her in an interview for Beet.tv that CBS is considering moving to a full ad load online because the online and on-air experience are converging, which suggests to them that viewers would tolerate more ads. We dig into the interplay between online and DVR usage, which I think is increasingly going to be a key focus for networks in how they choose to monetize online viewing.

Wrapping up, we review what some of the social media "listening" sites that are tracking the Oscar predictions are saying. Daisy appears officially addicted to following the online chatter.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 41 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 50th (woohoo!) edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for February 19, 2010.

This week Daisy first walks us through a piece she's writing for AdAge focused on viral video. In reviewing data on which videos have broken out online, Daisy concludes that invariably they are also supported by related advertising. In other words, viral video isn't accidental any more (if it ever was) - now it must be stoked by paid support. An example Daisy provides is for Evian's "Live Young" babies ad which has been seen online 76 million times. Evian initially promoted the ad with YouTube takeover ads. Daisy also discusses the online performance of Super Bowl ads based on Visible Measures' new Trends application, which shows a big disparity between ads that were viewed heavily online vs. rated highly when seen on TV.

Then we discuss my post, "In Trying to Preserve DVD Sales, Studios are in a Tight Spot," in which I described the lengths to which Hollywood studios are going to squeeze out the last remaining profits from DVD sales. As I explain, while the recession has had a dampening effect on DVD sales, the larger problem is that rather than buying them, increasingly consumers are expecting films to be available for rental or subscription or even for free, with ad support. A number of moves from Disney, Sony and Warner Bros. in the last week underscore the consequences studios face as they try to shore up DVD sales.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 8 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 48th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for February 5, 2010.

This week we get started with me reviewing yesterday's post about FreeWheel now serving close to 2 billion video ads per month and signing up MLB Advanced Media as their newest customer. FreeWheel's Doug Knopper told me that it is benefitting from both its new customers and also from year-over-year increases in ads served for existing customers. FreeWheel is also in the middle of the "syndicated video economy" that I've written before, having integrated with big third parties such as YouTube, AOL, MSN, Fancast and others.

Then Daisy describes her interview from last week's NATPE show with Chloe Sladden, director of media partnership for Twitter. The company is planning to launch its Media Developer's Platform later this year, along with new measurement tools. Daisy shares what she learned.

Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 38 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 46th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for January 22, 2010.

Daisy gets us started today, discussing recent smartphone research from eMarketer. According to the research, in Q4 '09, the percentage of people saying they're interested in purchasing an Android phone jumped from 6% to 21%, while the iPhone's dropped from 32% to 28%, creating a narrow 7% gap. In addition, research on how the phones are actually used revealed extremely similar behavior, with usage skewed toward reading news on the Internet, using apps, social networking and IM.

Daisy's takeaway is that this could be early signals that the smartphone market may be getting commoditized. I add that with the proliferation of Android phones, and the disproportionate amount of retail shelf space they'll soon take up, Apple could well find itself in the familiar spot of competing against a large and growing ecosystem of well-aligned competitors (i.e. similar to competing against the Windows ecosystem). Time will tell.

We then switch gears and I add some more detail to Boxee's plan to offer a payment platform, which it unveiled this week. Boxee's move is yet another effort to shift the online video model from advertising, which has of course accounted for the dominant share of the online video industry's revenue to date. In addition to Boxee, this week we've also seen additional paid model initiatives: YouTube dipped its toe into rentals, rumors resurfaced of Hulu's subscription plans, and, outside the video space, the NYTimes.com's announced plans to erect a pay wall early next year. And that's all on top of TV Everywhere's rollout.

Click here to listen to the podcast (11 minutes, 47 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 43rd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for December 11, 2009.

This week Daisy kicks us off, discussing key trends to look for from early adopters online in 2010, based on her recent interview with Bill Tancer, the author of Click, and the head of research at Hitwise. The insights may surprise you. Daisy also discusses what sites are heating up and tools that are available to help you detect trends yourself.

Then I dig into further detail on my post from yesterday, "Lack of Viewership Data Could Stall TV Everywhere," in which I outline concerns cable TV networks have regarding Nielsen's current inability to measure online viewership of TV programs. Until this is fixed, many networks will be reluctant to provide their primetime programs to TV Everywhere providers as they won't receive ratings credit for programs viewed online. If online viewership were to cannibalize on-air viewing, networks' ratings-based advertising revenues would suffer. Listen in to learn more.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 25 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 42nd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for December 4, 2009.

Today's sole topic is of course the big news of the week, Comcast's acquisition of NBCU. Daisy and I chat about the winners/losers/unknowns that I detailed in my post yesterday. There are a lot of aspects to the Comcast-NBCU deal and the new entity will have wide-ranging implications for the media industry. Listen in to learn more.

Click here to listen to the podcast (15 minutes, 24 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 38th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for October 30th, 2009.

This week Daisy first shares her observations from the recent iMedia Summit, where Julie Roehm, the former CMO of Wal-Mart shared insights about the factors driving brands to shift their ad spending to digital media. Daisy also highlights reasons Roehm gave for why the shift isn't necessarily happening as quickly as it should.

Then I dig into 2 of my posts from earlier this week, "Seeking Cable's Formula for Success in Broadband Video," part 1 and part 2, which were based on panels I moderated at the CTAM Summit (an annual conference of cable industry marketers) in Denver. On the one hand my sense is that the cable industry is trying to get its arms around consumers' shift to broadband video usage, but on the other, I think it is focusing too much on its existing TV platform and not enough on embracing broadband video as a new medium. Listen in to learn more.

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

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 34th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for October 2, 2009.

This week Daisy and I first discuss my post "Break Media Gains Momentum with Branded Content in 2009" in which I describe how Break, a male-focused entertainment community, has used branded content to differentiate itself and increase revenues. Branded content is a relatively new media form where sponsors fund the production process and have significant creative input or outright control.

Break has been able to offer branded content projects as a value ad to sponsors' media buys on its sites by allocating a percentage of the client's media spend to the projects. I describe how Break does this, along with how branded content has helped it separate itself from competitors and grow revenue by a projected 18% this year.

Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 33rd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for September 25, 2009.

This week Daisy and I first discuss Daisy's New Media Minute topic of how technology firms should balance free/revenue-sharing business models with paid/licensed approaches. Daisy reports on two companies that have successfully migrated to licensing. The so-called "Freemium" business model has been in the news a lot recently, especially with Chris Anderson's new book, "Free," so the discussion is timely.

Then I touch on my post earlier this week, "Why the FCC's Net Neutrality Plan Should Go Nowhere," which has generated plenty of reader reaction, and has been circulated widely. I'm very dismayed by new FCC chairman Genachowski's decision to intervene in the well-functioning Internet market, and only hope that as the FCC goes through its planned data collection process, it will rethink things and conclude that no new regulatory action is needed at this time.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 6 seconds)

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