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Grammy Awards partner with CBS for digital experience

NewTeeVee - 10 hours 45 min ago

In these heady two-or-three-screen days, the Grammy Awards has been a classic case study in how social media engagement can pay off ratings-wise. Viewership of the on-air broadcast have increased dramatically since 2009 in younger demographics, with no small amount of credit due to the increasingly elaborate digital campaigns implemented by the Recording Academy.

This year, the main action can be found on Grammy Live, a three-day orgy of live-streaming and social media beginning this Friday and continuing through Sunday, February 12. The events covered will include host-anchored behind-the-scenes coverage (with talent including Alison Haislip and John Norris) and video of other events leading up to the awards, including the MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute honoring Paul McCartney.

While last year, Grammy Live was powered by YouTube’s then-fledgling live-streaming service, this time the awards are working directly with CBS for interactive content, using Akamai (a AKAM) and AEG Digital Media’s internal player to deliver the live stream.

“Partnering with our network partner affords us enhanced opportunities,” Grammy Live executive producer Peter Anton said in a phone interview, such as being able to get more on-air mentions for Grammy Live programming. “It wasn’t part of our overall scheme, but this year there have been broadened opportunities through this new partnership.”

On Sunday, the live stream will follow awards attendees from their limos to the post-show after parties, with multiple camera angles available backstage during the show. Basically, any video you could possibly imagine watching will be accessible via Grammy.com and the Grammy Live iOS apps (optimized for both iPad and iPhone) for a true two- or three-screen experience — except for the actual Grammy Awards, which will only be watchable on CBS.

After the show, the Grammys will once again face the problem they had last year: actually getting the live performances from the broadcast online in a reasonable amount of time. Unfortunately, the issue remains the same — each performance must be individually approved for release by the artist and rights holders before the Grammys can post it, which isn’t the most efficient of processes.

“We’ve created a mechanism to deliver content almost instantly, and we hope to have most available on iTunes and Vevo right after the show, but we’re still subject to outside approval forces that we just can’t control,” Recording Academy CMO Evan Greene said in a phone interview.

While the Grammys have added an on-site opportunity to expedite getting those releases, the fact remains that if Adele isn’t happy with how she sounds next week, the Grammys won’t be able to officially release her performance.

But despite the limitations of the industry being celebrated, the Grammys are still finding ways to push digital content. A Facebook contest has given up-and-coming band The Almost Kings the opportunity to play a half-hour set on Grammy Live; a deal with Pepsi and Pandora has lead to an original video series spotlighting this year’s Best New Artist nominees.

And then there’s We Are Music, a sort of visual playlist creator powered by Rdio that allows you to combine photos and 30 second clips of music for an iTunes Visualizer-esque experience that you can then share with others (like so). “Music is a part of us. It pens our love letters. It delivers our motivational speeches…” the site says. “Now it’s time to bring your story to life.” It’s kind of cheesy. It’s also kind of true.

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Categories: Video News

Survey says: Hollywood could make more money without windows

NewTeeVee - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 17:45

Surveys conducted and sponsored by research firm BTIG suggest that movie viewers might actually spend more money on films, if they were available online or on cable video-on-demand services at the same time as they are available in theaters. The post from BTIG’s Richard Greenfield (free registration required to view) details three different surveys conducted over the last few weeks, which asked respondents to forecast their theatrical and home entertainment spending if windows were to collapse.

All of the surveys leveraged Survey Monkey to poll respondents, but the most complete of the three polled the Survey Monkey Audience (SMA) network, racking up 1,124 responses. About 70 percent of respondents from the SMA survey said their spending on entertainment wouldn’t change if priced in the $20-$25 range. But while the majority of users predict no change, the number who say they would spend more outnumber those who predict they would spend less by three to one.

According to Greenfield, that group appeared to be price-sensitive and more likely representative of today’s average consumer that respondents from the other surveys. Those who expected to spend more would be doing so because they saw cost savings from concessions and parking outweighing the difference in price and convenience of watching at home. In addition, some respondents suggested that they were unhappy with the current moviegoing experience.

In aggregate, the survey shows that Hollywood studios would likely make more revenue with the collapse of movie windows. More importantly, those sales would come with better margins since they wouldn’t be sharing with exhibitors. The fear seems to be that putting pressure on the theatrical window could cause some exhibitors to go out of business, which would in turn destroy that distribution channel.

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Categories: Video News

With 100m uniques, Taboola adds live video discovery

NewTeeVee - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 14:25

Video discovery startup Taboola has been growing fast, adding top publishing partners like BusinessWeek and The Washington Post, as well as expanding into the live streaming video vertical. Those new partners have helped drive growth for Taboola, which now reaches more than 100 million uniques a month.

According to data from Quantcast, Taboola has reach of more than 110 million unique visitors a month. Of those viewers, more than 65 million are in the U.S. alone. As a result, Taboola generates more than 300 million recommendations every day, CEO and founder Adam Singolda told me by email.

While Taboola, which provides a widget for recommended videos, has traditionally been used by news publishers like the New York Times who are trying to expand their available video inventory and advertising revenues, it’s been tapped by two new partners in the live streaming vertical. Ustream and Major League Gaming now both make Taboola recommendations available to their viewers.

With the move to provide recommendations for live streaming viewers, Taboola has had to add capabilities beyond just the contextual targeting that it typically uses to match up video recommendations for users. Because videos are live, the recommendations engine doesn’t have as much data to go on. So Taboola is providing recommendations based on behavioral targeting while viewers are watching live streams.

Outside of the live video market, Taboola has also added new partners. Those include BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, Food Network, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Caller, Ask Men and Gannett’s Navy Times. With some of those publishers, the Taboola video widget is on every page of their websites.

As publishers try to expand their use of video, they need ways to highlight the content that they’ve produced. Taboola can not only provide recommendations, but can also expand the amount of video available to viewers by recommending those from other publishers and sharing revenues between them.

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Categories: Video News

What is the mystery “entertainment device” Google is testing?

NewTeeVee - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 09:55

Google is asking the Federal Communications Commission for permission to test a mysterious Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled “entertainment device,” in employees homes in four U.S. cities. So inquiring minds want to know, what exactly is it? And why is Google filing for the experimental license? Does that mean the search giant is getting into manufacturing its own devices?

On the what is it category, it appears to be homebound, so it could perhaps be a set-top-box style device, or a new addendum to Google TV. Here’s what Google’s application, which was filed in December, offers in terms of information:

Google is developing an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment. The device is in the prototyping phase and will be modified prior to final compliance testing. … Users will connect their device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment. This line of testing will reveal real world engineering issues and reliability of networks. The device utilizes a standard WiFi/Bluetooth module, and the planned testing is not directed at evaluating the radio frequency characteristics of the module (which are known), but rather at the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device, as well as the basic functionality of the device. From this testing we hope to modify the design in order to maximize product robustness and user experience. Utilizing the requested number of units will allow testing of real world network performance and its impact on applications running on the device, so that any problems can be discovered and addressed promptly. (emphasis mine)

Google asked to test 252 devices between January 17 through July 17 in Mountain View,Calif.; New York, Cambridge, Mass. and Los Angeles. Its employees will have them, so maybe you can hit a Google employee’s home to watch the Super Bowl and then start sniffing around.

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Categories: Video News

VideoNuze Report Podcast #119 - YouTube's Original Channels

VideoNuze.com Analysis - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 08:05

I'm pleased to be joined once again by Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, for the 119th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for Feb. 3, 2012. In this week's podcast we discuss YouTube's original channels strategy.

As I wrote earlier this week, I think YouTube's approach is quite compelling, and although it's still very early, the disruptive potential is high. In a sense I see YouTube as trying to "out-cable cable," by introducing niche and micro-niche programming that leverage its low-cost, interactive distribution platform reaching a global audience of 800 million viewers each month. It's awfully tempting for incumbent broadcasters and cable networks to dismiss the efforts as lower quality and therefore not competitive, but history shows things that start modestly often have a way of improving dramatically (take ESPN's evolution as one great example).

Colin zeroes in on YouTube's interactive attributes and the favorable economics of online video delivery as being a key differentiators from today's TV landscape. As one who worked on so called interactive TV (or "ITV") efforts in its early days, Colin has a great perspective on this. He thinks YouTube's programming can be distinctive because, by definition, it can capitalize on its inherent connected Internet platform. That, combined with YouTube's native engaged user base, gives YouTube a whole new opportunity to change viewing experiences. Colin highlights a recent TDG survey of iPad users that revealed YouTube as the most used app (by 64% of users), which surpassed even iTunes (53% of users).

Note, this week YouTube head Salar Kamangar did a great on-stage interview with Peter Kafka at the D: Dive Into Media conference where he articulated YouTube's strategy. And for another perspective on YouTube's strength, see this fascinating article about RayWJ, a YouTube-only comedian who's reportedly pulling in $1 million a year from his channel.

Click here to listen to the podcast (21 minutes, 14 seconds)



Click here for previous podcasts

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

Categories: Video News

Where to watch the 2012 Super Bowl live online

NewTeeVee - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:00

Super Bowl weekend is upon us, and this year, the big game is going to be streamed live online for the very first time. Who wants to see the game between the Giants and the Patriots on a tiny laptop screen, you might ask? Cord cutters and other folks without cable or even a TV set for one, but the live stream also comes with some extra perks that the TV broadcast won’t offer: Viewers will be able to select from different camera angles, pause the game and other fun stuff.

Are you one of those people who just watch the game to catch a glimpse of the ads? No worries, you’ll find all of those online as well. There is also a bunch of second-screen action going on this year to deliver tweets and other extra content to your cell phone or iPad while you watch TV. And speaking of mobile: You’ll even be able to watch the entire game on your handset. You know, in case that laptop screen is to big, or you happen to be away from both Internet and TV.

Here’s our growing list of online resources for Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday 02/05:

  • NBCSports.com will show the entire game online starting with some of the pregame action at 2pm ET (11am PT). The kickoff is at 6:30pm ET (3:30pm PT), and the game will feature HD-quality streams from multiple camera angles, DVR-like functionality to pause and replay the action and a number of social features.
  • Verizon subscribers will also be able to stream the game on their phones through the NFL Mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android. More info on the app here.
  • Viewers in Canada will be able to watch the game via Bell’s mobile apps.
  • Twitter has aggregated all the relevant accounts and hash tags to follow in this blog post.
  • Hulu has once again aggregated Super Bowl ads in its Adzone.
  • YouTube has Super Bowl ads, recipes and more in its AdBlitz channel.
  • At least five of the ads shown during the game will use Shazam to offer free downloads, sweepstakes and other stuff meant to entice you to join the second-screen action. More about this on Shazam’s blog.
  • Sports social mobile app PlayUp has teamed up with St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson to chat with football fans during the game.

We’re gonna update this list with additional links in the coming days. Stay tuned!

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Categories: Video News

Web Streaming Is Viacom`s Boon and Bane

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:34

Categories: Video News

ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:31

Categories: Video News

YouTube Network StyleHaul Closes $4.4 Million Funding Round

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:27

Categories: Video News

The Super Bowl Is Dead, Long Live Super Bowl Commercials

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:25

Categories: Video News

CPG, Health Top Video Advertisers, Digital VIdeo To HIt $5.4B

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:20

Categories: Video News

AOL to Launch Huffington Post Streaming Network in Second Quarter

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:19

Categories: Video News

Surprise: Honda`s `Ferris Bueller` Ad Is Most-Watched on the Web

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:17

Categories: Video News

Viacom`s Dauman: Nickelodeon Isn`t Losing Viewers To Netflix

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:15

Categories: Video News

MSNBC Digital Network Selects Unicorn Media Video Technology Platform For Mobile Delivery

VideoNuze.com News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:13

Categories: Video News

Google TV goes Android 3.2, next up Ice Cream Sandwich

NewTeeVee - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 10:16

Google rolled out a significant update to its Google TV platform this week, which started to reach Sony’s Google TV devices a few days ago. The update brings Google TV to Android Honeycomb 3.2, which makes this the last big update before the platform migrates to Android 4, a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich. The new software has so far only been made available to Sony devices, but an update to Logitech’s Revue is forthcoming.

Here’s what’s new to this update:

  • Google TV now supports hardware acceleration, which should make apps with animation effects much snappier.
  • Updated devices also support HTTP Live Streaming. This should not only help with HTML5 web video, but finally make local media streaming through apps like Plex work on the platform.
  • Improvements to the way Google TV identifies channels will make it easier for app developers to build their own EPGs.
  • Google TV’s Chrome browser was also gets an uplift.

So when will Ice Cream Sandwich come to Google TVs? We asked a Google spokesperson, but didn’t receive a reply in time for this story. There are rumors that the Ice Cream Sandwich update will be made available before the end of the year. Google TV folks have said in the past that there will be smaller updates throughout the year, with a bigger emphasis being put on updating apps for the platform in the coming months.

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Categories: Video News

Showyou’s latest update adds more ways to discover videos

NewTeeVee - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 09:00

Currently most online video services have a sort of hunt-and-peck approach to finding things you might want to watch. You pick a video, watch it and then when it’s done you have to hunt down something else that might be of interest. But the latest version of Remixation’s Showyou app attempts to simplify the discovery process by making discovering new videos easier and more enjoyable.

The latest version of Showyou includes new ways to navigate content by category or by the social network that they’re pulled in from. There’s also a way for users to search and see all content curated by hashtag on Showyou and via Twitter. Finally, the update provides more information about others that you follow and gives you the ability to see what they’ve been sharing b clicking on a user’s avatar.

The trick to what makes Showyou work is that videos play in-line, without users having to exit the app. That reduces the amount of time it takes between finding videos, and there’s always something interesting being shared in the grid. Showyou displays videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Break Media, some Viacom shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, as well as videos from The Verge, TED and other Internet publishers. Altogether, the Showyou app pulls in about 5 million videos a day, according to Remixation CEO Mark Hall, or about 150 to 200 each second during peak times.

That’s led to huge amounts of user engagement for its users. While session times on most video sites typically run less than 10 minutes, Showyou users watch about 35 to 40 minutes of video whenever they open the app, or about eight videos per session on average. Online video needs better discovery mechanisms for users, and apps like Showyou are helping to increase viewership and keep users tuned in.

(Disclosure: Remixation is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of this blog, Giga Omni Media. Om Malik, founder of Giga Omni Media, is also a venture partner at True.)

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Categories: Video News

Video Syndicators Are Finding Success in Sports Category

VideoNuze.com Analysis - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 08:33

The power of the video syndication model is on full display in the online sports category, where 2 of the top 3 properties in December, 2011 were little known, early stage video syndicators, rather than well-known media brands and sports leagues. As the chart below shows, the #2 slot belonged to CineSport, a company I wrote about 6 months ago, with 15.7 million unique viewers while the #3 position went to Perform Sports, a year-old entrant, with 14.6 million unique viewers. Both trailed ESPN with 24.7 million unique viewers, but were still well ahead of stalwarts like CBS, Turner and Fox. Earlier this week I spoke to Juan Delgado, Managing Director of Perform Americas to learn more about its syndication formula.
[ReadMore]

As background, Perform is a public company in the U.K. which operates numerous sports-related sites of its own and for partners, and distributes video to multiple parties, including online bookmakers and traders. In 2010 Perform launched its "ePlayer" division, which licenses sports highlights from rights-holders and offers an embeddable video player to distribution partners. Perform sells all the ads and shares revenue with the distributors, which currently number over 1,000 globally. In the U.S. the group includes web sites of mainly local media properties like NY Post, NY Daily News, Boston Herald, Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate.com). Yesterday Perform also announced the LA Times and Sporting News on AOL as new distribution partners.

On these sites, in selected sports pages, you'll see Perform's ePlayer embedded, offering multiple sports highlights. A key deal for Perform is the exclusive rights for Major League Baseball highlights for distribution to local media properties. In addition, it offers highlights from NBA, NHL, NASCAR, UFC, along with professional soccer and golf, and men's basketball from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. Perform curates these highlights into playlists and distributes them via the ePlayer to its local distribution partners.  Unlike CineSport, which also produces its own original content featuring local sports journalists, Perform focuses solely on highlights, which Juan believes are the highest value to both viewers and advertisers.

Aside from their differences in content strategy, both Perform and CineSport are succeeding with the same core ad-supported syndication model. They are each part of the "syndicated video economy" I've been writing about since 2008, demonstrating that in the online video era it's very important to distribute content to where audiences already are, as opposed to focusing exclusively on driving eyeballs to a specific destination. In the case of ESPN, for example, which has the most powerful brand in the sports industry, the destination model works. But for practically all others, and particularly for the numerous properties that are resource-constrained, syndication provides great content, at low cost and with revenue upside. It also unlocks additional online revenue for sports rights-holders.

Both Perform and CineSport recognize these dynamics, and as online video viewership continues growing and the ad-supported model matures, I expect each will see ongoing success.

Categories: Video News

Who Is RayWJ? YouTube`s Top Star

VideoNuze.com News - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 04:18

Categories: Video News

Video Ad Management firm Vindico Expands Operations in France and Spain

VideoNuze.com News - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 04:05

Categories: Video News

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All posts in this blog are provided as is with no warranties, and confer no rights. The views expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not of my employer. I currently work for Microsoft

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