Broadcasting in 2018: Market, Monetization, and More

The rise of OTT players, development of various online video streaming platforms, faster connectivity, and rapidly changing consumer preferences are driving exponential growth for the broadcasting industry. Given the changing media consumption patterns, it goes without saying that capturing and engaging the audience matters the most, and OTT providers are leaving no stone unturned for the same. While industry biggies are not shying away from investing to create original content, smaller players will certainly look for technology that will help them in easy, affordable, high-quality content distribution. While 3D motion graphics, usage of robotics cameras, augmented reality etc. will be experimented, the introduction of AR/VR will only enrich and redefine the live content.

Spotlight

Whisper Films

As part of their ground breaking Growth Fund, Channel 4 has taken an equity stake in Whisper Films. This partnership is a huge vote of confidence from an industry leader and gives Whisper Films the platform to creative even bigger and better programming and more of the cutting edge content for which it is known.A production company specialising in high end branded entertainment, sports production and factual television.In 2010 Sunil Patel, David Coulthard and Jake Humphrey joined forces to combine creativity, expertise and industry knowledge to launch Whisper Films and, very quickly, Whisper started making a noise.

OTHER ARTICLES
Solutions, Business

This time Amazon really does have Bond in its sights

Article | July 7, 2022

MGM, which holds the largest film and TV library in Hollywood, is finally in play – and likely to be acquired by tech major and video streaming behemoth Amazon. With a rumoured price tag of $9 billion, the deal, while substantial, is merely equivalent to 8.3% of Amazon’s Q1 2021 earnings of $108.5 billion. Indeed, the 44% year-on-year (YoY) increase for its Q1 results alone would pay for the deal more than four times over. When it comes to investment capital to deploy, the tech majors led by Amazon and Apple are in a financial class of their own. This is the kind of deal that helps to explain why AT&T was so keen cut its losses and incur a $66 billion loss on its Warner Media assets by merging the former Time Warner media major with Discovery for $43 billion in cash and receiving 71% in equity in the new combined entity in return. It also follows on from Amazon’s 15.4x increase in what it is willing to pay to secure exclusive NFL Thursday Night Football coverage for its US Amazon Prime customers.

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Technologies, Business

Branded Entertainment in B2B: Why is it Important?

Article | August 3, 2022

Global B2B companies churn out content pieces such as infographics, case studies, assessments, and other forms of thought leadership content to create brand awareness. But is this content enough to engage the customers and the market? Not really. Marketers like you need to look into branded entertainment to get more customer engagement and brand loyalty. What is Branded Entertainment? Adweek loosely describes “branded entertainment” as any content that starts a positive conversation around a product, service, or set of values. This content builds a story around your product or services, showing it in a positive light and getting the audience to engage in your content as much as a film or a TV show. As opposed to other marketing endeavors, branded entertainment doesn’t focus on your products and their features but on entertaining the audience. Incorporating Branded Entertainment into Your Marketing Strategy Here are some ways to get it done without much hassle: Web Series Original programming, such as web series published on the brand’s social media channels, can help you raise awareness through stories that share your brand’s values instead of directly marketing your product or services. PR Stunts Create social media brand content that is entertaining and exciting enough for the audience to make it viral. Such PR brings positive media attention to your brand and creates mass awareness for your brand or product. Videos Volvo's entertaining video of Van Damme's split stunt on YouTube has 114.5 million views. The video didn't need a call-to-action because it wasn’t to convert leads. Instead, it was meant to showcase a piece of business-use truck technology and get engagement. Podcasting GE used podcasting for advertising twice, once with its show ‘The Message’ and again with its new series ‘LifeAfter.’ Neither show discusses GE's products. Instead, they were "GE-presented" and were received well. Summing It Up People are less likely to comment on or share brand posts directly, but they are more likely to tweet or share them on their Instagram stories. This way you can measure the impact of branded entertainment. B2B marketers should consider branded entertainment as a way to build trust and start conversations between their brands and their audience to get a long-term ROI.

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Media and Broadcasting, Business

Music and podcasts are competing for the same time

Article | August 4, 2022

The pandemic changed media consumption.Consumers acquired an extra 12% of entertainment timeand though everything was up, some categories grew much faster than others. One of the biggest gainers was spoken word audio, with podcasts and audiobooks seeing dramatic rises and while music hours grew too, the increase was below 12%, which means that music lost share. In the current entertainment environment of plenty this may be an academic concern, but when life returns to some form of normality (commutes, going out, gyms etc.) some or all of that extra 12% of entertainment time will go, which means that growing by less than the market average could translate into decline.

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Technologies, Business

AR in B2B Sales: What to Expect

Article | August 3, 2022

The potential of augmented reality technology goes beyond games and photo filters. It can benefit B2B businesses, especially their sales departments, in more ways than one. B2B sales is about converting potential clients into customers by using all the features and benefits of your product or service. Highlighting the profit the clients will make using your product or service is your priority. But how does augmented reality (AR) play into all of this? Here are three interesting use cases of AR in B2B sales for you to look at: AR in Exhibitions: Stand Out From the Crowd At exhibitions, if you do not stand out among your competitors, you might not attract any visitors to your stand. AR can bring your stand the footfall you expect. At 2017’s North American International Auto Show, Ford used AR to attract visitors. A visitor could sit inside the car and simultaneously see what was happening under the car’s hood on a big display screen. The experience impressed visitors and earned Ford brand visibility. AR in Data Visualization: Present Interactive Insights AR helps in presenting the value of your product or service in an interactive 3D visualization. A great example of this would be IBM’s Immersive Insights, a visualization tool that presents data in 3D space. Spectators can explore and understand data insights without feeling burdened with just numbers. This technology has potential in the B2B sales space as it can simplify complex data visualization and attract your prospects with visual appeal. AR in Product Presentations: Realistic and Immersive Experience There are always aspects of your product or service that you need to highlight in front of your prospective clients in unique ways so they can see the value of your offering. AR allows you to present your product in a realistic way. IKEA used AR to help clients try their furniture in their offices and apartments by superimposing it on their surroundings with the IKEA Place app. Realtor.com and industrial machines like CAT also help customers see what the offerings look like so that they can make informed decisions even without physically interacting with the product or service. Wrapping It Up Using AR in B2B sales is still an evolving concept, but can become a substantial tool in the toolkit of B2B sales teams that want to try new things to boost their numbers.

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Spotlight

Whisper Films

As part of their ground breaking Growth Fund, Channel 4 has taken an equity stake in Whisper Films. This partnership is a huge vote of confidence from an industry leader and gives Whisper Films the platform to creative even bigger and better programming and more of the cutting edge content for which it is known.A production company specialising in high end branded entertainment, sports production and factual television.In 2010 Sunil Patel, David Coulthard and Jake Humphrey joined forces to combine creativity, expertise and industry knowledge to launch Whisper Films and, very quickly, Whisper started making a noise.

Related News

Media and Broadcasting

Cresset Merges with TRUE Capital Management, Establishes Presence in Sports and Entertainment Industry

PRnewswire | May 10, 2023

Cresset Asset Management (Cresset) and TRUE Capital Management (TRUE) announced today that they have merged, creating a multi-family office with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023) and with offices in 19 locations around the nation. The strategic combination expands Cresset's presence in the sports and entertainment industry. TRUE is a multi-family office that specializes in guiding a diverse roster of clients across sports, entertainment, and entrepreneurism to financial security and generational wealth. TRUE manages $1.7 billion (as of 2/22/2023) of assets on behalf of more than 350 clients, including Deandre Ayton, Robert Griffin III, Marshawn Lynch, Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, Albert Pujols, Logan Ryan, Richard Sherman, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi. Together with Cresset, TRUE clients will enjoy access to Cresset's scale and national footprint, including its extensive family office services, goals-based financial planning, institutional-quality private investments, and lifestyle services. "We are thrilled to be joining forces with Cresset. Since we started TRUE in 2007, our priority has been to build relationships with our clients based on transparency and trust as they navigate the rare opportunities and unique challenges that come with wealth. That commitment will only be strengthened and enhanced with Cresset," said Doug Raetz, CEO of TRUE. "As we've worked closely with Cresset, it has become clear that the entire Cresset team shares our goals and values. It's an excellent cultural fit, and we are excited to explore new ways to create and deliver success stories for our clients," added TRUE COO Heather Goodman. "When we first met the TRUE team several years ago, we found kindred spirits in terms of how we believe clients should be treated and the positive impact wealth can have," said Avy Stein, Cresset Co-Founder and Co-Chairman. "Our mutual dedication to providing access to a full suite of sophisticated family office services and private investment opportunities makes this an ideal partnership." About TRUE Capital Management Founded in 2007, TRUE Capital Management is a wealth management firm that specializes in guiding its diverse roster of clients to financial security and generational wealth. The firm has built a reputation for serving high-profile clients across all major sports worldwide, the global entertainment industry, and entrepreneurs innovating in our ever-evolving business world. About Cresset Cresset is an independent, award-winning multi-family office and private investment firm with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023). Cresset serves the unique needs of entrepreneurs, CEO founders, wealth creators, executives, and partners, as well as high-net-worth and multi-generational families. Our goal is to deliver a new paradigm for wealth management, allowing clients to pursue what matters most to them.

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Technologies, Media and Broadcasting

ViewLift and Google Enable Multi-cloud and Cloud Agnostic Deployment for OTT

ViewLift | February 13, 2023

ViewLift, a leading provider of OTT and streaming technology solutions, recently announced a novel approach for its clients: the ability to use any major cloud provider or multiple clouds with the click of a button in ViewLift's back-end. The company provides content owners with a comprehensive end-to-end solution for distributing and monetizing their content across multiple device platforms, such as web, mobile, over-the-top, connected TV, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. It will now integrate its technology stack via a new partnership with Google Cloud, offering enterprises a multi-cloud and cloud-agnostic deployment advantage. This deployment capability makes it one of the only platform providers in the OTT solutions industry to provide such agility and flexibility. ViewLift, a longtime partner of Amazon Web Services (AWS), will now offer customers the technology stack of their choosing or the option to run both Google Cloud and AWS in parallel to ensure the highest platform uptimes. In addition, cloud-agnostic deployment provides access to new functionalities and features available on any major cloud, significantly improving the quality, availability, and resilience of ViewLift's solution. Manik Bambha, President of ViewLift, said, "With the Google Cloud integration, we take a major step towards the next level in technology leadership; our customers can choose exactly what cloud services work best for them, letting them mix and match features and functionalities to arrive at an ideal bouquet of services." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About ViewLift ViewLift, headquartered in New York, is a comprehensive digital content distribution platform that enables media companies, broadcasters, sports leagues and teams, and others to monetize their content using native branded apps on major OTT devices, such as the web, mobile, TV-connected devices, and Smart TVs and gaming consoles. Its proprietary intellectual property constitutes a complete tech stack, offering extensive functionality with hundreds of purpose-built features and a shorter time to market. The company's clients include NBCUniversal, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Nexstar, RugbyPass, MotoAmerica, TEGNA, MyOutdoorTV, WSX.TV, and many others

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Solutions, Business

Kargo Integrates Videobyte’s Connected TV Platform to Expand Its Portfolio

Kargo | February 07, 2023

Kargo, an advertising service provider, has recently integrated VideoByte, a video advertising platform for connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming, to expand its portfolio of video formats, commerce and exclusive social formats, and publisher tools with CTV advertising formats. This integration will enhance the connected experiences of the audiences between desktop, mobile, and now connected televisions, gaining the attention of different channels for its brand partners. Founded in 2020, VideoByte has become a prominent advertising service provider in CTV and OTT, integrating top media companies like LG, Tegna, and Viacom. Kargo has expanded its reach across the television advertising industry with this integration. It will launch new advertising products, and Kargo's current customers will get direct access to them. CEO of VideoByte, David Naffis, who will join Kargo as General Manager of CTV, said, "We are thrilled to join the Kargo team and are in lockstep with their mission to develop uniquely differentiated ad experiences that grab attention and drive performance for publishers and brands alike. Kargo's recent growth, scale, and reputation as market innovators will accelerate our go-to-market as we continue to push innovating new CTV formats." (Source - GlobeNewswire) Kargo's CEO and Founder, Harry Kargman, said, "Acquiring VideoByte is a clear next step in our growth and evolution. Kargo has been expanding across multiple screens and the Connected TV experience is calling for this kind of ad format innovation and disruption that Kargo has brought to the mobile screen. VideoByte shares our mission and vision to create unique and performant ad creatives, but they do it on the Connected TV screen which has not been in our product lineup. With VideoByte, we will bring an amazing Kargo experience to Televisions everywhere and change the landscape with new capabilities while driving massive value and success for both brands and publishers." (Source - GlobeNewswire) About Kargo Kargo, an advertising solutions provider, attracts consumer attention across mobile, video, and social advertising platforms for advertising brands with its exclusive omnichannel advertising suite and increases return on advertising spend (ROAS), incremental brand lift, and revenue per impression through creative targeting solutions. Headquartered in New York, it has had offices worldwide since 2003. It provides solutions for load time, identity problems, non-skippable video, poor creatives, advertisements, and infinite scrolls with direct integration and specialized market supplies, optimizing impressions from the best publishers.

Read More

Media and Broadcasting

Cresset Merges with TRUE Capital Management, Establishes Presence in Sports and Entertainment Industry

PRnewswire | May 10, 2023

Cresset Asset Management (Cresset) and TRUE Capital Management (TRUE) announced today that they have merged, creating a multi-family office with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023) and with offices in 19 locations around the nation. The strategic combination expands Cresset's presence in the sports and entertainment industry. TRUE is a multi-family office that specializes in guiding a diverse roster of clients across sports, entertainment, and entrepreneurism to financial security and generational wealth. TRUE manages $1.7 billion (as of 2/22/2023) of assets on behalf of more than 350 clients, including Deandre Ayton, Robert Griffin III, Marshawn Lynch, Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, Albert Pujols, Logan Ryan, Richard Sherman, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi. Together with Cresset, TRUE clients will enjoy access to Cresset's scale and national footprint, including its extensive family office services, goals-based financial planning, institutional-quality private investments, and lifestyle services. "We are thrilled to be joining forces with Cresset. Since we started TRUE in 2007, our priority has been to build relationships with our clients based on transparency and trust as they navigate the rare opportunities and unique challenges that come with wealth. That commitment will only be strengthened and enhanced with Cresset," said Doug Raetz, CEO of TRUE. "As we've worked closely with Cresset, it has become clear that the entire Cresset team shares our goals and values. It's an excellent cultural fit, and we are excited to explore new ways to create and deliver success stories for our clients," added TRUE COO Heather Goodman. "When we first met the TRUE team several years ago, we found kindred spirits in terms of how we believe clients should be treated and the positive impact wealth can have," said Avy Stein, Cresset Co-Founder and Co-Chairman. "Our mutual dedication to providing access to a full suite of sophisticated family office services and private investment opportunities makes this an ideal partnership." About TRUE Capital Management Founded in 2007, TRUE Capital Management is a wealth management firm that specializes in guiding its diverse roster of clients to financial security and generational wealth. The firm has built a reputation for serving high-profile clients across all major sports worldwide, the global entertainment industry, and entrepreneurs innovating in our ever-evolving business world. About Cresset Cresset is an independent, award-winning multi-family office and private investment firm with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023). Cresset serves the unique needs of entrepreneurs, CEO founders, wealth creators, executives, and partners, as well as high-net-worth and multi-generational families. Our goal is to deliver a new paradigm for wealth management, allowing clients to pursue what matters most to them.

Read More

Technologies, Media and Broadcasting

ViewLift and Google Enable Multi-cloud and Cloud Agnostic Deployment for OTT

ViewLift | February 13, 2023

ViewLift, a leading provider of OTT and streaming technology solutions, recently announced a novel approach for its clients: the ability to use any major cloud provider or multiple clouds with the click of a button in ViewLift's back-end. The company provides content owners with a comprehensive end-to-end solution for distributing and monetizing their content across multiple device platforms, such as web, mobile, over-the-top, connected TV, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. It will now integrate its technology stack via a new partnership with Google Cloud, offering enterprises a multi-cloud and cloud-agnostic deployment advantage. This deployment capability makes it one of the only platform providers in the OTT solutions industry to provide such agility and flexibility. ViewLift, a longtime partner of Amazon Web Services (AWS), will now offer customers the technology stack of their choosing or the option to run both Google Cloud and AWS in parallel to ensure the highest platform uptimes. In addition, cloud-agnostic deployment provides access to new functionalities and features available on any major cloud, significantly improving the quality, availability, and resilience of ViewLift's solution. Manik Bambha, President of ViewLift, said, "With the Google Cloud integration, we take a major step towards the next level in technology leadership; our customers can choose exactly what cloud services work best for them, letting them mix and match features and functionalities to arrive at an ideal bouquet of services." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About ViewLift ViewLift, headquartered in New York, is a comprehensive digital content distribution platform that enables media companies, broadcasters, sports leagues and teams, and others to monetize their content using native branded apps on major OTT devices, such as the web, mobile, TV-connected devices, and Smart TVs and gaming consoles. Its proprietary intellectual property constitutes a complete tech stack, offering extensive functionality with hundreds of purpose-built features and a shorter time to market. The company's clients include NBCUniversal, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Nexstar, RugbyPass, MotoAmerica, TEGNA, MyOutdoorTV, WSX.TV, and many others

Read More

Solutions, Business

Kargo Integrates Videobyte’s Connected TV Platform to Expand Its Portfolio

Kargo | February 07, 2023

Kargo, an advertising service provider, has recently integrated VideoByte, a video advertising platform for connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming, to expand its portfolio of video formats, commerce and exclusive social formats, and publisher tools with CTV advertising formats. This integration will enhance the connected experiences of the audiences between desktop, mobile, and now connected televisions, gaining the attention of different channels for its brand partners. Founded in 2020, VideoByte has become a prominent advertising service provider in CTV and OTT, integrating top media companies like LG, Tegna, and Viacom. Kargo has expanded its reach across the television advertising industry with this integration. It will launch new advertising products, and Kargo's current customers will get direct access to them. CEO of VideoByte, David Naffis, who will join Kargo as General Manager of CTV, said, "We are thrilled to join the Kargo team and are in lockstep with their mission to develop uniquely differentiated ad experiences that grab attention and drive performance for publishers and brands alike. Kargo's recent growth, scale, and reputation as market innovators will accelerate our go-to-market as we continue to push innovating new CTV formats." (Source - GlobeNewswire) Kargo's CEO and Founder, Harry Kargman, said, "Acquiring VideoByte is a clear next step in our growth and evolution. Kargo has been expanding across multiple screens and the Connected TV experience is calling for this kind of ad format innovation and disruption that Kargo has brought to the mobile screen. VideoByte shares our mission and vision to create unique and performant ad creatives, but they do it on the Connected TV screen which has not been in our product lineup. With VideoByte, we will bring an amazing Kargo experience to Televisions everywhere and change the landscape with new capabilities while driving massive value and success for both brands and publishers." (Source - GlobeNewswire) About Kargo Kargo, an advertising solutions provider, attracts consumer attention across mobile, video, and social advertising platforms for advertising brands with its exclusive omnichannel advertising suite and increases return on advertising spend (ROAS), incremental brand lift, and revenue per impression through creative targeting solutions. Headquartered in New York, it has had offices worldwide since 2003. It provides solutions for load time, identity problems, non-skippable video, poor creatives, advertisements, and infinite scrolls with direct integration and specialized market supplies, optimizing impressions from the best publishers.

Read More

Events