This year, ahead of the May network upfronts, digital content providers are giving their presentations at what has officially been dubbed the NewFronts. Here are the latest updates from the 2016 NewFronts.
YOUTUBE
YouTube is expanding their work with Google Preferred, the program that lets brands and agencies run ads on the most popular YouTube channels, as they announced Google Preferred Breakout Videos. The new program will identify trending content and allow advertisers to run their content before those videos, making up-and-coming viral hits available within the Preferred marketplace.
Big Bird took to the stage at the presentation to reveal Sesame Studios, a new channel which will release web videos, collaborate with YouTube stars, and bring new content to the YouTube Kids app.
This is all in addition to the new channel bundle that the company announced they are working on to bow in 2017.
MACHINIMA
Machinima, which centers on the digital gaming community, announced their latest venture Mach-1, an “in-house gaming agency” that is set to guide brand partners through the e-sports world. They also presented an upcoming series, Inside eSports, that will be hosted by Alex Rodriguez (not the baseball player). The site also showed off their own “Preferred” service called Machinima Preferred Media Solutions that will pair advertisers with the right YouTube channel.
With colleges now giving scholarships for gaming and the e-sports market totally over $910 million, Machinima is working hard to be the leader of their division.
VICE
Vice headed to New York ready to party today with their CEO Shane Smith presenting to advertisers with help from a punk band made up of members from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV On The Radio. While Machinima and YouTube wanted their audience of advertisers to know that they are a business and their business runs on ads, Vice wanted their audience seemingly to remember how cool and young they are… but not necessarily forward thinking as Smith’s presentation proclaimed “we are bringing millennials back to TV.” Where Machinima and YouTube accept their cordcutters and are working to make money off of them, Vice is focused on their newly launched TV channel Viceland. While there wasn’t much in “hard news” on burgeoning projects, Smith did remind the audience of several previously announced Vice Initiatives and that their TV presence would grow to 20 channels internationally by the end of the year.
