Digital-video advertising spending is expected to rise 17% to $55.2 billion in 2023, according to a report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau released during the NewFronts.

The growth would follow a 21% increase in spending on digital video advertising in 2022, according to the report from the IABm in conjunction with Standard Media Index and Advertiser Perceptions.

Connected TV spending increased 22% to $18.6 billion in 2022.

The report also sounded out buyers of TV and video about some of the key issues facing the market.

Traditional TV programmers have been tangling with YouTube and other streamers over what constitutes “premium video” and whether professionally produced video should be measured alongside user-created content.

In the study, 64% of buyers said creator-driven video can be considered premium. The percentage was higher — 69% — among the buyers with the biggest budgets. 

A majority of buyers said they use the same measurement approaches for creator economy video as they do for professionally produced Hollywood-style video.

“Beauty has always been in the eye of the beholder,” Eric John, VP of the IAB’s Media Center, said. “That truism is playing out now in the world of video advertising as we see marketers and brands focusing and optimizing their spend not only in the traditional world of premium content, but also in the diverse, multiplatform world of creator content.” 

A majority of buyers — 81% — said they want two or more unified currencies for impression measurement. Of those, 92% expect that will happen in the next two years.

There are disagreements over the details, with 52% saying they want viewable impressions defined by cumulative view time, while 48% what continuous view time. At the same time, 32% want a three-second minimum for viewability, 24% want five seconds and 19% said four seconds.

“As urgently as buyers want a multicurrency future, there’s no question that changing a market as large as video takes time; however, the clock is ticking,” IAB CEO David Cohen said. “To make significant progress, buyers need to come together and align on what they need, and sellers across the diverse video ecosystem need to be part of the conversation. We are optimistic about the conversations currently taking place and will continue to advocate for universal standards, transparency, interoperability, and collaboration across the industry.” 

CTV is considered a must-buy by 65% of the buyers, while 64% considered social video a must-buy. The buyers said they were prioritizing addressable channels, like connected TV.

Buyers are also increasingly looking at attention as a metric, with 93% saying they use at least one way of measuring attention when planning or buying video. Half of the buyers are using biometric approaches to measuring attention, with eye-tracking leading the field at 34%.

“Buyers want to know if the audience is paying attention, and they’re making buying decisions accordingly,” added John. “Buyers want engaged audiences watching video content of all stripes, including premium and creator-driven video. They want currencies they can trust. That’s where the industry is going — the question now is how fast we will get there.”

Media agency GroupM and SpotX said they will be working more closely on programmatic ad buying.

GroupM is expanding its global Premium Supply offering--in which publishers reserve high-quality inventory for the media buyers clients--to the U.S. 

SpotX will provide technology for GroupM Premium Supply in the U.S. and SpotX will be the agency’s preferred programmatic video exchange partner.

“As the largest media advertising company in the world, GroupM is continually looking for the most efficient ways to reach high-quality inventory while providing full transparency to our clients,” said Esra Bacher, managing partner - programmatic investment lead at GroupM. “As viewership dramatically increases in streaming video, we have chosen to partner with SpotX due to their strong relationships with the supply-side of the video ecosystem. We’re excited to continue our great work with them moving forward.”

GroupM started Premium Supply in 2017 and now operates it in more than 10 markets world wide. In addition to premium content, participants in GroupM Premium supply promise transparency about fees and auction mechanics, as well as reduced fees. The money saved is used to buy more inventory from participating publishers.

The SpotX-GroupM agreement is part of a trend to optimize supply chains that has led to buyers and sellers working with a smaller number of intermediaries. In addition to SpotX, GroupM works with Index Exchange focusing on display media.

As part of the agreement, SpotX will also develop unique programmatic solutions for GroupM clients, which will streamline the ad planning, buying, decisioning, and optimization processes.

“In today’s climate, we understand that media agencies have many different choices in SSPs, and we are thrilled to be recognized by GroupM for our programmatic expertise and substantial ties to publishers,” said Sean Buckley, COO at SpotX. “We’re excited to enhance the partnership GroupM and their clients have with our platform customers and continue to scale the digital video ecosystem.”

Over the last few months, the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry has been a vital resource, with people around the world relying on it. As a result, select segments of the industry are experiencing greater demand for their content and services than ever before. With people staying at home more, consumption of films, TV shows, video games, music and other forms of entertainment is on the rise.

Higher demand, lower margins

You’d think this situation would be an automatic win for content creators and providers. But in fact, many of them are struggling to generate profits and sustainable growth. Indeed, while audiences are engaging with content more, it’s the changing nature of their engagement - and underlying economics - that present a challenge to media organizations.

Audiences have been moving away from M&E companies’ traditional offerings for some time. The shift from broadcast TV and live linear bundled video– toward on-demand video offerings has been consistent over time – with sports as a notable exception. We all saw a similar move some years ago in the music industry, away from physical recorded media and toward digital streams and downloads. 

Add this to shifting advertising spend from live linear to digital, the disruptive effect of agile, digital-native competitors, and the higher operating costs that often burden legacy M&E companies, and it’s easy to see why profit margins are so tight for many traditional M&E companies

The cost cuts don’t work

To relieve this pressure, many of these organizations have looked to targeted cost-cutting initiatives using typical approaches. Though well-intentioned, the reality is that these cost initiatives rarely work in the long-term. Accenture analysed the financial performance of 33 major publicly-traded M&E companies who have announced cost reduction initiatives between 2014 and 2019; when assessing the outcomes over a period of two years, a pattern emerges. Profit margin rises and peaks within roughly three quarters after a cost reduction initiative is launched, then reverts to below prior profit levels inside of two years. Perhaps more striking is that by the fourth quarter after an initial announcement of a cost reduction program, M&E companies often give up almost all the profit gains.

At best, standard cost-cutting measures offer some immediate cost relief. But they are not delivering long-term cost reduction and profit growth. This raises two questions that all traditional M&E organizations need to ask themselves. What’s preventing us from achieving sustainable cost savings? And what strategy might we adopt to remedy this?

Defend and attack

Regarding the first question, there are a number of cultural and institutional factors preventing the traditional media businesses from successfully realizing cost savings. To name a few: their organizational complexity; their reliance on outdated planning methodologies; a habit of introducing incremental cost savings without a corresponding vision for wider cultural change; minimal reliance on outsourcing and the shielding of certain ‘sacred’ areas of the business from restructuring or cost analysis. 

What can be done then? According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, which surveyed over 4,700 companies across over three global recessions (1980, 1990, 2000), companies that mastered the delicate balance between cutting costs and investing for future growth were best equipped for survival. In fact, they found that those that deployed a specific combination of offensive and defensive moves had the highest probability – 37 percent – of breaking away from the pack.  Said differently, companies that are optimization-oriented and balance cost reduction with continued investment are twice as likely to come out of a downturn successfully than purely prevention-oriented companies that comprehensively reduce cost and investment.

A zero-based mindset

A zero-based mindset is what allows a business to achieve this balance. By adopting a zero-based mindset, a company essentially forgets about the past and reimagines its cost base not from what it is today, but what it would be if the company were to start from scratch. In essence it’s about re-allocating non-productive resources (from a zero-base) in a way that boosts profitability and future growth.

The principal advantage of a zero-based mindset is that it encourages competitive agility, meaning an organization can execute with equal strength across the pillars of growth, profitability, sustainability and trust.

Overcoming resistance

So, what does implementing a zero-based mindset look like? And what are some of the obstacles to successful adoption among M&E organizations? 

To execute, businesses need to clearly define the scope of the spend the company wants to address. Do they want to target a specific area such as labor, technology, indirect material supply, contractor spend, raw material supply or real estate? Or do they want to address all areas of the business? In the case of M&E organizations, it might well be the case that major opportunities for zero-based cost transformation exist in core functions such as content production. 

Regardless, the goal is to gain insight into all purchases and spending through forensic analysis and triangulation of spend data. Once a company knows this, it can target the future spend required and determine the “should-be” cost.

Companies that have embraced a zero-based mindset report that cultural buy-in (67 percent) and change management (41 percent) are the hardest obstacles to overcome. These issues are especially entrenched in traditional M&E organizations, which have been slow to adopt zero-based cost transformation.

Nothing to lose, everything to gain

But for those that act now, the rewards could be huge. According to Accenture research, companies that implement zero-basing are seeing average cost reductions of 15 percent and average bottom-line savings of more than US $260 million annually. Cost savings ranging from 20 – 40 percent are achievable using zero-based cost transformation. 

But zero-basing isn’t just about savings. M&E companies that embrace a zero-based mindset will discover a range of benefits depending on their focus. These range from being better able to respond to changing market shifts and customer demands, to being able to produce and distribute content at costs comparable to those of their leading digital competitors. 

Cost transformation doesn’t need to be traumatic to be effective. Zero-based cost transformation is a lifestyle change rather than a crash diet. Now is the time for traditional M&E companies to embrace a zero-based mindset and set themselves up for future success. 

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We help media and entertainment businesses outmaneuver uncertainty. With end-to-end transformation expertise, our clients emerge stronger and grow.

More than 8,500 media buyers and other folks from the advertising business have pre-registered for the virtual NewFronts, the Internet Ad Bureau said Wednesday.

The NewFronts, rescheduled after the live event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place from June 22 to 26 online.

About 30 events are scheduled with subjects including streaming video, audio, eSports and gaming, plus presentations on trends in changes in consumer behavior and media habits.

Related: Ad Buyers See 20% Spending Drop: IAB

“COVID-19 has accelerated the change in the marketplace and is unleashing the future of video today. We are all relying on digital media and virtual experiences to keep us engaged and connected in this new reality, further emphasizing the need for NewFronts to discuss the rise of OTT viewing among consumers. Due to these accelerated changes, IAB has been able to pivot NewFronts to a digital format that we believe will serve as a model for the future,” said David Cohen, president of the IAB. 

The NewFronts kick off June 22 with Roku. Other streaming video presenters include Crackle Plus, Tubi, Hulu, Snap, Facebook, GSTV YouTube and TikTok.

A full schedule can be found here.

Bravo Media and Mashable have launched The Real Housekids, the first joint production stemming from a digital, short-form development deal announced in March.

The short-form, ad-supported series, Mashable Studios’ first TV network collaboration for the production of original content, has children humorously recreate “iconic” scenes from Bravo’s original The Real Housewives series.

The latest hookup between  Bravo and Mashable follows an earlier collaboration around The Real Housewives franchise, including a short-form digital series called Real Thoughts with Real Housewives that was distributed on Mashable.com, Facebook, YouTube and Bravo’s digital platforms.

Watch a couple of episodes below:

Looking to expand its reach to millennial audiences, The E.W. Scripps Company said it has put up $39 million to acquire Cracked, the multiplatform satire specialist that operates a Web site, mobile apps, creates original digital video and a podcast.

Scripps, which is buying Cracked from Demand Media, noted that Cracked, an ad-supported offering, pulled in revenues of about $11 million in 2015, and that the business was profitable.

Cracked, launched in 1958 as a humor magazine, was acquired by Demand Media in 2007.  The Santa Monica, Calif.-based Cracked team will remain there and will be led by Mandy Ng Rusin, general manager and vice president, and Jack O’Brien, vice president and editor-in-chief.

The acquisition follows other OTT-facing and millennials-focused deals for Scripps, which last year bought podcast company Midroll Media and, in 2013, acquired Newsy, an online video news service that reaches several streaming platforms, such as Apple TV, Roku players, Amazon Fire TV devices, smart TVs from Samsung and LG, and is  also distributed by Sling TV, Pluto TV, and Watchable (Comcast’s new curated OTT service for mobile devices and its X1 set-top box platform)

“Cracked is the expert in using clever humor to engage a younger audience that is very loyal to its brand,” said Rich Boehne, chairman, president and CEO of Scripps, in a statement. “Its editorial vision brings a fresh perspective to the way the next generation creates and consumes news, information and entertainment.”

“Cracked is a natural extension of the Scripps strategy to take a leadership position in high-growth content marketplaces,” added Adam Symson, Scripps’s chief digital officer. “Scripps will help Cracked reach new and larger audiences as it continues to build its brand on the web, in over-the-top video and audio and on other emerging platforms.”

Mashable, a digital publisher that touts an audience of 45 million monthly unique visitors, said it has secured a $15 million “C” round led by Turner that also bakes in partnership spanning video production, distribution and advertising.

Mashable said the round also includes returning investors Time Warner Investments, Updata Partners, David Jones, and Mike Lazerow, with participation from R&R Venture Partners. As a result of the round Kevin Reilly, chief creative officer for Turner Entertainment and president of TBS and TNT, will join Mashable’s board.

Mashable, which has now raised $46 million (Updata led a $14 million A round in 2014, and Time Warner Investments led a $17 million B round in 2015), said it will use the new round to expand its video offerings across platforms, including linear TV, enhance its technology and data platforms and bolster its premium advertising offerings, with a focus on building its branded video division (Mashable Studios was launched last June).

The partnership with Turner will include the development of new programming and franchises using Mashable Velocity (its prediction and tracking tool), distributing select Turner programming to Mashable’s digital audience and building cross-sales opportunities.

Turner, home to the top rated cable networks, is the perfect partner to bring the best of tech and digital culture to TV in fresh ways,” Pete Cashmore, CEO and founder of Mashable, said in a statement.

“Just as we are redefining these networks and continue to innovate beyond the traditional television universe, Mashable is redefining digital storytelling, making us ideal partners in today's rapidly evolving media ecosystem,” added Reilly. He told The Wall Street Journalthat the agreement is "truly strategic," as it will help Turner seek talent and pursue content genres that might not be found through the regular TV pilot process. 

Mashable, which has 28 million social followers, said it’s branded content revenue grow 69% year-over-year, with client engagements growing by 58%.

The Web browser continues to cede valuable ground to other digital platforms amid growing usage of OTT devices, smartphones, and even cable-supplied set-top boxes, FreeWheel, the Comcast-owned ad-tech company, found in its latest quarterly report.

“Propelled by 76% growth across OTT (Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Gaming Consoles, and Smart TVs) and 92% on smartphone devices, as well as the inclusion of STB VOD, which amounted to 10% of total delivery, never again will the browser be the first stop for digital video content,” FreeWheel noted in its Q4 2015 Video Monetization Report.

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With respect to ad views by device type, desktops/laptops still led all categories with 40% share, but was up only 0.1% year-over-year. OTT devices, meanwhile, scored a 22% share (up 76%), followed by smartphones (19%, up 92%), set-top VOD (10%), and tablets (9%, up 40%).

Among OTT devices, Apple TV held court with a 44% share of ad views, followed by Roku (34%), gaming consoles (15%), Google’s Chromecast adapter (5%), and smart TVs and the Amazon Fire TV (1% each).

FreeWheel’s study also offered an update on the momentum of authenticated TV Everywhere services.

Authenticated viewing for long-form and live content accounted for 65% of monetization in Q4 2015, up from 56% in the year-ago period.

“While we saw very strong progression in video ad views across authenticated content at 142% year-over-year, looking back at the previous four quarters of growth there is a notable decline across the top-line, especially when comparing to the staggering 591% rate we reported in Q4 2014,” FreeWheel said.

Entertainment content was top category for TVE with respect to video ad views, rising 202% year-on-year, followed by sports (46%, up 69%), news (6%, up 98%), and kids fare (5%, up 2,073%).

Among other findings, long-form on-demand and live streams were the fastest growing content areas – up 56% and 129% year-over-year, respectively.  Authenticated ad views also accounted for more than 65% of all long-form and live programmer monetization, FreeWheel said. 

Univision Communications has launched Udisea, a digital content platform expressly targeting the coveted Hispanic millennial consumer.

The online platform features Spanish-language short-form video content developed exclusively for Univision, including original Web series and various scripted entertainment formats.

Content on Udisea will explore trends that define life on the Internet today, "from chasing romance on Tinder to the hopes of an aspiring YouTuber — today’s millennial celebrity," Univision said in a statement.

Among the short-form content housed on Udisea is the Univision Digital-produced romantic comedy Tenemos Que Hablar (We Need to Talk), which premiered in October and has generated more than 2 million views across Univision.com, YouTube and Facebook.

Now, millennials will have direct access to a digital channel created for them, eliminating the need to go to a top-level digital content hub and conduct a search for what they wish to consume, Univision said.

“Hispanics and multicultural millennials overindex in the consumption of digital, mobile and social content, and our research shows that more than half of Univision users are going online to view videos that are different from what they see on TV,” said Isaac Lee, Univision's chief news and digital officer and CEO of Fusion, the ABC-Univision joint-venture network aimed at millennials. “With the launch of Udisea, we are providing this vast and digital-avid audience a fresh, new platform they can call their own, where they will enjoy original scripted videos and Web series created especially for them.”

Udisea joins Flama, a joint venture launched in October 2013 with digital media producer Bedrock Media, as Univision's second millennial-targeted digital platform. Flama caters to English-speaking Latinos, while Udisea will focus on Spanish-speaking Hispanics aged 15-34.

Joining a growing trend, premium movie network EPIX said it will soon let authenticated subscribers download titles to their mobile devices for viewing when they are offline.

EPIX said it’s adding the capability later this month via its mobile apps for the Kindle Fire and iOS and Android tablets and smartphones, and will be launched in tandem with a marketing campaign in partnership with affiliated distributors. 

While Netflix has remained cool to complementing its streaming platform with downloading, the download model has been picking up elsewhere. Amazon last week became the first subscription VOD streaming service to extend downloading to its apps for iOS and Android, complementing initial support for downloading  on Fire devices. Comcast also supports downloads for a portion of its VOD library via  its Xfinity TV Go app (including movie titles from premium nets Starz, Encore, Movieplex and Showtime), and lets users of its X1 Cloud DVR download recorded shows to mobile devices for offline viewing.  TiVo recently extended downloading capability to its Android app, building on a similar capability offered on iOS devices.

See this story (subscription required) in this week’s Next TV section in Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable  for more on the digital video downloading market, including insight from Michael Willner, CEO of Penthera, the company behind a platform called Cache & Carry.

EPIX said its new download feature will support movie titles from franchises such as The Hunger Games, James Bond, and Star Trek, original documentaries and music and comedy events.

“The EPIX goal has always been to provide our subscribers with next level enhancements, elevating how they can access content across devices,” said Mark Greenberg, EPIX president and CEO, in a statement.  “By creating a network first, true TV Everywhere experience, consumers can now download a movie from our library and watch it anywhere, anytime, even without a Wi-Fi connection - while waiting at the airport, traveling by train, commuting to work, or even on a camping trip. Consumers now have guaranteed content mobility.”

“From its creation, EPIX has focused on providing their premium movies and original programming to customers in as many ways as possible,” added Mike Angus, Time Warner Cable’s SVP and GM, digital. “Working with them to capitalize on technology to create more ways for our customers to watch is a great way for us to add value together.”

EPIX’s TVE platform also supports the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PS4, the Google Chromecast streaming adapter, Web browsers, Roku players, several smart TV platforms from makers such as Sony, Sharp and Philips, and Google’s new Android TV platform.

MVPDs that offer EPIX and have TVE rights for the service include AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, TWC, Charter Communications, Dish Network, EPB Fiber Optics, Frontier Communications, Cox Communications, Hargray, Verizon  FiOS and Mediacom Communications. 

NeuLion, a provider of live and on-demand digital video distribution systems, has won a new multi-year deal with UFC that includes the powering of UFC.TV, including pay-per-view events, and a rebuild and relaunch of UFC Fight Pass, its subscription-based OTT offering. 

Financial terms were not announced, but the new deal will have NeuLion hit on other parts of UFC’s video business, including “international localization,” expanded device support, customer care, and integration into the UFC Rewards system.

UFC.TV currently is offered Xbox gaming consoles, the Apple TV, iOS and Android mobile devices, with more on the way, they said. UFC.TV will also add new new payment methods for live PPV events and  UFC Fight Pass, which starts at $9.99 per month.

"Signing another multi-year agreement with UFC illustrates our commitment and ability to create, deliver and grow meaningful experiences for our customers, and furthers our 'land and expand' growth strategy,” NeuLion CEO Dr. Kanaan Jemili, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing the evolution of next-generation video experiences with our valued partner, UFC."

"We are in 180 countries and over 1 billion homes worldwide, requiring a continued focus on new and emerging technology to meet viewer demand,” added UFC president Dana White. “As a partner, NeuLion has supported the growth of our digital business from the ground up and, together, we are delivering a best-in-class digital experience to our fans worldwide."

Last month, NeuLion posted Q2 revenues of $22.7 million, up 69%, attributing growth to new customers. Revenues specifically tied to its digital platform grew 16%.

As part of a strategy to build its OTT and 4K efforts, NeuLion bought video encoding/delivering specialist DivX in January for $62.5 million.

Roku has locked up an exclusive preview of the first episode of season two of Park Bench with Steve Buscemi, AOL’s original Emmy-nominated series, in the U.S.

The preview, available now on Roku players and Roku TV models via the AOL On channel, became available Thursday (June 4), two weeks before season two of the series is offered on other platforms starting June 18.  

As the name implies, the series, created and starring Steve Buscemi, features Buscemi and his friends sitting around to discuss “the special people, places, and spirit that embody the true essence of New York City.”  Those joining Buscemi in season two include musician Elvis Costello, comedian John Oliver, actress Amber Tamblyn, actress Zosia Mamet, actor Paul Sparks, comedian Robert Smigel as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, comedian Gilbert Gottfried, and filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, among  

Early access to the premiere of season two of the show, which is produced by Olive Productions and RadicalMedia, provides a bit of a differentiator to Roku, which is competing in the OTT sector against big players such as Apple, Google and Amazon.

“’Park Bench’ is a popular, critically acclaimed original series that I know Roku customers will enjoy viewing before it’s available on any other platform,” said Ed Lee, VP of content at Roku. “Working closely with channel partners such as AOL to deliver these exclusive entertainment experiences plays an important role in differentiating the Roku platform from the competition.”

“We're committed to making our content accessible to consumers to view on connected, over-the-top devices and screens of all sizes,” said Dermot McCormack, President of AOL Video & Studios. “ AOL video views have more than doubled across over-the-top devices compared to last year at this time and since Roku is a leading streaming platform with millions of customers, it is a natural fit for us to deliver an exclusive experience for Roku customers around our Emmy-nominated series.”

Univision Communications' Flama service is now available on Conde Nast Entertainment's The Scene.

Under the deal, the bicultural video network for millennials, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Spanish-language media leader and Bedrocket Media Ventures, will make more than 100 original episodes accessible to The Scene. New content will be delivered on a weekly basis.

The pact is the second for Flama in recent weeks: Last month it reached a licensing arrangement with Hulu for five of its original series.

The partnership, financial terms of which were not disclosed, also calls for CNE and Flama to co-develop projects going forward.

“The Scene represents the best in premium digital video and our curated programming lineup is resonating with our audience of upscale millennial viewers,” said Conde Nast Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff. “The addition of the Flama original series broadens our reach among millennial Hispanic viewers and brings a distinct voice to our growing collection of next-generation storytellers and entertainers.” 

“Through select top-tier media partners like Flama and its own media properties, Condé Nast Entertainment is building an exciting new platform with The Scene,” said Steven Benanav, General Manager of Flama.  “We are thrilled to expand the reach of Flama on The Scene.  It represents yet another place our audience can discover our original content starring some of today’s most popular digital talent.”

Since launching on YouTube in December 2013 and as a stand-alone destination in April 2014, Flama has produced over 20 original series, including “Drop the Mic with Becky G” featuring hip hop singer Becky G (pictured); “Left Unattended with D-stroy” starring personality D-stroy Melendez; “Super Accurate Soccer History” highlighting all aspects of soccer for fans; “The Secret Life of Babes” starring model and internet sensation Lisa Ramos; and “Taking on America” which follows DJ Danny Avila and singer J Balvin. There is also an array of shorts.

For its part, The Scene features over 100 original digital series from Condé Nast brands including Glamour, GQ, Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, Teen Vogue, Style.com, Self, Allure, Golf Digest, Bon Appétit, Epicurious, Brides, Details, W and The New Yorker, as well as content from partners ABC News, Major League Soccer, Buzzfeed, PBS Digital Studios, The Weather Channel, Forbes, Jash, The Verge and Variety. 

Additionally, “The Scene Presents” features exclusive original series including “HeyUSA” featuring YouTube stars Gracie Helbig and Mamrie Hart, “We the Economy” produced by Morgan Spurlock and Paul G. Allen, “Burt’s Buzz” starring Burt’s Bees founder Burt Shavitz, “Those People” starring Carrie Kemper (“The Office”) and Hayes Davenport (“Eastbound & Down”), “#followme” starring Zac Posen, Coco Rocha, Odile Gilbert, Kabuki and Chiara Ferragni (The Blonde Salad) as they each uniquely experience Zac Posen’s show at New York Fashion Week, and “Cardboard Box Office” which brings the popular and creative blog to life for the first time.

Once the Super Bowl ended, fans turned to their digital devices to consume content and engage in conversations about the game – and the water cooler moments, at least on Sporting News Media sites.

On Monday and Tuesday following the game, total video views rose nearly 50% as fans sought out game highlights, video analysis and commentary, the site said. Monday’s consumption of pro football video content more than doubled from Super Bowl Sunday (up 114.8%). The two days following the Super Bowl, there were over 10 million pro football video views, an increase of 95.6% from the previous year, SportingNews said.

Content surrounding the critical Malcolm Butler interception was expectedly among the most viewed after the game, but other top videos viewed included content related to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s legacy (pictured) and whether he has surpassed Joe Montana in the “best-ever” argument after winning his fourth Super Bowl, the site said in a release.

SportingNews said the data came from its SN ePlayer network, which it said reaches more than 30 million sports fans and serves up more than 400 million streams in the U.S. each month across 350 sites.

Fans moved from desktops to mobile devices as the kickoff approached and throughout the game. Desktop traffic at sportingnews.com began to decline before the game began, and decreased 26% from 6-7 p.m. ET. Mobile phone traffic rose after kickoff and continued through the first half of the game, accounting for an average of 70% of uniques visiting during the game window, the release said.

Rich Routman, president, Sporting News Media, said in the release that “fans are looking to extend Super Bowl festivities and immersive digital video experiences and social discovery are leading the way.”

Sporting News Media analyzed internal U.S.-based data collected with Adobe Analytics in 2014 as well as custom analysis surrounding the Super Bowl.

WideOrbit, a supplier of ad management software, and digital branding software specialist TubeMogul said they have combined to create a programmatic platform that will enable brands and agencies to buy broadcast TV and digital video advertising.

They said the joint offering matches advertiser demand from TubeMogul’s platform with broadcaster and network inventory from WideOrbit’s WO Programmatic-TV online marketplace.  WideOrbit noted that audiences from major broadcasters such as The E.W. Scripps Company and Raycom Media are available for purchase at WO Programmatic-TV’s launch point.

Under the deal, WideOrbit will be TubeMogul’s exclusive source of local broadcast advertising inventory. TubeMogul, meanwhile, will be the exclusive programmatic platform permitted to purchase inventory through WideOrbit’s ad exchange through March 31, 2015.

They claim the combination will speed up and simplify the TV advertising buying and selling process.

“TV ads have been purchased with the same slow manual processes since the Mad Men era. Today’s announcement represents a tipping point in the history of television, the moment when advertisers can buy across every screen with software,” said Brett Wilson, co-founder and CEO of TubeMogul, in a statement.

“There are many ways buyers want to buy programmatically, but TubeMogul stood out as the perfect partner because of its strict focus on the buy-side and dedication to the medium of video,” added Eric R. Mathewson, founder and CEO of WideOrbit. “WideOrbit remains a sell-side programmatic solution representing the needs of broadcasters and networks. TubeMogul’s 100% commitment to the demand-side perfectly corresponds with the needs of our sell-side clients.”

Nielsen’s new cross-platform video analysis finds daily TV viewing is off slightly but online video viewing is surging, so that overall time spent with media content has risen.

The Q2 2014 Cross-Platform Report out today finds that daily time watching traditional live television is still more than four and a half hours per day, which is down a bit from a year ago, depending on whether the age range is 18-34 (2%), 35-49 (1%) or 50-64 (2%).

Digital video consumption daily though is up among the 18-34 group by 53%, to 35 minutes; among the 35-49 group by 80%, to 26 minutes, and even up 60%, to 19 minutes, among those ages 50-64. “It’s not just a young versus ‘older’ story,” Dounia Turrill, SVP Insights at Nielsen, said in an introduction to the report.

“Today, content is delivered and consumed through competing deliver platforms, networks and screens,” Turrill said in the report. “Never before have we seen this level of fragmentation and yet, the sum total of media consumed is growing. In fact, year over year among the younger 18-34 demo media consumption has grown 4% overall, 2% among Hispanics, 8% among blacks and 10% among Asians.”

Smartphone use is really surging. The devices have a 72% penetration in the United States, and tablets are up to 39% now, Nielsen said.

UPDATE: Nielsen has posted the full report at this link. (This story has been amended to correct the link.)