Tag: ott

Amazon Reportedly To Create A Live Online TV Service

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Amazon is exploring the possibility of creating a live online TV service and has been in talks with major media companies including CBS Corp. and NBCUniversal to discuss carrying their channels, according to Bloomberg. No further details are available at the moment, but it seems very likely that the service will be tied into the existing Amazon Prime Instant Video service and likely to be subscription-based, and not ad-supported. However, if Amazon does manage to strike a deal with the broadcasters to carry their live programming, it would have commercial spots available to brands.

Market Impact
A live service would expand Amazon’s involvement in the OTT video space and bring it into direct competition with pay-TV providers like Comcast and AT&T Inc. Meanwhile, Apple has long been reportedly working on the creation of a live online TV service, which was expected to launch in September along with the new Apple TV, but was delayed into 2016 due to alleged difficulty in negotiating with content owners. Only time will tell if Amazon can pull it off before Apple.

As the digital transition of the TV industry continues, we expect to see more twists and turns in the changing TV landscape that all brands and media owners need to be aware of, so as to keep up with the shifting audience behavior.

 

Source: Bloomberg Business

New Roku OS Allows Users To Follow Their Favorite Shows

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Earlier today, popular streaming set-top box maker Roku unveiled the newest iteration of its flagship product, the Roku 4, which boasts support for 4K video streaming, improved Wi-Fi connectivity, and a remote control with integrated microphone for voice search. More importantly, Roku is also rolling out updates of Roku OS 7 to all its streaming devices, which includes a new “follow” feature that alerts users when new episodes of certain shows become available or when the price of a specific movie or TV show has dropped.

What Brands Need To Do
Some media owners and brands that produce video content have developed their own Channels on Roku, which essentially function like apps that allow consumers of specific interests to quickly access niche content. For those brands, the new “follow” feature presents a new way to stay connected to fans and keep them engaged with branded content.

 

Source: Buzzfeed

Apple To Open Universal Search Wide On Apple TV

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
One highlight feature of the new Apple TV that was unveiled last month is Universal Search, which allows users to search for content via Siri in a granular manner – down to a specific episode or even a specific guest star – across multiple OTT content platforms. At launch, this feature only supports select launch partners such as Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, and HBO, which vastly limits the reach of this killer feature. So it came as no surprise that Tim Cook confirmed, in a recent interview with Buzzfeed, that Apple would soon release an API for Universal Search, which allows developers to easily integrate this feature with their content, so it will show up in the search results as well.

What Brands Need To Do
As we previously wrote in our Fast Forward analysis on the new Apple TV, Universal Search provides an unprecedented opportunity for new content discovery across integrated apps, especially from lesser-known services. Now that Apple has confirmed that it will soon open this feature up to all providers, brands need to be prepared to add Universal Search support to their Apple TV app as soon as the API arrives, and to start by indexing their content for it to appear in favorable spots when users search for certain keywords.

 

Source: Buzzfeed

 

POV: Apps in the Living Room – Opportunities in Apple’s New TV Platform

Posted on by Lab Team

On Wednesday, the Lab attended the 2015 OMMA Programmatic Video event, where our Director of Strategy Adam Simon delivered an in-depth presentation on the emerging opportunities for brands and advertisers on the new Apple TV.

Starting with a brief recap of the ongoing transition from linear TV viewing to OTT streaming, Simon quickly moved on to the significance of the new Apple TV, how Apple’s ecosystem plays into the future, and the transition to apps. Calling it “a collaboration between Hollywood and Silicon Valley,” he deftly pointed out how Apple TV offers media owners and brands with video content new ways of delivering engaging content. Also, retailers can benefit from the closed attribution loop consisting of iTunes Store, iAd, and Apple Pay delivered through new apps.

After explaining the potential social utilities and interactive, blended content on Apple TV with Airbnb and MLB TV as examples, respectively, Simon offered a few insights for brand integration and on how to reach audiences on streaming services without ads such as Netflix. He closed out his insightful presentation with two main takeaways for brands: start optimizing and experimenting with Apple’s New TV platform and adjust your ad buying and targeting strategy accordingly.

The Lab has extensive experience working with brands to reach their audiences in the OTT and digital video space. Earlier this year, we led our parent company Interpublic Group to invest in Samba TV, a startup that specializes in advanced real-time TV analytics and cross device retargeting. For more details on how brands can utilize the new Apple TV, read our Fast Forward analysis here.

You can go through the presentation embedded below.

 

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Comcast And Verizon Launch Ad-Supported Video Streaming Platforms

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
The OTT video space just got a bit more crowded, with Comcast and Verizon both launching their video streaming platforms this week. First announced in mid-August, Comcast’s Watchable officially launched on Tuesday with 30 content partners, including Buzzfeed, Disney’s Maker Studios, Vice, and Vox, and is available on set-top boxes for Comcast customers, as well as mobile apps and online for anyone in the U.S.

Similarly, after teasing it for two months since late July, Verizon will officially open its video streaming service Go90 to the public on Thursday. Unlike Watchable, Go90 will only be available on mobile apps. But it is also ad-supported, and free to use for all mobile users in the States, regardless of carrier. Content-wise, Go90 includes a mixture of traditional TV content provided by partners such as Discovery and Viacom, live sports such as college football games, as well as some original digital shorts commonly seen on YouTube.

What Brands Need To Do
Since both services are ad-supported, brands, especially those seeking millennials, can reach their target audience with video ads that are usually not buyable on subscription-based streaming services. In comparison, Watchable seems to have an edge over Go90 in content, which is supplied by a batch of digital publishers popular among millennials. But with the support of AOL’s ad tech, which Verizon acquired earlier this year, Go90 could offer brands better targeting and customization for their ads. It remains to be seen whether these two new services will be able to draw an audience sizable enough to warrant ad buying. Nevertheless, 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.

 

Source: Variety and CNET

New Chromecast To Support Spotify, Sling TV, And More

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Google announced yesterday that the new Chromecast 2 will have native support for a slew of popular streaming services including Showtime, Sling TV, NBA, and NHL. Google also introduced Chromecast Audio that connects speakers to Wi-Fi for wireless audio streaming from services like Spotify. The Chromecast Android app also received a major update that added features like content discovery, multiple device control, and a more comprehensive video search tool, vastly improving the user experience.

What Brands Need To Do
So far, Google has reportedly sold an impressive 20 million units of the original Chromecast, which helps users enjoy a living-room viewing experience powered by mobile devices and laptops. All brands that have video content should consider adding support for Chromecast in their branded apps. For media owners that have content apps that already support Chromecast, this upgrade brings some new opportunities in increased audience reach and improved content discovery, and content owners need to make efforts to ensure the consistency and quality of viewing experience as viewers consume content on bigger TV screens.

 

Source: TechCrunch

Fast Forward: How Brands Can Take Advantage of the New Apple TV

Posted on by Lab Team

Your guide to tech-driven changes in the media landscape by IPG Media Lab. A fast read for you and a forward for your clients and team.

•  Apple unveils new Apple TV, complete with a new tvOS platform and App Store
•  Brands can now develop TV apps to connect with consumers in their living rooms
•  A new path to native sponsorship and call-to-action opportunities

What Apple Announced
During Wednesday’s press event, Apple finally debuted the long-anticipated update to the Apple TV that aims to revolutionize the way people interact with their TVs. Equipped with a brand-new iOS 9-based operating system called “tvOS,” the new Apple TV comes with an App Store, Siri-enabled universal search across content platforms, and a touchpad remote that doubles as a game controller. The new Apple TV will ship in late October, and the tvOS developer beta is available now.

What Brands Need to Do
While we’re likely to see an explosion of new modes of interaction as developers explore the platform, we already know that good content works well in the living room. For brands who have existing content plays, such as Red Bull’s video and event content, it’s time to secure the OTT streaming rights. If your brand doesn’t currently produce content, an event sponsorship is a great way to get started. In an on-demand, App Store world, you don’t need to worry about producing a full slate of content to justify an app install — Apple themselves have an Apple TV app dedicated to the iTunes Music Festival, which this year will only feature a week’s worth of content. Focus on quality over quantity.

A couple of features which weren’t discussed on stage could provide interesting go-to-market strategy for brands: support for interactive video, and deep-linking between Apple TV apps. We expect these will be combined to form a paid app install ecosystem much like we have on mobile, with early leaders likely to be ad-supported platforms with premium content, such as Hulu and YouTube. Ahead of any such announcements, however, there are still opportunities for brands to partner with existing content creators and game developers to drive app installs or to push value offers and reminders from the TV to a phone with a single click.

What Retail & Ecommerce Brands Need to Do

•  Apple TV brings ecommerce into the living room and creates a shared online shopping experience
•  Experiment with shoppable videos built upon Apple TV’s support for interactive videos with links to additional info

During Wednesday’s press event, Apple invited online clothing retail platform Gilt on stage showed off their new app designed specifically for Apple TV. Users can use the new touchpad remote to scroll and swipe through the categories of clothing, view product details, and even purchase items direct from their couch. Support for ecommerce apps brings online shopping into the living room and make it a social affair to be shared with family and friends. Apple’s tight integration between TV and mobile will also allow activities to be handed off to a user’s phone, allowing a brand to activate mobile coupons which could easily be triggered automatically when the customer enters a retail location.

Moreover, brands should take advantage of Apple TV’s support for interactive videos and start experimenting with shoppable videos, which embed clickable info providing viewers with product information and an easy way to purchase, turning video content into direct sales channels. Brands such as Sears, Kohl’s, and Gap have been experimenting with shoppable videos with some early successes, and with Apple TV, shoppable videos seem to be on the cusp of mainstream adoption, demanding attention from retail brands.

What Entertainment Brands and Content Owners Need to Do

•  Apple TV can deliver a rich media experience
•  Index your content to make sure it is discoverable via universal search
•  Explore the interactive storytelling opportunities and new types of engagement

As MLB demonstrated during the event, apps provide a great way for content owners to deliver a rich media experience with additional information and interactivity. Apple TV supports universal search across integrated apps, providing an unprecedented opportunity for new content discovery, especially those on lesser-known services. Although only available for select partners at this time, it seems reasonable to presume Apple to open this feature up to all eligible platforms down the road, similar to the universal search in iOS 9. Brands need to index their content for it to appear in favorable spots when users search for certain keywords. The added interactivity also brings new storytelling opportunities for content and ad creators to explore and connect with viewers.

Market Impact
As expected, the new Apple TV introduces a new app platform, while not (yet) providing a truly new way for consumers to subscribe to television content. Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue called it the “foundation for the future of television,” which it may yet be, timed to take advantage of a holiday season which is primed for cord-cutters. It notably provides a way for Apple to extend their entire ecosystem – which may one day include platforms like iAd and Apple Pay – into the living room, along with their massive iOS install base and developer network, something that competitors such as Roku and Amazon cannot offer.

While it remains to be seen exactly how wide adoption of the new Apple TV will be, Apple’s new products quickly reach tens of millions of units sold and they are putting significant effort behind this one. Since a large share of marketing budgets are focused on the living room, a significant change in the way content is consumed there, away from linear and even streaming and towards the interactivity of apps, is worth adapting to. For both content creators and advertisers who support them, the new Apple TV offers expanded ways to reach users who earn more and spend more, whether that’s with traditional video content, expansions of existing iOS apps, or hybrids which blend video with interactive content of different types.

Apple’s entry into the living room gaming market is a bit more of a wildcard. While it opens up an obvious new market for existing iOS games, and we’ve seen some initial support of the device from big cross-platform games like Skylander and Guitar Hero, without a first-party game controller it remains to be seen whether the platform will be used for gaming or what price points it will support. Most at risk will be Nintendo, whose Wii U hardware and mainstream audience overlap with the new Apple TV’s capabilities and appeal. But if Apple follows its usual path of year-over-year hardware upgrades, Sony and Microsoft’s consoles may also be at risk, especially if Apple can woo top-tier game developers. As far fetched as it may seem, Apple was already EA’s biggest revenue generator all the way back in 2013. For the time being, our standard recommendations for brand integrations with gaming hold true for the Apple TV as well: integrate as natively as possible with branded content, sponsorship of in-app purchases, or participating in the wider gaming community.

For More Information
Please contact Engagement Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) at the IPG Media Lab if you would like more detail or to schedule a visit to the Lab to discuss strategies and tactics around tapping into the marketing potential of the new Apple TV.

For previous editions of Fast Forward, please visit ipglab.com. Please reply with any constructive criticism or feedback. We want these to be as useful as possible for you and your clients, and your feedback will help us immensely.

 

Header image courtesy of www.apple.com/tv/

Verizon’s OTT Service To Feature Content From Vice News And NCAA Games

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
New details have emerged on Go90, Verizon’s mobile video service first announced in July. The platform will feature a mix of select TV series and short-form videos, including original content from digital studios including Vice Media, DreamWorksTV, and Collective Digital Studio. Live programming featured on the app will include NCAA football and basketball games, as well as international soccer matches. The service will be available via a free, ad-supported mobile app for both Android and iOS devices.

What Brands Should Do
As we previously wrote, Verizon has long been making good use of the consumer data it acquires through its wireless service, including app usage and web browsing habits. Combined with AOL’s ad tech that Verizon now owns, the Go90 could offer brands some great ad targeting. If Verizon can provide compelling content for its platform, Go90 could grow into a late-bloomer in the OTT market, and a rare one that is actually ad-friendly.

 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

CBS To Live Stream The Super Bowl And More For Free

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
CBS has announced that it will be live streaming next-year’s Super Bowl for free, along with two more regular-season NFL games. The games will be available via CBSSports.com, in addition to a wide range of OTT devices including Apple TV, Roku, Xbox One, and Chromecast. Moreover, the live streams will be free to watch, with no cable authentication required, which makes perfect sense given the broadcaster’s plan to bundle national Super Bowl ad spots with its corresponding streaming ad units, as making the livestreams more accessible would no doubt help CBS upsell those bundled ad units.

What Brands Should Do
As time-shifted viewing continues to erode live viewerships, big sport events has long been the last bastion that still consistently post huge ratings. As more and more people choose to cut the cord, media owners need to realize the importance of making content accessible on streaming platforms that audience has migrated to. CBS says it is trying to “experiment and gauge what the audience appetite is for live sports on digital platforms” with the aforementioned new initiatives, and the same holds true for all brands that seek to reach their audience with branded content.

 

Source: Digiday

Amazon And Apple Collide In The OTT Space

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Two new developments from the OTT space today reminded us again of the ongoing convergence of content providers and digital distribution channels. Amazon Prime Video expanded its “download for offline viewing” feature from its Kindle tablets to its iOS and Android apps, while Apple has reportedly started talks with Hollywood executives about developing original contents for its long-rumored Apple TV subscription service.

Market Impact
By allowing users to download content for online viewing with monthly reauthorization required, Amazon would undoubtedly eat into the movie rentals and sales – most of them motivated by lack of Internet access caused by travel nowadays – that Apple’s iTunes Store currently occupies. Meanwhile, Apple’s ambitious entry into the OTT content market, complete with a subscription service and possibly its own original content, would put it in direct competition with Amazon along with a handful of other OTT services.

As the digital transition of the TV industry continues, we expect to see more twists and turns in the changing TV landscape that all brands and media owners need to be aware of, even if they are not immediately actionable.

 

Source: The Verge & Variety