Week In Review: Forget The Upfronts and NewFronts, Here Come The Live Fronts; YouTube Scores At VidCon
1. Forget The Upfronts and NewFronts, Here Come The Live Fronts.
Live video is easily the biggest media trend of the past year and so it’s only fitting that Live should have it’s own “front.” Launching this October from Roker Media (yup, that Roker—Al’s not just a weather expert, he’s a savvy businessman) and BRaVe Ventures (TV[R]ev’s parent company) the Live fronts will be a chance for advertisers to understand the value of live video and to learn just how big it’s already become.
Why It Matters
Live video is different than YouTube and other recorded video in that (a) it’s far more interactive and (b) it’s usually considerably longer—live shows can last as long as a half hour. Both of those factors should prove to be of interest to advertisers as interactivity leads to a more engaged audience, as does lengthier programming. Live video offers the opportunity for interactive advertising as well, which, if done correctly, can feel far more authentic than canned messaging.
The other reason Live should be of interest to advertisers is that it’s pulling in a lot of viewers and the numbers are growing rapidly. According the Roker Media, the live matchmaking series, "Ship It Or Tip It" has had 400,000 views over the first 10 episodes. While that’s less than the 5 million who might watch a PewDiePie video, it’s also far more concentrated: all 400,000 were watching the show at the same time in the same place.
Live also comes with a high level of data transparency: what you see is what you get. No bots, no 3 second views counted as views. And because live viewers have to be logged on to Facebook, Periscope or YouNow, advertisers can get very granular data about who they are and what other shows they watch.
Finally, there’s this week’s announcement from Facebook that they will be spending $50 million to create guaranteed Live content for around 140 media partners. That’s a lot of live content and the more Facebook promotes Live (which they seem intent on doing), the bigger Live is going to become.
What You Need To Do About It
If you haven’t tuned in to a live broadcast on Facebook Live, YouNow or Periscope, that’s step one: familiarize yourself with the medium so you can make better decisions about it. (Pro Tip: Roker Media is a good place to start.)
Once you understand the medium, you’ll want to figure out how you can play in it. What makes sense for your network or your brand? Do you want to create your own live program or sponsor someone else’s?
Finally, make sure that you attend the Live Fronts this fall. For more info on how to do that, just shoot an email to info@braveventures.com.
2. YouTube Scores At VidCon.
While there was a small event going on in the south of France this week, the Creator part of the industry turned its attention to Orange County, California, where the 7th annual Vidcon event was taking place. In addition to the usual crush of teenage fans hoping to see their favorite YouTube and Vine stars, there were some serious announcements. YouTube, for instance, announced 8 new series, the most notable being a series based on the Channing Tatum movie franchise “Step Up,” developed in conjunction with Lionsgate.
Why It Matters
Because “Step Up” is the first time YouTube content is flowing in the opposite direction: a successful movie franchise is becoming YouTube’s first scripted drama series. If it’s successful, it can be seen as proof that YouTube’s teen audience is ready for more sophisticated fare than “Scare PewDiePie.” That’s a big sea change in how YouTube is perceived by outside media companies and, more importantly, by advertisers, making them an even more substantial competitor to traditional media companies.
What You Need To Do About It
Monitor how YouTube’s new series perform, “Step Up” in particular. If they’re doing well, you’ve got another outlet for premium content and/or a premium advertising.
