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SpotXchange Rolls Out Real-Time Bidding Application
Video ad network SpotXchange is introducing SpotMarket RTB this morning, an application that offers real-time bidding for online video ad placements.
Using SpotMarket RTB, advertisers, agencies, ad networks and demand side platforms can buy ads on an impression-by-impression basis in SpotXchange's auction-based market which includes 700+ publishers.
Targeting can be refined using SpotXchange's own behavioral targeting and retargeting tools and/or any third-party data sources. Using SpotMarket RTB, advertisers are able to increase their campaigns' performance by reducing waste and focusing on those sites with the best conversion results.
Categories: Advertising, Technology
Topics: SpotXchange
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TokBox Raises $12 Million for In-Browser Video Conferencing
TokBox, a streaming video communications provider, has raised a $12 million Series C round, led by DAG Ventures, to support the rollout of OpenTok, which allows in-browser video conferencing. With the new funding the company has raised $26.4 million to date. I got a demo of OpenTok last week and spoke to company CEO Ian Small and VP of Marketing Micky O'Brien.
What makes OpenTok interesting is that developers can use its JavaScript APIs to build video conferencing right into their web pages. That means that instead of opening separate video chat windows in Skype or other apps,
participants appear within the web page itself. With OpenTok's APIs enabled, the web page "listens" and detects video streams from participants' web cameras. Video is controlled in the cloud by media servers which decide how to route the call to appropriate web pages, via Flash. A set of master controls lets the site owner manipulate the prominence of individual participants. Importantly, no plug-in is required by users. They simply click "Join call" or whatever prompt the web site owner implements to invite participants.
Categories: Deals & Financings, Live Streaming, Technology
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VideoSchmooze:NYC Early Bird Discount Ends Today
The early bird discount for the next VideoSchmooze breakfast/panel ends today. The event will be in New York, on Wednesday, December 1st at The
Samsung Experience, located in the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle. As a little added incentive, early bird ticket holders only will be entered to win a new Samsung connected Blu-ray DVD player (model BD-C6500; I have one and it's awesome).
The topic of our panel, which I'll moderate, is "How Connected and Mobile Devices are Transforming the Video Landscape." Panelists include:
- Charlie Herrin - SVP, Products and Technology, Comcast Interactive Media
- Doug Knopper - Co-CEO and Co-Founder, FreeWheel
- Olivier Manuel - Director of Content, Samsung Electronics
- Steve Robinson - CEO and Founder, Panache
- Jeremiah Zinn - SVP, Digital Products, MTV
The dynamics in connected and mobile device are changing fast and we'll try to untangle what's going on and what's ahead. Just recently we've seen 4 of the broadcast TV networks block Google TV, Apple sell nearly 8 million iPads in its first 5 months, rapid consolidation/M&A among video ad networks, pay-TV operators lose subscribers for the first time ever and plenty more financings for private online/mobile video companies. We'll dig into these topics and more.
The timing of this VideoSchmooze - in the middle of a holiday season where connected and mobile devices are among the hottest gifts - makes our discussion all the more relevant. As with past VideoSchmooze events, attendees can expect a high-impact, interactive, educational session. And if you want to go hands on with any of Samsung's cool products, their team will be on hand to do demos and answer questions.
This VideoSchmooze breakfast is generously sponsored by Akamai Technologies, FreeWheel and Panache. It is being held in association with CTAM's New York chapter. The Fortex Group is providing marketing support.
I hope you'll be able to join us at this special event!
Click here to learn more and register for early bird discountCategories: Events
Topics: VideoSchmooze
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Visible Measures Introduces "Share of Choice" Metric
Media measurement firm Visible Measures has introduced another clever way for brands to follow the success of their online video initiatives, called "Share of Choice." A play on the "Share of Voice" concept in the offline media world,
Share of Choice measures the frequency of consumer viewership of brands' online video ads and content. Share of Voice lets brands measure their own success as well as track competitors' efforts.
By understanding consumers' online preferences and social behavior, brands get up-to-date insight on how well their video is performing, and what potential changes should be made. Because online video is driven entirely by users' interests, Share of Choice becomes a really good gauge not simply of what ads are running (as in traditional TV), but who's choosing to watch and how often. Visible Measures has segmented Share of Choice into 12 different industry reports with subscriptions available to each. Subscription pricing wasn't disclosed.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Analytics, Branded Entertainment
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Clearleap Raises Another $4.5 Million To Accelerate Delivery To Connected Devices
Clearleap, a web-based technology platform, has raised a new $4.5 million round from current investors, bringing total capital raised to $16.8 million. It is also announcing a new "Stream On Demand" solution which is targeted to pay-TV operators who want to deliver authenticated video streams to connected IP devices. Clearleap introduced this concept over the summer by partnering with Roku to allow pay-TV operators deliver video to its devices.
At the time I wrote that the partnership blurred the boundaries between traditional video and broadband-centric or "over-the-top" video distribution. As Clearleap's CEO Braxton Jarratt explained to me the other day, those boundaries will become even more blurry as customers adopt Stream On Demand. With the new solution, pay-TV operators can authenticate, manage quality of service (QOS) and bill for video delivered to connected devices that are either owned by the consumer or by the operator itself. Braxton said that Stream On Demand's first customers will be announced later this year or early next. Clearleap's focus to date has been on incorporating online video into legacy linear and VOD systems.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Deals & Financings, Devices, Technology
Topics: Clearleap
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YuMe Launches Two New Mobile Video Ad Formats For iOS Devices
Video ad technology provider and ad network YuMe is rolling out 2 new mobile ad formats today for use with video played on iOS devices. Both run prior to the video content. Ed Haslam and George O'Brien from YuMe showed them both to me while at NewTeeVee Live yesterday. The "Mobile Connect" unit provides a full-screen video ad which has overlaid icons to link to social media sites, or calls to action like coupons or requesting more information. The "Mobile Billboard" unit is a full-screen display or rich media ad that allows the user to click to watch video and be exposed to other calls to action.
The new mobile video units are available through an SDK with YuMe's ACE for Publishers ad management platform and can be used with YuMe's ad network or other ad networks or direct sales. The ACE platform auto-detects if an iOS device is being used and serves the appropriate ad. Consolidated reporting with online video placements is available for both advertisers and publishers. YuMe's units are further evidence of the mobile video's growth and appeal for both advertisers and publishers.
Categories: Advertising, Mobile Video
Topics: YuMe
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Listening To Hulu's Jason Kilar: Motherhood, Apple Pie - And Reality
Listening to Hulu's CEO Jason Kilar today at NewTeeVee Live, it's hard not to admire what he and the Hulu team have accomplished. For the first time,
Jason disclosed 2010 projected revenues of $240 million, up 10-fold from $24 million in '08 and $108 million in '09, which is pretty impressive growth. As always, Jason's message is extremely user-centric and forward-looking. Hearing him speak, you definitely get a sense of the positive, relentless efforts he's led to improve the service.
A key part of Jason's message is that premium video should, and will be available anytime, anyplace and on any device in the future. It's a wonderful "motherhood and apple pie" message that's hard to argue with as a viewer. Unfortunately it's also a message that's bumping up against some hard realities in the TV business that Hulu is going to have to surmount to ultimately succeed. Here are at least a few of them:
Categories: Advertising, Aggregators, Broadcasters
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AOL Makes Yet Another Move Into Video With Eisner's Vuguru Studio
Another day, another move by AOL to deepen its commitment to online video. Today the company announced that Michael Eisner's independent online video studio Vuguru will produce at least 6 original series for distribution by AOL. Each series will be 90 minutes in length and broken into segments for episodic distribution. The companies are positioning the series as filling a role between high-cost Hollywood content and user-generated content on the low end.
The deal follows AOL's recent acquisition of video syndicator 5Min and its acquisition earlier this year of video platform and production company StudioNow. With 5Min in particular, AOL can further distribute the Vuguru series to a network of third-party publishers as well as on its own site. By expanding reach and leveraging its own ad sales capabilities, AOL is much better positioned to monetize the original content. I would also expect involvement of brands along the way as well, morphing some of the series or episodes into branded content or involving clever product placement. AOL has tied its future heavily to advertising, and clearly recognizes that video offers higher value opportunities than other forms and is therefore pushing hard to create more content and video ad inventory.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Indie Video, Portals
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