Panel Inside the 2023 Streaming Landscape
The growth of FAST and the shortage of new content due to the strike of writers and actors are the main events that could affect streaming advertisers in the next six to 12 months, according to the panelists at the webinar “Inside the 2023 streaming landscape– What advertisers should keep an eye,” held during the first day of the Stream TV Advertising Summit.
The panel included Katina Papas Wachter, Head of Ad Revenue Strategy for The Roku Channel; James Smith, Executive VP of Programmatics and Ad Sales at Amagi; Dave Kersey, Chief Media Officer of GSD&M (Omnicron); Darren Olive, President of Advertising Sales for Crackle Connex, and Jeff Imberman, Head of Global Sales for Tastemade. Paul Erickson, Principal at Erickson Strategy + Insights LLC, moderated the webinar.
Kersey said there will be a change in content viewing time due to the strike and the lack of new content. “There will be a lot of reruns and reality content,” he said.
“The industry will have to be much more creative to better serve the audience,” said Erickson of Erickson Strategy + Insights LLC.
According to Olive, the next few months will see the consolidation and come-back of pay-TV packages. He noted that Crackle and its other streaming properties are trying to create opportunities for advertisers by offering scale. The company belongs to a network of independent streamers, proving how big they are versus traditional TV and the big streaming companies.
Smith at Amagi FAST pointed out that in terms of FAST, it is necessary to achieve optimization and increase visibility. “You have to be discoverable in such a congested space.”
Papas Wachter at The Roku Channel pointed out that the limited production schedules will impact advertisers in the next six or 12 months. “The dollars invested in that content in upfronts will come out with delays.” She also concurred with the increased investment in FAST and mentioned they had been very fortunate to learn about this space early.
For Imberman (Tastemade), the user experience has been unattended and will be a key aspect in the coming months. “Premium content is going to rise to the top; the curated experience will set them apart,” he said.
Olive (Crackle Connex) mentioned that one way to generate new revenue streams is by creating branded entertainment initiatives.
Kersey (GSD&M) noted the importance of sports for most brands. “Our goal is to focus on the audience, to get the right audience. Sports have always been able to connect with audiences in real-time.”
For moderator Erickson, FAST and ad-supported services are still imperfect media. Smith noted that it’s essential to get a currency on which all ecosystem members agree.
For his part, Papas Wachter from The Roku Channel indicated that content discovery is crucial. “Each of our FAST partners has at least 400 channels; the ability to discover that content is key.”
For agencies like GSD&M, Kersey mentioned that it takes a lot of resources to research each platform. “We need a certain level of consistency from our partners to manage the flow,” he said.
