Challenges of New Encoding Scenarios: Reflections on Measuring Perceived Quality
05 Nov 2024
While VMAF has been a valuable tool for assessing video quality, its limitations highlight the need for complementary metrics or the development of new assessment methods. These new metrics should address VMAF's shortcomings, especially in the context of modern video encoding scenarios that incorporate AI and other advanced techniques. For the best outcomes, a combination of VMAF and other metrics, both full-reference and no-reference, might be necessary to achieve a comprehensive and accurate assessment of video quality in various applications.
Ozempic for the Cable Industry: From Fat to Skinny Bundles
24 Oct 2024
Philip Inghelbrecht, CEO and founder of Tatari, has closely watched the carriage deals in the cable space and the disruption that streaming continues to cause. Despite the momentum for so-called "skinny bundles," which may placate streaming subscribers and stop the loss of cable subscribers, he discusses why advertisers need to track this evolution and carefully adjust their strategies.
Unlocking the Future of Multichannel Advertising for SMBs by Tapping into Spanish-Speaking Audiences
21 Oct 2024
Matt Robles, VP of Product at Frequence, highlights the significant opportunity for SMBs to grow by targeting the U.S. Spanish-speaking population, which boasts over 60 million individuals and a buying power exceeding $2 trillion. Successful engagement with this demographic requires more than translation—it demands an omnichannel approach that incorporates cultural nuances, offering seamless, personalized advertising across different platforms.
CTV Conversations from Advertising Week 2024
15 Oct 2024
CTV ad spending continues to soar, and it was clear at this year's Advertising Week New York that CTV is no longer just a growing channel, it's a critical part of the advertising ecosystem. With cord-cutting on the rise and average daily CTV viewership for U.S. adults expected to exceed two hours in 2024, the industry's focus on CTV is well-justified. But beyond the numbers, the conversations during the event reflected key challenges and opportunities for brands as they navigate this fast-evolving space.
The Power of Subscriber Data: Why Many Companies Fail to Combat Churn Effectively
02 Oct 2024
Damien Organ, VP of Product Marketing at Cleeng, outlines ways to more deeply understand the power of strategic retention policies and how to activate them to create lasting subscriber relationships.
Want to Assemble an Advanced TV Tech Stack? Keep it Independent
23 Sep 2024
Suvadip Choudhury, Director, Platform and TV Development at Alliant, looks at the three critical pieces that advertisers need for diving into the world of CTV: data, media, and measurement. For each of these, advertisers should look to work with specialists, rather than one company that provides all of them. The reason is that it doesn't make sense for the media and data providers to grade their own homework with measurement.
Why Streamers Need Rural Sports Fans — and Why Quality is Key for Keeping Them Around
11 Sep 2024
Steve Miller-Jones, Vice President, Product Strategy, Netskrt Systems, discusses why streamers need rural sports fans, the reasons quality is key for reducing churn, and how streaming platforms and ISPs can beat buffering problems associated with delivering live sporting events to remote areas.
Interactive Ads: Reshaping Fan Engagement in Live Sports on CTV
03 Sep 2024
This year's NewFronts signaled a paradigm shift in CTV advertising, focusing on interactive experiences. This holds particular promise for live sports, where viewer engagement is paramount. Gijsbert Pols, Ph.D., director of connected TV and new channels at Adjust, discusses the specific applications of hyper-contextualization in live sports advertising, and he explores potential challenges and solutions to jump into the exciting future of sports fan engagement within the ever-evolving CTV landscape.
Contextual CTV Ads Improve UX, Deliver on Key KPIs
26 Aug 2024
Trent Wheeler, Chief Product Officer, Gracenote, discusses contextual ad targeting on CTV, and he outlines the opportunities for brands to improve resonance, favorability, recall, and loyalty by focusing on the content that viewers watch instead of the viewers themselves.
What the 2024 "Summer of Sports" Teaches Us About the Future of Streaming
14 Aug 2024
The summer of 2024 has presented sports programming that rivals any other year in history, including the Copa America finals, Tour de France, NBA finals, two golf majors, ICC World T20, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, an array of F1 Grand Prix's, or the recently finished Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Matt Shapiro, Senior Director of Business Development, Qwilt, discusses the challenges of maintaining a superior QoE across video-on-demand and OTT services and the new formats arising to meet them.
Life Beyond YouTube - The Shift to Creator-Owned Platforms and What It Means for the Creator Economy
13 Aug 2024
Jake Nishimura, Marketing Director of Kiswe, discusses how the creator economy is at a crossroads. While traditional platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube still provide the best opportunities for aspiring creators, more established creators are finding it increasingly difficult to sustain their careers on social media alone. As a result, many popular creators are starting to invest in their own direct-to-consumer (D2C or DTC) subscription streaming platforms citing frustration with the YouTube algorithm and how difficult it is to sustain the level of success they've achieved on a single platform.
CTV is About to Transform Political Campaigns
07 Aug 2024
Tom Cheli, Chief Strategy Officer, Madhive, discusses how Connected TV (CTV) is set to revolutionize political advertising. According to EMARKETER's forecast, CTV penetration will exceed 80% among 25-to 54-year-olds and 75% among 12-to 17-year-olds in 2024. Additionally, 1 in 3 U.S. users subscribe to free ad-supported TV streaming services (FAST), indicating a willingness to accept ads in exchange for free content.
Feeling Woozy? Why Immersive Live Sports Might Be Hard To Stomach, and What Can Be Done About It
16 Jul 2024
Ivo Ivanov of DE-SIX discusses the immersive, multisensory experiences that are changing how people watch sports. However, he discusses studies that have found that 30% - 80% of users have experienced mild to severe short-term side effects of wearing immersive technologies. While immersive streaming might represent the future format for live sports, with an estimated CAGR of 24.64% from 2024 to 2031 to reach $133bn, issues such as poor internet connectivity could derail that growth and stop immersive sports in its tracks.
Why the 2024 Olympics Are a Bigger Opportunity for Advertisers Than Ever
16 Jul 2024
The Olympic Games represent the absolute pinnacle of advertising events. Exciting, triumphant, and inspiring, there's simply no other shared TV experience quite like it. Adam Shapiro of New York Interconnect explains why, in 2024, particularly for U.S. advertisers, the opportunities have never been richer.
Real-time Interactivity: the Missing Monetization Piece for Emerging Streaming Businesses
12 Jul 2024
The streaming business is more competitive than ever. Amid a proliferation of content and viewing devices, battling for consumer attention is tough. Keeping it is even harder. In a market where profitability and engagement are key, real-time interactivity has emerged as a streaming powerplay that can turn passive viewers into active participants and revenue game-changers. But here's the issue: the cost barriers associated with delivering high-quality video are preventing many emerging streaming companies from experimenting with interactivity. Hunter Hillman of Livepeer Studio discusses ways providers can sidestep these barriers to unlock real-time interactivity.
AI: The Secret Weapon for FAST Channels Competing in a Crowded Market
11 Jul 2024
The landscape of Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels has significantly shifted in the last 12 months. Once dominated by niche content providers, the market has witnessed a surge in activity from major studios and broadcasters. This influx of premium programming has brought a new level of competition, forcing FAST channels to adapt and optimize their offerings to stay afloat.
The Complexities of Sports Streaming Requires Continuous Testing
07 Jun 2024
Adrian Garcia of Applause writes about how the intersection of streaming, sports, and gambling has created a dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape. As streaming technology improves and sports betting becomes more accessible, testing and integration of these elements is needed to transform how seamlessly fans enjoy sports and gambling.
The Future of CTV Will Be Powered by Commerce Media Data
31 May 2024
Victor Yakovlev, Associate Director, Product Marketing, PubMatic, discusses how there are two rising superpowers in the digital marketing space right now, and they're not competing. They're converging, and he outlines why that's fantastic news for marketers.
How Content Delivery is Evolving in the Fight for Eyeballs
21 May 2024
With more content, delivered through more devices and apps, pay-TV and streaming operators are all fighting hard for eyeballs. This is a tumultuous time for the video entertainment industry, where market saturation and rates of subscriber churn are high, and operators now more than ever need to understand and meet the evolving demands of consumers. By aligning their offerings to consumer expectations, operators can carve out a competitive edge, enhance revenue streams and strengthen their position in a fiercely competitive market.
Navigating the Streaming Seas: Paramount's Bold Moves and Future Challenges
03 May 2024
In the ever-evolving landscape of streaming media, Paramount's Q1 earnings call revealed a complex picture with a myriad of opportunities and challenges. Amidst shifts in leadership and speculation around strategic mergers, Paramount stands at a crucial juncture. Dan Goman, Founder and CEO of Ateliere, writes discusses how their recent maneuvers will undoubtedly have major repercussions for the global streaming industry.