Posts for 'FreeWheel'

Welcome to the 555th edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.  

This week we discuss new data from FreeWheel and Nielsen highlighting gains in connected TV usage. Higher usage directly translates to ongoing CTV advertising revenue gains. One example of how this usage translates was a bullish new forecast from MoffettNathanson which pegs YouTube/AVOD ad revenue growing to $53 billion in the U.S. alone by 2025. MN sees a new “mid-top layer” of the traditional marketing funnel emerging that blends the long-form video experience being driven by CTVs with better targeting and conversion.

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Connected TVs accounted for 62% of ad views on devices in the second half of 2020 according to the latest version of FreeWheel’s U.S. Video Marketplace Report, up from 50% in the first half of 2020. However, FreeWheel reclassified ad views from IP apps on pay-TV operators’ set-top boxes to be included in CTVs for the first time. FreeWheel didn’t break out the number or percent these views accounted for.

The reclassification contributed to STB ad views declining from 23% in H1 ’20 to 14% in H2 ’20. The combination of CTV and STB increased from 73% of ad views in H1 ’20 to 76% in H2 ’20. Desktop increased from 11% to 16% of ad views during the period while mobile declined from 15% to 8%.

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If you’re looking to better understand the underlying challenges of unifying buying and selling video advertising across linear TV and streaming TV, FreeWheel released a valuable report last week called “The Definitive Guide to Unified Video.”

The report is especially timely as the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of streaming and linear ratings continue to fall. As a result, advertisers are working harder to build effective campaigns, especially those that can reach younger audiences. TV networks are adapting by delivering their content directly to audiences through digital services, often with ad support. Linear will continue to be a sizable though shrinking part of the viewership pie over time, while streaming will increase. So figuring out how to unify buying and selling across the two during the transition period and beyond is critically important.

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FreeWheel’s Council for Premium Video has published a new report, “The Evolution of Streaming,” which outlines streaming’s rise over the past decade and describes four attributes that need to be addressed to fully unlock video advertising’s potential. These include Scale and Unification, Audience Targeting, Quality, Viewability and Fraud, and Audience Measurement.

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FreeWheel has released its U.S. Video Marketplace Report (VMR) for first half 2020, adding to the evidence that Americans staying at home due to Covid-19 are gravitating toward the big screen. Specifically, FreeWheel found that 73% of total ad views occurred on set-top box VOD and connected TVs. FreeWheel views Covid-19 “not as an agent of change, but rather an accelerant for audiences and advertisers.”

CTV share was 50% (up 42% year over year) with STB’s share 23% (up 13% YOY). Mobile had a 15% share of ad views (up 17% YOY) and desktop had 11% (down 2% YOY). FreeWheel said CTV usage was driven by higher consumption of premium video from virtual pay-TV operators (e.g. YouTube TV, Hulu Live, etc.) and direct-to-consumer apps.

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To help media companies gain additional perspective and become more sophisticated in how they manage video ad revenues and user experiences, FreeWheel has published a new “Tracking Metrics” report. It lays out 4 different ways media companies can measure their OTT video businesses to improve monetization and user experiences. The four metrics focus on Revenue (fill rate), Viewer Experience (repeating ads and audience targeting) and delivering value to advertisers (ad consumption).

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A joint solution announced by two Comcast companies, FreeWheel and Comcast Technology Solutions, will enable programmatic advertising for set-top box video-on-demand (VOD) inventory. TV networks, content providers and pay-TV operators will be able to use the solution, which taps FreeWheel’s ad targeting and decisioning along with CTS’s Ad Store for real-time creative distribution.

The companies said in a release that “creative conditioning of advertisers’ video creative requires special considerations in the STB VOD advertising environment” have hindered programmatic approaches that are common in connected TV and OTT.  Richard Nunn, VP/GM of Advertiser Solutions at CTS said “until today, it has not been possible to effectively monetize this content in the same programmatic fashion as other video inventory.”

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A new survey from FreeWheel has found that 80% of Americans say they’re spending more time watching TV and streaming video during the pandemic. The results are the latest to find that screen time is up as viewers shelter-at-home. In the survey, 49% of respondents cited News as what they’re watching more of, followed closely by Comedies (48%) and Dramas (41%). Sports was last with 7%, not surprising given the absence of live sports.

FreeWheel also probed viewers’ attitudes toward advertising during the pandemic and found an overwhelming 9 out of 10 said advertising is still appropriate. However, half of these respondents said only certain types of ads are appropriate. Almost 60% said advertisers should incorporate specific virus messaging into their ads, but the caveat is that it must be done tastefully.

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I’m pleased to present the 484th edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

On this week’s podcast we discuss newly released industry data from FreeWheel’s Q2 ’19 Video Marketplace Report, Roku’s Cord-Cutting 2019 study and Manatt-Vorhaus Advisors Digital Strategy study.

Each contains insights about the video industry and fast-changing viewer behaviors. In particular, we focus on the dominance of connected TVs in video ad views, new trends in cord-cutting and the rising usage of smartphones among younger audiences.

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Connected TVs continued their impressive growth in premium video, according to FreeWheel’s Q2 ’19 Video Marketplace Report, which found that 55% of total video ad views in the U.S. now happen on CTVs.  That’s more than the combined share of video ad views on other devices: mobile (17%), set-top box video (14%) and Desktop (14%).

Connected TVs’ growth rate also vastly exceeded those of other devices. CTV video ad views grew by 48% year-over-year, while mobile and STB video each grew 3% and desktop was down 2%. CTVs have taken a central place in TV consumption, with full episodes accounting for 50% of views and live accounting for 47% of views. Even as CTV share had dramatically increased, ad completion rates have remained strong. FreeWheel found an 88% and 98% completion rate on pre-rolls and mid-rolls in full-episodes, respectively and an 87% and 97% completion rate on pre-rolls and mid-rolls in live.

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I’m pleased to present the 461st edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

On this week’s podcast we first discuss highlights of FreeWheel’s Q4 2018 Video Marketplace Report. Once again FreeWheel’s data reveals important shift from linear TV to OTT consumption. Then we discuss a number of moves that Viacom is making into OTT, highlighted by its acquisition of Pluto TV. As Colin wrote, in many ways Viacom is on the front line of viewers’ shifts due to its traditional focus on younger audiences.

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I’m pleased to present the 437th edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

Yesterday’s Q2 Video Monetization Report from FreeWheel put an exclamation mark on just how significantly connected TVs are changing the TV and online video landscape. In Q2 ’18 CTVs accounted for 41% of premium video views, up from just 1.2% in Q2 ’13. In that time, desktop views have dropped from over 81% share, to just 17%.

In today’s podcast we discuss the rise of CTVs and in particular their impact on advertising. We also touch on other interesting data points from FreeWheel’s Q2 VMR.

We then switch gears as Colin reports on highlights of his time at the IBC show in Amsterdam. Tops on his list was the outsized presence of Google and Android TV at the show and its potential impact.

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Connected TV devices and set-top box VOD now account for 57% of all premium video views in the U.S. according to FreeWheel’s Q2 Video Monetization Report (VMR) released today. It is the first time CTV and STB VOD have driven more than half of premium video views, and is up from 49% in Q2 ’17.

However, the big reason for the jump is due to CTV, which jumped from 29% of all premium video views in Q2 ’17 to 41% in Q2 ’18. STB VOD actually declined over the same period from 20% to 16%. I’ve believed for a long time that CTV viewing of SVOD and other ad-supported on-demand OTT programming would eventually chip away at traditional STB-delivered VOD. The Q2 results appear to show this now occurring.

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Connected TVs and set-top box delivered VOD together accounted for 49% of premium video ad views in Q3 ’17, according to FreeWheel’s newest Video Monetization Report. The combined share is roughly stable over past year. However, STB VOD grew 54% year-over-year (with its share now up to 20%), while connected TV gained 47% YOY (with its share now 29%).

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Connected TVs and set-top box delivered VOD now account for 49% of ad views on premium video, according to FreeWheel’s Video Monetization Report for Q2 ’17. That’s a small bump from the combined 48% they accounted for in Q1 ’17, but a huge increase from the combined 1% back in Q2 ’13.

In Q2 ’17, connected TVs drove 29% of ad views, up from 23% in Q2 ’16 while STBs drove 20% of ad views up from 17% a year earlier. Coincidentally, Roku, which has the largest share of the connected TV market and priced its initial public yesterday, has said that advertising and other “platform revenues” will be critical to its growth going forward.

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FreeWheel has released a new report titled “The Power of OTT: Audiences and Engagement,” which highlights data on OTT devices’ (which I’ve typically called connected TVs) soaring popularity, but also acknowledges ongoing challenges. The report is part of new semi-annual research series from FreeWheel called Signature Insights, which incorporates research from its own Video Monetization Report (VMR), as well as 3rd party sources such as Nielsen, eMarketer, Hulu and Millward Brown.

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Although more video is being produced than ever, for advertisers, premium video remains the most sought-after. At last week’s 7th annual VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, our opening panel “Exploring Premium Video’s Winning Formula,” dug into why premium video is so valuable and how it can maintain its desirability.

The session included Maureen Bosetti (Chief Partnerships Officer, Initiative), Pooja Midha (SVP, Digital Ad Sales & Operations, Disney ABC Television Group) and Scott Rosenberg (SVP/GM, Advertising, Roku), with James Rooke (GM, Publisher Platform, FreeWheel) moderating.

(Note, I’ll be posting all of the VideoNuze Ad Summit videos over the next couple of weeks)

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I’m pleased to present the 375th edition of the VideoNuze podcast with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

This week we’re excited to have Mike Lawlor, FreeWheel’s SVP of Client Services, join us to dig into the company’s Q1 ’17 Video Monetization Report, which it released on Wednesday at the VideoNuze Ad Summit.

First up, we talk about the meteoric growth in OTT devices, which when coupled with set-top box video, means nearly half of all ad views in premium video now occur on TVs. FreeWheel calls this the “new living room” and Mike describes the drivers of this growth and what it means for programmers and advertisers.

Overall, it was the 25th straight quarter of double digit percentage growth for online video, and we discuss whether this amazing streak will continue. We cover a lot of other ground, including what types of programming viewers are watching, what role programmatic is playing for premium video, the importance of improving the viewers’ ad experiences and much more.

FreeWheel’s VMR continues to be an incredibly valuable piece of research, helping industry analysts and executives better understand how disruption is playing out. The VMR is available as a complimentary download.

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Click here to listen to the podcast (25 minutes, 37 seconds)

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Connected TVs now account for more ad views in premium video content in the U.S. than any other type of device, according to FreeWheel’s Video Monetization Report for Q1 ’17, which was released at VideoNuze’s 7th annual Online Video Ad Summit in NYC Wednesday morning. Connected TVs, or “OTT devices” as FreeWheel calls them, claimed 32% of ad views in Q1, up 16x from their 2% share just 4 years ago.

In addition, set-top box VOD accounted for another 16% of ad views. Combined with connected TVs’ 32% share, nearly half, or 48% of premium ad views in the U.S. are now occurring in what FreeWheel calls the “new living room.”

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