In this Week in Review: new technology signals the era of 4K, publishers prioritise mobile video and young millennials and Gen Z turn their back on traditional TV. For a weekly summary of industry news and other VAN interviews and videos, sign up to the weekly Video Round-Up.
4K Leaps Forward with Compression Breakthrough
V-Nova have developed a new method of compressing video which will greatly accelerate the shift to 4k. For example, the breakthrough technology will allow a home with a 22 megabits per second (Mbps) connection ( the average home broadband speed in the UK) run three 4K streams simultaneously instead of just one. V-Nova has signed up 20 large telecoms, broadcast and IT companies including Broadcom, Sky, Hitachi, Intel, and the European Broadcasting Union to back its new Perseus technology.
AOP Census Reveals Publishers Prioritising Mobile Video
Publishers are optimistic the industry will grow in 2015 and are prioritising programmatic and mobile video, says the Association of Online Publishers’ seventh Organisation Census. The study revealed that the majority will grow investment in technology, data and responsive design. Video consumed on mobile (cited by 73 percent) is identified as a higher priority investment than video on desktop (cited by 68 percent).
Digital Content, Not TV Key to Engaging Young People
Watching content online instead of on TV is the new normal for young millennials and even younger Gen Zers says a report by Acumen. The average survey taker viewed 11.3 hours of free online video (on sites like YouTube) and 10.8 hours of subscription video (on sites like Netflix) for a surprising total of 22 hours a week. By comparison, that same survey group —1,350 people between the ages of 13 and 24—viewed an average just over eight hours of scheduled linear TV content, of which, six and a half hours happened online.
Facebook Bites Back At Updated EU Privacy Report
Facebook violates EU law by tracking users for targeted advertising, a European privacy panel said on Tuesday. The report was commissioned by the Belgian Privacy Commission, and is an updated version of an initial draft circulated in February. The update claims that Facebook cookies the browsers of any person that visits its site, including those without Facebook accounts and those who have specifically opted out of tracking in the EU. Facebook has attacked the findings, citing factual inaccuracies.
New Industry Pricing Model Values Engagement and Views
A new pricing model for online video ads has been launched by Exponential. Called CPME, it works by charging a CPM price for the number of views of the video ad and then automatically moves to a CPE model if people engage with the ad in some way (such as rolling over an ad to expand it, clicking to the advertiser website or playing a game).
Facebook Launches Collaborative New Video Platform, Riff
Facebook this week launched video platform, Riff. The platform is billed as a way to create videos with friends, a short video can become a project between circles of friends and shared online.
Pew Study Shows Digital Age Divide
A new Pew Research Center study shows a significant age divide in the use of smart phones to access Internet video. Three-quarters of younger smartphone owners used their device to watch videos at least once during a one-week study period, compared with 46 percent of those 30-49 and only 31 percent of those 50-plus. The vast majority of 18-29s (93%) also said they used their phones to ‘avoid being bored.’
Sky Germany Goes Day and Date with HBO
Sky Germany will start launching HBO series on the same day they go out on HBO’s domestic service. The day and date move starts with the new, fifth, season of Game of Thrones on April 12, but will extend to all upcoming HBO series.
Consolidation of Cable Sector Continues
In a move that will see it become the second largest cable operator in the US, Charter Communications and Advance/Newhouse Partnership have agreed a deal that will see Charter acquire Bright House Networks for $10.4 billion.
Movie Studio Live Streams Trailer Premiere With Twitter’s Periscope
Movie studio STX Entertainment is the first advertiser to work with Twitter on a campaign that incorporates the live-streaming app Periscope. STX premiered the trailer for its debut film The Gift on Periscope this week.
European TVs with Netflix Remote Buttons Available
Manufacturers Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Toshiba and Vestel have said they will sell devices with Netflix buttons in Europe. The remote controls will be included with 2015 as well as some 2014 model year products.
Eastern Europe Pay TV Revenue Growth to Slow
Pay TV revenues from eastern Europe will grow by 17% between now and 2020, a significant slowing down of growth relative the first half of the decade, according to Digital TV Research’s latest report.
ASA Bans Bupa Insurance Ads
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has banned two Bupa Insurance ads which appeared on TV and video on demand services for implying it granted patients a higher chance of surviving cancer.
Swisscom Launched Stripped Down TV Offering
Swisscom has launched Wingo, a new no-frills brand targeted at ‘digitally savvy’ younger customers that will include an optional TV offering.
ProSiebenSat.1 Signs Up with KD for Regionalised Ads
German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 is to launch a regionalised advertising on Vodafone-owned cable operator Kabel Deutschland’s network from 1st May.
Nationwide to Sponsor ITV Documentaries in 12 Month Deal
Nationwide will sponsor ITV documentaries over the next 12 months in a move to prove to potential customers how people-focused it is.
Beltelecom launches multiscreen TV
Belarus telco Beltelecom has launched a multiscreen TV service for its Zala TV offering.
This Week on VAN….
It’s a Myth that You Can’t Run Ads Behind a Paywall, read more on VAN
Programmatic Could be the Game-Changer in This Year’s UK Election, read more on VAN
Xaxis’s Schlickum: Clients are Making the Creative and Ad Tech Worlds Work Together, read more on VAN
Ad of the Week:Motorola, ‘Moto Selfie Stick
April first means April Fools. One of the best from Motorola.
