-
MLB: Mobile Use of Our Content Will Exceed Online Within 12-18 Months
At the recent ELEVATE conference, Noah Garden, EVP, Revenue for MLB Advanced Media forecasted that MLB's page views from mobile devices will exceed those from online within the next 12-18 months. Mobile has become a huge growth driver for MLB, rising from just 8% of use in 2008 to 37% last year as smartphones and tablets have exploded. In addition, Noah said that MLB is on pace to sell 2 million subscriptions to its MLB.tv and mobile services this year, up from last year's 1.5 million. MLB has launched 100 million streams of games this year, up 47% vs. last year.
Noah's comments came during a session I moderated with him and Mike Gaffney, CRO of video ad platform Auditude (full video after the jump). The session focused on how premium content providers are using both paid and ad-supported strategies to fully exploit the value of their content, rather than looking it the options as one or the other. As Noah said, "we want to be on any device that has a plug and a battery" to reach all targeted consumers with MLB.tv equally. Since MLB has been one of the key leaders in online/mobile video distribution, its initiatives are widely followed in the industry.
Categories: Mobile Video, Sports
Topics: Auditude, ELEVATE, MLB
-
Teaser: More Video Ad Innovation Coming Next Week
A little teaser for this Friday morning: next week is going to bring a number of announcements of new video advertising innovations, particularly for mobile devices. The announcements will be synched with ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit, coming up next Tuesday, June 7th. This week I've been getting a preview of some of the news from various technology providers and it's exciting stuff that will no doubt help accelerate the market.
A key underlying theme I am continually hearing from technology providers for online and mobile video advertising is their desire to help move ad dollars over from TV (or at a minimum to have online and mobile become complimentary media buys). But, as I wrote a couple of weeks ago, TV advertising is still a "known" commodity, whereas it's still early for online and mobile and there are a lot of question marks. Technology providers are united in their goal of helping premium video content providers improve their monetization and are innovating at a furious pace in order to demonstrate the advantages over TV.
Stay tuned next week for some cool updates.Categories: Advertising, Mobile Video
Topics: ELEVATE
-
RAMP Mobile Unveiled for Mobile Content Optimization
At the NAB Show today, RAMP launched "RAMP Mobile," a clever solution for taking existing web content - text, images, audio and video - and completely optimizing it for consumption on mobile devices. RAMP mobile addresses a critical pain point created by the rapid growth of mobile web users trying to access web site content formatted for online use. Last week, RAMP's CEO Tom Wilde walked me through how the solution works and what the user experience looks like.
The best way to understand RAMP Mobile is that it essentially deconstructs existing web sites down to their core content objects, and then reconstructs them into mobile-friendly apps. In this respect, the traditional "container" of a web site becomes unnecessary for the mobile web. This is a theme that RAMP has been emphasizing for a while now, with its content optimization focus.
Categories: Mobile Video, Technology
Topics: RAMP Mobile
-
Video Will Be Critical to Driving iPad 2's Sales
The new iPad 2 - faster, thinner and lighter than the original, and with an ingenious new "Smart Cover," is yet another impressive technical achievement from the design wizards at Apple. But as with all consumer electronics products, those attributes will only go so far in compelling consumers to crack open their wallets and buy. Steve Jobs knows better than anyone in the world the gadget marketer's manifesto, "It's not what it is, but what it does," so it's no surprise that as sexy as iPad 2 is, yesterday he also rolled out exciting new ways the iPad 2 can be used. The common theme: video apps are going to be critical to driving iPad 2's sales.
First and foremost is FaceTime, Apple's video chat app that is enabled on the iPad 2 with the addition of a VGA front-facing and 720p HD rear-facing camera to the device. These upgrades address the single-biggest criticism of the original iPad (aside from the inability to play Flash-based video) - that a device so conducive to personal video chatting shipped without the onboard cameras to do so (which in turn led to conspiracy theories that the cameras had been purposely left out to give the subsequent release extra juice).
Categories: Devices, Mobile Video
-
Android Market to Roll Out Movies?
Engadget had an intriguing blurb this week regarding the availability of book downloads now being available in the Android Market. More interesting is the
existence of a new movie-related URL in Android Market, along with one for music. With the surging popularity of Android devices, including the new Xoom tablet from Motorola plus lots of others, some type of movie service would seem inevitable.
Categories: Devices, FIlms, Mobile Video
Topics: Android, Google, Motorola
-
Samsung Sells 2 Million Galaxy Tab Tablets
When it comes to tablets, yes, it seems there is life beyond the iPad. Samsung reported this week that globally it sold 2 million of its 7-inch Galaxy Tab tablets. Granted Apple sold 7.3 million iPads in the same period, but the iPad's also been
on the market for 6 months longer. Regardless, the Tab's early performance is good more news for mobile video. And since the Tab runs Android, which supports Flash, that means access to all the video available online, a huge difference compared to the iPad.
Categories: Devices, Mobile Video
-
Vid.ly Makes Sharing Videos To Mobile Devices a Snap
If you've ever sent one of your "must see" video clips around to friends or family, only to have them exasperatingly tell you "It didn't play for me!" when they tried accessing it on their mobile device, then a clever new service called Vid.ly is going to make you smile. Vid.ly's mission is to radically simplify the video transcoding and playback process so that virtually all mobile devices or browsers can play any video - regardless of their original format. Given the confusing proliferation of formats - Flash, WebM, HTML5, etc. and devices (iOS, Android, Blackberry, game consoles, etc.) that is a significant value proposition.
Vid.ly's special appeal to consumers is that it puts a familiar URL-shortening, social media-friendly front-end on Encoding.com's cloud-based transcoding capability, which has been battle tested by 1,000+ content providers to date. But whereas URL shorteners like Bit.ly primarily focus on making very long URLs shorter and therefore more manageable for social media use, Vid.ly actually addresses the underlying playability of the video and also provides a short URL.
Categories: Devices, Encoding, Mobile Video
Topics: Encoding.com, Vid.ly
-
mDialog Powering Video Ads in Shaw Media's Global TV iPad App
Mobile video ad platform mDialog has been selected by Shaw Media of Canada to power video ads in its Global TV iPad app. The app was released on December 4th and quickly rose to the top of the free chart of the Canadian version of App Store. The app allows full episode viewing of various TV programs.
With mDialog, Shaw will be able to insert targeted, real-time, non-skippable ads into its programs. Given the iPad's superior touch-screen engagement, more interactive ad executions will no doubt follow. The mDialog platform also provides real-time reporting and analytics.
Categories: Devices, International, Mobile Video
Topics: iPad, mDialog, Shaw Media
-
5 Items of Interest for the Week of Jan. 10th
Even though I was very focused this week on the CES "takeaways" series, there was still plenty of news happening in the online and mobile video industries. So as in the past, I'm pleased to offer VideoNuze's end-of-week feature highlighting 5-6 interesting online/mobile video industry news items that we weren't able to cover this week. Enjoy!
Level 3 fights on in Comcast traffic dispute
Level 3 is showing no signs of relenting on its accusations that Comcast is unfairly trying to charge the CDN for Internet traffic it delivers to Comcast's network. In an interview this week, Level 3 said it may use the "Open Internet" provisions of the FCC's new network neutrality rules to press its case. Level 3's challenge is coming at the 11th hour of the FCC's approval process of the Comcast-NBCU deal; it's not really clear if Level 3 is having any impact on slowing the approval, which appears imminent.
Comcast-NBCU deal challenged over online video proposal
Speaking of challenges to the Comcast-NBCU deal, word emerged this week that Disney is voicing concern over the FCC's proposed deal condition that would force Comcast to offer NBC programming to any party that had concluded a deal with one of NBC's competitors for online distribution. The Disney concern appears to be that the condition would have an undue influence on how the online video market evolves and how Disney's own deals would be impacted. While the FCC should be setting conditions to the deal, the Disney concerns highlights how, in a nascent, fast-moving market like online video, government intervention can cause unintended side effects.
YouTube is notching 200 million mobile video views/day
As if on cue with my CES takeaway #3, that mobility is video's next frontier, YouTube revealed this week that it is now delivering 200 million mobile views per day, tripling its volume in 2010. That would equal about 6 billion views per month, which is remarkable. And that amount is poised to increase, as YouTube launched music video site VEVO for Android devices. YouTube clearly sees the revenue potential in all this mobile video activity; it also said that it would append a pre-roll ad in Android views for tens of thousands of content partners.
Google creates video codec dust-up
Google stirred up a hornet's nest this week by announcing that it was dropping support for the widely popular H.264 video codec in its Chrome browser, in favor of its own WebM codec, in an attempt to drive open standards. Though Chrome only represents about 10% market share among browsers (doubling in 2010 though), for these users, it means they'll need to use Flash to view non-WebM ended video. There are a lot of downstream implications of Google's move, but for space reasons, rather than enumerating them here, check out some of the great in-depth coverage the issue has received this week (here, here, here, here).
Netflix usage drives up Canadian broadband bills
An interesting test of Canadian Netflix streaming showed that a user there might have to pay an incremental $12/month under one ISP's consumption cap. That would be more than the $7.99/mo that the Netflix subscription itself costs, leading to potential cord-shaving behavior. This type of upcharge hasn't become an issue here in the U.S. because even ISPs that have caps have set them high relative to most users' current consumption. But if streaming skyrockets as many think it will, and the FCC allows usage-based billing, this could fast become a reality in the U.S. as well.
Categories: Aggregators, Broadband ISPs, Broadcasters, Cable TV Operators, CDNs, Deals & Financings, International, Mobile Video, Regulation, Technology
Topics: Comcast, Disney, FCC, Google, Level 3, NBCU, Netflix, WebM, YouTube
-
CES Takeaway #3: Mobility is Video's Next Frontier
(Note: Each day this week I'm writing about one key takeaway from last week's CES 2011. Also, next Wednesday, January 19th, The Diffusion Group's Colin Dixon and I will be hosting a complimentary webinar, "Demystifying CES 2011," in which we'll discuss key CES highlights and answer participants' questions.)
One of the clear trends that emerges from the video-related product announcements at CES 2011, and in the months leading up to it, is that mobility is video's next frontier.
Just as online video adoption grew out of massive online Internet use, mobile video consumption is going to ride the tremendous wave of mobile Internet use. And by many accounts mobile Internet usage is on the cusp of a massive expansion. The analyst Mary Meeker believes that by 2014 there will be more mobile Internet users globally (about 1.6 billion) than desktop Internet users. In just the past year, the number of Americans who have used the Internet from their mobile phones has increased from 32% to 40%, with those reporting they accessed the 'net several times a day from a mobile phone jumping from 24% to 43%, according to Pew.
Unquestionably the big growth in mobile Internet use has been facilitated by the explosion of video-friendly smartphones and tablets. Indeed CES could have almost been renamed "Tablet-Fest 2011" as numerous tablets were introduced, all seeking to imitate the iPad's huge success. In 2011, IDC predicts 330 million smartphones and 42 million tablets will be sold worldwide. In the U.S., Nielsen estimates that by the end of 2011, smartphones will have a greater market share than feature phones. Certainly Verizon's iPhone announcement yesterday is another smartphone accelerant, with Verizon loyalists finally gaining access to the iconic device. A recent study from MeFeedia underscored Apple's role in driving mobile video adoption: 43% of mobile video usage was from iPhones and iPads, with Android bringing in 21%. In addition to the proliferation of devices, the rollout of speedy 4G networks will make mobile video consumption easier and more pleasing to viewers.
Categories: Mobile Video
Topics: Android, CES, IDC, iPhone, MeFeedia, Nielsen, Pew, Verizon, YouTube
-
Comcast To Offer Live, VOD Access on Tablets
Comcast is announcing this morning that it will allow subscribers to stream live programs to their iPads or Android tablets later this year (no definite time disclosed). While the caveat is that only in-home usage will only be permitted, the benefits are still meaningful. For instance, subscribers who were paying for (or considering paying for) additional outlets in 2nd and 3rd rooms, which are only casually used, could now save money by not taking service in those rooms and using their iPads instead.
Further, subscribers can now watch in rooms that possibly didn't even have a TV. I'm familiar with this example, as I've used my iPad to watch Netflix content in various areas of my house that don't have TVs or cable service. Presumably the roadmap calls for out-of-home viewing as well, giving it full Sling-like benefits (at no additional cost). That would provide even more value to tablet owners.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices, Mobile Video, Video On Demand
Topics: Android, Comcast, iPad, Xfinity
-
Online/Mobile Video's Top 10 of 2010
2010 was another spectacular year of growth and innovation in online and mobile video, so it's no easy feat to choose the 10 most significant things that happened during the year. However, I've taken my best shot below, and offered explanations. No doubt I've forgotten a few things, but I think it's a pretty solid list. As much as happened in 2010 though, I expect even more next year, with plenty of surprises.
My top 10 are as follows:
Categories: Advertising, Aggregators, Broadband ISPs, Broadcasters, Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Deals & Financings, Devices, Mobile Video, Regulation, Satellite, Technology, Telcos
Topics: 4G, Android, Apple, Google TV, iPad, Net Neutrality, Netflix, YouTube
-
6 Key 2011 Trends in Online and Mobile Video
Yesterday Colin Dixon from The Diffusion Group and I presented a webinar describing our 6 key trends for 2011 in online and mobile video. Colin is one of the sharpest analysts of the pay-TV and online/mobile video industries and we had no shortage of ideas to sort through. Our list is a joint effort, and during the webinar we each presented the 3 trends we felt the strongest about. In today's post I share and explain each one. At the end of the webinar we conducted a poll asking attendees whether they agreed or disagreed with our predictions. I've noted those results in bold font. If you want to download the slides and/or hear more of our detailed discussion, just register for the on-demand version of the webinar and you'll be emailed a link.
Categories: Aggregators, Broadband ISPs, Cable TV Operators, Mobile Video, Predictions, Regulation, Satellite, Technology, Telcos
Topics: FCC, Google, Net Neutrality, Netflix, TV Everywhere
-
5 Items of Interest for the Week of Dec. 5th
Once again I'm pleased to offer VideoNuze's end-of-week feature highlighting and discussing 5-6 interesting online/mobile video industry news items that we weren't able to cover this week. Read them now or take them with you this weekend!
Categories: Advertising, Aggregators, Broadcasters, Cable TV Operators, Mobile Video, Telcos
Topics: ABC, Disney, eMarketer, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Nielsen, TV Everywhere, Verizon Wireless
-
5 Items of Interest for the Week of Nov. 29th
Following the Thanksgiving break last Friday, VideoNuze's end-of-week feature of curating 5-6 interesting online/mobile video industry news items that we weren't able to cover this week, is back. Read them now or take them with you this weekend!
Categories: Aggregators, Broadband ISPs, Devices, Mobile Video, Regulation, Telcos, UGC
Topics: Comcast, FCC, IDC, Level 3, Magid, Net Neutrality, Nielsen, Verizon Wireless, Viacom, YouTube
-
Comcast's New Xfinity TV App: Nice Start, Lots More To Do
Comcast unveiled its new Xfinity TV app today for iOS devices, and after downloading and playing around with it a bit, I'd say it's a nice start, though there is a lot more to do. The free app is ultimately meant to allow Comcast digital video subscribers to use it as a guide, program their DVRs, search for shows in the On Demand catalog, view streaming content, create watch lists and access social networking sites to share the viewing experience.
In the press release Comcast noted that the last 3 features will be coming soon. Of these, the viewing feature on the iOS devices is the most interesting, as it will allow authenticated subscribers to view available content wherever they may be. That's the vision of TV Everywhere, and it's good to see Comcast bridging its content to non-Comcast set-top boxes (which is actually quite a rarity in the cable TV business). It's also an example of how Comcast will, in a sense, be going over the top of other pay-TV operators, when its subscribers watch video outside of Comcast territories.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices, Mobile Video
-
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
-
FreeWheel Unveils Version 3.5 of Its Ad Management Platform
Ad manager FreeWheel announced the 3.5 version of its Monetization Rights Management platform this morning, continuing to help drive online and mobile
video monetization for major media companies.
Included in the new features are an Android SDK, which allows great ad control within their Android apps, geo-based ad targeting to mobile devices based on current GPS coordinates, user targeting by mobile operating system, integration with 3rd party mobile ad networks AdMob and iAd and mid-roll/companion ads in HTML5 for iPhones and iPads. If you're interested in learning more about FreeWheel's online and mobile video monetization, come to the VideoSchmooze breakfast on Dec. 1st, where company co-CEO and co-founder Doug Knopper will be on the panel.Categories: Advertising, Mobile Video
Topics: FreeWheel
-
Kyte Brings Live Streaming and HTML5 Ads to iOS Devices
Online video platform Kyte is announcing this morning support for live streaming to iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) along with HTML5 ads.
The updates both build on Kyte's current iOS Application Framework and SDK. The HTML5 support means ads from third party networks can be served into live streams viewed on iOS devices. Kyte has also extended its integrated social media features into live streaming as a differentiator.
Both moves add to the growing momentum around video delivery to iOS devices, fueled of course by their massive and growing ownership base. Just last week Apple reported selling 14.1 million iPhones, 4.19 million iPads and 9.05 million iPods (though not all Touch) in its most recent fiscal fourth quarter.
There has been a huge amount of activity by online video platforms, ad managers/networks and live streaming providers to support iOS devices this year. There's no sign that things will slow anytime soon. As the ecosystem pieces come together - and wireless carriers roll out faster 4G networks - the implication is that ad-supported mobile video (both on-demand and live) is poised for significant growth ahead.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Advertising, Live Streaming, Mobile Video
-
6 Items of Interest for the Week of Oct. 18th
It was another busy week for online/mobile video, and so VideoNuze is continuing its Friday practice of curating 5-6 interesting industry news items that we weren't able to cover this week. Read them now or take them with you this weekend!
Networks block Google TV to protect themselves
Yesterday news started breaking that ABC, CBS and NBC are blocking access by Google TV. There are numerous concerns being cited - potential disruption of advertising, encouraging cord-cutting, incenting piracy, diminished branding, unsatisfactory ad splits with Google, and general worry about Google invading the living room. Each item on its own is probably not enough to motivate the blocking action, but taken together they are. Still, doesn't it feel a little foolish that broadcasters would differentiate between a computer screen and a TV screen like this? For Google, it's more evidence that nothing comes easy when trying to work with Hollywood. I'm trying to find out more about what's happening behind the scenes.
TWC Lines Up For ESPN Online Kick
An important milestone for TV Everywhere may come as early as next Monday, as #2 cable operator Time Warner is planning to make ESPN viewing available online to paying subscribers. Remote access is part of the recent and larger retransmission consent deal between Disney and TWC. TV Everywhere initiatives have been slow to roll out, amid cable programmers' reluctance. Further proving that remote authenticated access works and that it's attractive with a big name like ESPN would increase TV Everywhere's momentum.
Hulu Plus, Take Two: How's $4.95 a Month?
Rumors are swirling that Hulu may cut the price of its nascent Hulu Plus subscription service in half, to $4.95/mo. That would be a tacit recognition of Hulu Plus's minimal value proposition, largely due to its skimpy content offering. As I initially reported in August, over 88% of Hulu Plus content is available for free on Hulu.com. More important, Netflix's streaming gains have really marginalized Hulu Plus. Netflix's far greater resources and subscriber base have enabled it to spend far bigger on content acquisition. Even at $4.95, I continue to see Hulu Plus as an underwhelming proposition in an increasingly noisy landscape.
Viacom Hires Superstar Lawyer to Handle YouTube Appeal
Viacom is showing no signs of giving up on its years-long copyright infringement litigation against Google and YouTube. This week the company retained Theodore Olson, a high-profile appellate and Supreme Court specialist to handle its appeal. While most of the world has moved on and is trying to figure out how to benefit from YouTube's massive scale, Viacom charges on in court.
Verizon to sell Galaxy Tab starting November 11th for $599.99
Verizon is determined to play its part in the tablet computer craze, this week announcing with Samsung that it will sell the latter's new "Tab" tablet for $600 beginning on November 11th. The move follows last week's announcement by Verizon that it will begin selling the iPad on Oct. 28th, which was widely interpreted as the first step toward Verizon offering the iPhone early next year. Apple currently owns the tablet market, and it remains to be seen whether newcomers like the Tab can break through. For his part, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said on Apple's earnings call this week that all other tablets are "dead on arrival." Note, if you want to see the "Tab" and learn more about how connected and mobile devices are transforming the video landscape, come to the VideoSchmooze breakfast at the Samsung Experience on Wed., Dec. 1st.
One-Third of US Adults Skip Live TV: Report
A fascinating new study from Say Media (the entity formed from the recent merger of VideoEgg and Six Apart), suggesting that 56 million, or one-third of adult Internet users, have reduced their live TV viewership. The research identified 2 categories: "Opt Outs" (22 million) who don't own a TV or haven't watched TV in the last week and stream more than 4 hours/week, and "On Demanders" (34 million) who also stream more than 4 hours/week and report watching less live TV than they did a year ago. Not surprisingly, relative to Internet users as a whole, both Opt Outs and On Demanders skew younger and higher educated, though only the latter had higher income than the average Internet user. This type of research is important because the size of both the ad-supported and paid markets for live, first-run TV is far larger than catalog viewing. To the extent its appeal is diminishing as this study suggests poses big problems for everyone in the video ecosystem.
Categories: Aggregators, Broadcasters, Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Devices, Mobile Video, Telcos
Topics: ABC, Apple, CBS, ESPN, Google TV, Hulu Plus, iPad, NBC, Samsung, Say, Time Warner Cable, TV Everywhere, Verizon, Viacom, YouTube
Posts for 'Mobile Video'
Connect with VideoNuze
Exclusive News Roundup
- YouTube TV Raises Monthly Charge 14 Percent, to $82.99 NY Times
- Warner Discovery to Restructure, Setting Up Potential ‘Strategic Opportunities’ WSJ
- CNBC Plans Q1 Launch for Targeted Streaming Service Variety
- 2025 Oscars to stream live on Hulu for the 1st time ABC News
- A 2024 recap of YouTube on TV YouTube blog
- OpenAI Releases Sora, Advertisers Gain Access To Text-To-Video AI Mediapost
