Magnet #60 22/07/22
Magnet #60
We’ve done a U-turn in the weather this week- soaring temperatures to a rainy Friday! We hope wherever you’re reading this that you have a lovely weekend ahead. This week, we’re talking streaming.
Enjoy.
Streaming Deals
As the streaming advertising landscape becomes more competitive, two big streaming networks that were previously committed to being ad free are now striking deals for ads.
Disney
Disney struck an advertising agreement with The Trade Desk, which means it will be possible for brands to target automated ads across Disney’s linear and streaming properties — Hulu, ESPN+, ABC, Freeform, ESPN, National Geographic and FX. The news comes in advance of their launch of an ad-supported tier for its flagship service, Disney+, which is likely to be another target of such a deal.
Previously, Disney kept Hulu’s ad inventory separate from its other properties, so this partnership means advertisers can not only discover more addressable inventory across Disney’s portfolio, they can also now programmatically target their audiences and potentially improve their ROI.
This is interesting because the integration with The Trade Desk is likely to captivate many brands that are shifting away from content-focused strategies and moving toward an audience-first method.
Rita Ferro, president, Advertising Sales, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, said in a statement: “Disney Advertising had a bold vision backed by proven results from the start, and we’re thrilled to continue to deliver on our commitment to power greater automation and addressability for our customers through this expanded deal with The Trade Desk.”
Netflix
Netflix revealed that it’s partnering with Microsoft as its “global advertising technology and sales partner” to help the streaming service earn revenue through ads.
Netflix COO Greg Peters said in a statement, “It’s very early days, and we have much to work through. But our long-term goal is clear: More choice for consumers and a premium, better-than-linear TV brand experience for advertisers. We’re excited to work with Microsoft as we bring this new service to life.”
This is interesting and useful as marketers that use Microsoft for advertising will have access to Netflix’s audience of 221.6 million subscribers.
Netflix may have chosen Microsoft because the tech giant has a significant presence in the CTV space now, thanks to the recent acquisition of digital video advertising service Xandr. The deal with Microsoft therefore allows the streamer to enter the ad space quickly.
Love island
Series 8 of Love Island has already hit 100 million streams, which is the earliest point in the series the show has reached this milestone. This makes the eight series of the dating show the most streamed series so far, and ITV’s most streamed title of 2022. Wednesday 29th June was ITV’s biggest for Hub viewing so far this year, with nearly 10 million streams across the day. Love Island is unique in having a huge audience in streaming, with 64% of the audience who stream it on the night of the broadcast watching live between 9-10pm or through ‘start again’ streaming during the time slot.