The Top 5 Problems with Streaming Advertising

At Streaming Media West last November, I moderated a panel on how to keep advertising workflow flowing. The discussion yielded a number of valuable insights on the state of streaming advertising, including 5 key takeaways on the biggest challenges we face with advertising in the OTT world today.

The New Advertising-Industrial Complex

Strategically, streaming delivery needs more advertisers. Advertising is a necessary part of the media business model, but by not being nimble enough to attract more advertising and somehow sell digital the same way cable and broadcast are sold, digital services are shooting themselves in the foot.

Streaming Numbers in the News

Targeting streaming viewers is becoming harder. Today, services are looking at understanding what viewers will buy, not their personal information. Here's a roundup of a few recently published reports.

FAST and the Future of Streaming Monetization

FAST (free ad-supported television) is on the rise, but how can content distributors thrive in this very competitive landscape?

The Ad Tech Industry Needs to Tell a Better Story

Ad tech is driving billions of dollars in revenue every year. So why can't people understand what it is, how it works, and why they should care?

Does Ad-Supported Streaming Actually Cost You More?

About one-third of users of ad-based streaming services click on and subsequently purchase items, according to Parks Associates. So maybe subscription is cheaper in the long run?

Paying to Watch Ads with HBO Max

Like almost everything else HBO Max does, the OTT service has gotten the ad experience right

STIRRing Up Local TV Advertising

Sinclair Broadcasting's STIRR brings viewers free, live, local broadcasts—along with localized ads. The implementation is still buggy, but the concept is right on target.

OTT Ad Tech's Biggest Challenges (and a Few Solutions)

OTT advertising technology is at a crossroads, as brands work to build relationships with consumers without alienating them. Here's a look at some of biggest questions facing the ad tech industry, along with some possible answers.

Press Pause, Get an Ad?

Hulu and AT&T's plan to show commercials when viewers pause is a reminder that these are tech companies, not broadcasters, at heart

6 Ways Influencer Marketing Can Go Wrong, With Examples!

Influencer marketing has been hot for years and shows no signs of cooling, but that doesn't mean every influencer marketing campaign is a success.

Make Those Dollars: How Online Video Stars Pay the Bills

YouTube pre-roll ads are just the beginning. Successful online video stars take a broad approach to monetizing their followers. Options include merch, modeling, and even books.

Publishers Learn NewFronts Equation: Content + Scale = Impossible

Who won the NewFronts this year? Twitter won. Not by producing great video, but by distributing video for many of the biggest publishers online.

Online Video Publishers Take a Hard Pivot at 2017 Newfronts

This year's newfront presentations marked a shift in thinking by online video publishers. They're not going to create series that win against Netflix, so they'd better focus on what works.

When Viewers Turn to YouTube for Brand Video, Brands Lose Out

There's a vast amount of user-generated brand-related original video on YouTube, but the brands themselves don't get any part of the action.

Ad Blocking Technology: It’s Not User Choice, It’s Stealing

144 million people around the globe are using ad blockers to skip ads, and some of the biggest companies online are sitting back and letting it happen.

Embracing Scare Tactics, the Cable Industry Still Doesn’t Get It

Can the cable and satellite companies frighten viewers into keeping expensive pay TV subscriptions? It's frightening that they think so.