CTV companies address weaknesses by copying each other’s strengths
This year, upfront presenters addressed their historical weaknesses by bulking up on their competitors’ historical strengths.
For instance, legacy media powerhouse NBCUniversal touted the impact of its technology investments with a presentation on how its One Platform Total Audience helps advertisers engage audiences across screens and measure the actions consumers take after seeing these cross-platform campaigns. TelevisaUnivision also highlighted its growing capabilities in the world of outcomes measurement.
And perhaps nothing highlighted the ascendance of the CTV era better than when WBD chief ad sales officer Jon Steinlauf presented the company’s new data-driven video product. “You don’t have to worry about finding cord-cutters, cord-nevers or overexposure to heavy TV viewers,” he said. “You define your audience one time, and then we find them.”
For their part, the companies that built their businesses on streaming and technology worked hard to prove to advertisers that they have engaging live content that keeps viewers glued to the screen during ad breaks.
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Most notably, we are entering a new phase in the shift of live sports to streaming; to use the popular “crawl, walk, run” metaphor, the companies that began as tech platforms are now entering a light jog when it comes to sports programming.
The NFL’s Christmas Day games are coming to Netflix. Amazon added a playoff game and the second inaugural Black Friday game to its Thursday Night Football slate. And YouTube is complementing its NFL Sunday Ticket package with a new deal to carry local games from the ascendant WNBA.
Already, serious sports fans need at least one or two streaming platforms to follow their favorite teams. Sure, there’s always the option to watch the game at your local watering hole. But we’re reaching a point of critical mass where it makes more sense to sign up for a monthly subscription than to keep shelling out for wings and beer. That’s certainly the logic behind the newly named Venu Sports, a joint venture between Disney, Fox and WBD.
A CTV strategy for a CTV world
From an advertiser and agency perspective, this CTV tipping point means there is no longer utility in thinking about a “linear buy” and a “streaming buy.” Many already have unified video teams, but it’s easier to retool org charts than it is to truly unify strategies, workflows and datasets.
