MVPDs Hold On Tight While TV Re-targeters Hope to Avoid Pitfalls of AdTech

June 8, 2017 John Cassillo

The following is our weekly TV [R]EVenue newsletter, which publishers on Wednesdays. Want to subscribe? Click here.Facebook wants TV advertisers to show them some ‘likes’ but it’s a tougher sell when you’re getting less bang for your buck on the social platform than you are through television. That trusty TV’s far from perfect either, though.Snap already knows where you are, and now their advertisers will, too. This week’s purchase of Placed should result in better targeting and more relevant ads. Lat long, people. Maybe it answers the above?On that note: we are watching Jason Stein’s Cycle Media model, with the promise of 150 million for building, and companies like WHOSAY that power influence marketing for brands and agencies in a smart, whitelisted way.It can be hard to have your cake and eat it too, but Brandlive explains how together, pre-recorded and live video can give you the best of both video marketing worlds.Multichannel ad revenue’s the growing trend, but it’s not without its issues. Subscriber numbers are also in for another big dip as the glut of new streaming services create more alternative options than ever before. That means less near-term growth, which is yet another worry for both networks and advertisers alike.Apple’s buying in on AR and VR, and that should mean industry growth pushing brands and publishers to dive right in shortly. Content creators should be salivating over what’s next, including the potential to drive some real financial results. What gets measured gets made.Both Apple and Google are playing internet safety cop now, too. Padsquad’s Daniel Meehan asks if we should really feel comfortable with the Big G being the arbiter of what appears on a page as a user, and more importantly as a publisher?TV-retargeting is moving toward a self-serve model if recent announcements are any indication. Simulmedia is touting its predictive analytics platform. Alphonso’s also pushing toward easy-to-digest TV analytics after a new round of equity financing for its re-targeting efforts. It’s a crowded re-targeting field-- we wonder how these companies will avoid the hard lessons seen in the digital commoditization of ad tech that sees high EBITA = underwhelming valuations. Someone send us notes, we want to know more.

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