What Happened
Comcast is reportedly planning to launch a major short-form video platform named Watchable in the next few weeks, with content supplied by major digital publishers like Comcast-backed Vox and Buzzfeed, news outlets like Mic and Vice, as well as its traditional media subsidiaries like NBC Sport. Moreover, a new report from WSJ suggests that Comcast will offer content creators 70% of ad revenue on Watchable, more than what Facebook and YouTube currently offer. With such strong content initiatives, Comcast is clearly working to build a digital platform that could rival YouTube and Facebook’s online video efforts, no doubt hoping to get its share of the increasing ad spending in digital videos.
What Brands Can Do
As the digital video space continues to evolve, more and more legacy media companies and ISPs are starting to realize the urgent importance of marrying the traditional media assets they own with the rising digital platforms that audiences are flocking to. In fact, Comcast’s major competitor Verizon is also reportedly readying the launch of its own digital video platform. Brands of all types would be smart to stay mindful of the ongoing changes in the digital video space and adjust their ad buying strategy accordingly.
Sources: The Verge
