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Programmatic video advertising came of age around the recent Super Bowl. Many video publishers, offering an unprecedented volume of pre-roll ads programmatically, sold out all available inventory for 24 hours before the game and 48 hours afterwards at record CPMs.

The Super Bowl of course has special appeal to advertisers because it's perhaps the only TV event where consumers actually make a point of watching and caring about the commercials!  But the increasing desire of marketers to supplement buys in big live TV events with online video advertising shows no signs of abating.  From the recent Golden Globes and Grammy Awards to the Winter Olympics and Oscars, advertisers are increasingly using the programmatic marketplace to gobble up pre-roll inventory on sites that reach prospective customers.

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The recent news about the DISH-Disney deal is a watershed moment for the entertainment industry. By gaining Internet streaming rights to ESPN, DISH is perfectly positioned to launch a consumer-friendly, IP-based entertainment network. As analysts have long reported, sports are the last holdout for pay-TV. For many consumers, it's the only reason they keep their expensive cable package subscription.

This is only the beginning. Other companies are now approaching Disney for Internet streaming rights, starting with DirecTV. And, more importantly, consumer viewing habits have shifted to mobile devices.

But the most exciting company I see today is Verizon. Here's why.

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I recently gathered an influential group of online video experts at the new Sherpa Studio in New York City to discuss the future of video delivery, mobile video platforms and live streaming technology trends as part of our Digital Innovators x Influencers (DMX) event series.
 
The group of panelists included Ian O'Brien, Executive Director, Multimedia Services, JPMorgan Chase, Mike Covino, Director, Credit Suisse, Darren Hodgdon, COO, United Healthcare Community Plan (United Health Group), Adam Cricchio, Vice President of Creative and UX, WeightWatchers.com, as well as Antonette Alonso, Director Enterprise Video Services Infrastructure, North Shore-LIJ.
 
The group drew interesting conclusions and highlighted new ways that video is impacting businesses and consumers.

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5 Steps to Making Multi-Screen Video Work with the Cloud

As we charge into 2014, pay-TV operators aren't just toying with the idea of granting consumers access to content from a variety of connected devices; it is now the standard. This shift in viewing consumption has driven operators and technology partners to 'look under the hood' of their platforms and re-assess content delivery and management schemes.

The biggest concern facing operators is how the industry can protect content when being delivered over different devices. How can operators achieve the right content protection mix and content management scheme in a scalable fashion while ensuring a consistent user experience? The answer could be found in the cloud. Following are 5 key steps to consider for making multi-screen video work with the cloud:

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The streaming industry is currently undergoing incredibly exciting and important changes that are affecting the way viewers consume content.  As 'appointment TV' continues to fade, the fact is live events and sports are some of the only real appointments consumers are keeping. These live events are the driving force shaping the streaming industry; giving way to a new era of live interactive digital viewing and monetization of content with added benefits of increased time spent online, more user analytics and ultimately revenue growth.

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