ADDING ADS TO THE ACTION
How do you increase advertising loads without alienating viewers? It’s an age-old conundrum, but Allan Nicholson, senior director for advertising solutions and strategy at Harmonic, has a brace of new solutions. In-stream advertising with split-screen functionalities gives both content owners and advertisers the power to create new inventory during live sports and other events. The new generation of ad inventory and creative formats eliminates the need for conventional pre-roll/mid- roll ad loads, minimises viewer disruption and drives fan engagement. Dynamic brand insertion uses AI to spot possible product placement areas in video content. Harmonic has worked with Ryff and Mirriad to extend this VOD workflow to linear channel playout. This highly sophisticated solution combines the benefits of targeted advertising with the less disruptive brand insertion techniques and advertising efficiency of linear channel consumption. Both approaches increase ad inventory for publishers, while delivering a more compelling user experience than traditional full-screen ads.
digital-first viewers who may have drifted away from traditional subscription services,” suggests Rick Young, SVP of global products at LTN. “The BBC recently announced the launch of its flagship BBC News channel on a range of FAST platforms across North America, adding to its existing FAST channel distribution portfolio. The introduction of always-on, live news programming represents a great example of taking a non-commercial linear channel and monetising it with advertising across new global markets via FAST.” Squeezed household budgets and a more austere subscription market are playing into the hands of FAST. “With major streaming services raising their prices and clamping down on subscriptions, more customers are turning to FAST channels as they remove the financial commitment and constraints,” argues Kamel. “This is reflected in their growing usage. In the US, according to Statista, 57% of TV viewers watched FAST channels in 2023, while Statista expects the global FAST market to generate revenue of $9.74 billion in 2024.” Although FAST presents a linear stream of programming similar to old-fashioned broadcast TV, the stream does not have to be the same for every viewer. “FAST has reached where it is today by replicating the cable experience, but for it to reach its growth potential providers will need to reimagine the experience,” warns Desai. “One of the most effective ways is through hyper-personalisation on a profile level to tailor the streaming experience to the viewer’s exact preferences. By considering their viewing behaviours, you can present a personalised channel consisting of a stitched-together linear feed of VOD content that the user will engage with long term.”
THE ROI-GHT WAY Ted Jordan’s platform makes programmatic advertising simple with its focus on scalability and budget flexibility
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