Monday April 12, 2021

TIkTok is rolling out six new music effects for creators. First up is Music Visualizer, available now, which runs real-time beat tracking to animate a retro greenscreen landscape, and works with any sound in TikTok’s music library. Coming soon: Music Machine, with tools that allow users to control the real-time rendering of MIDI loops for different music layers; Text Beats, allowing creators to add animated text overlays to their videos that transition in sync with the beat; Delayed Beats, which recreate the freeze-frame effect while aligning transitions to the beat of the music; Solid Beats, adding visual effects that sync to the song; and Mirror Beats, which align display transitions with a song’s beat.

A Texas man was arrested by the FBI for allegedly plotting to blow up an Amazon data center in Virginia. Seth Aaron Pendley, who allegedly boasted about participating in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, targeted the AWS center because he believed it provided services to federal agencies, according to DOJ officials.

When Apple’s iOS 14.5 is released to this spring, the App Tracking Transparency feature will allow users to more easily control whether their data is shared for ad-targeting purposes by any app. Permission requests will ask whether an app can “track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites,” followed by an explanation from the developer. Users will be able turn tracking on or off at any time, and enable tracking across all apps or opt out with one toggle.

Facebook launched a new app into public beta testing. Hotline allows creators to speak to an audience, who can ask questions via text or audio. The app one-ups similar creation Clubhouse by enabling creators to turn their cameras on, and providing a recording of the event that can be edited or uploaded elsewhere.

Ampersand announced the availability of Experian audience segments within its AND Platform, allowing Ampersand to offer multiscreen TV advertisers the ability to reach consumers using anonymized and aggregated data, across every brand vertical. Ampersand’s AND Platform, a multiscreen TV planning, buying and measurement platform launched at the beginning of 2020, provides marketers with reach across 85 million households, 120+ cable networks and more than 60% of all U.S. addressable households.

ViralGains announced the launch of its VoiceAlike artificial intelligence technology, which uses machine learning to generate first party audiences by predicting survey responses for those who saw a ViralGains survey, but did not answer. The predicted response is based on declared responses from those who do answer, and over 200 different types of attributes including demographics, user behavior and location. The AI technology is available across display and video surveys; in video, interactive surveys can be inserted both during and following an advertisement.

Visilink is partnering with production company NEP to provide its RF Technology for the series, “Extreme E,” a zero emission off-road racing program designed to raise awareness of permanent damage due to climate change. “Our wireless camera systems are able to capture events in extreme conditions and remote areas, like Extreme E, that highlight important issues that are core to our Vislink values such as climate change, sustainability and gender equality,” said Mickey Miller, CEO of Vislink.

Ownership of a smart TV set is at 70% of TV households this year, according to Hub Entertainment Research’s Connected Home report. Overall, 52% of all TV sets are now reported to be smart TVs, up from 45% in 2020, indicating accelerated replacement of older, non-smart TVs with smart TVs. Homes with kids or younger adults are more likely to own smart TV sets; greater proportions of smart TV ownership are found in homes with children under age 18 (59% of all sets are smart TVs), or in homes where the oldest person is under age 35 (61%).

Globo and Google Cloud announced a seven-year strategic partnership that aligns with Globo’s restructuring focused on direct-to-consumer deliveries, and its journey toward becoming a mediatech company. Globo will use Google’s experience in data management, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as its secure infrastructure, to support the communications company’s digital evolution. As part of the agreement, Google Cloud will also help streamline the production and distribution of content, and focus on the optimization of Globo’s digital platforms, with the goal of generating new business opportunities.

Prime Focus Technologies announced streaming service Disney+ Hotstar has signed a multi-year deal for CLEAR Production Cloud to enable secure and collaborative production workflows for their Originals content. “COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of cloud-based workflows for Media & Entertainment industry in production,” said Akash Saxena – Head of Technology, Disney+ Hotstar. “And virtualized collaboration is a heightened requirement now more than ever for our Originals.”

Google’s use of 11,500 lines of code from Oracle software programming language was a “fair use,” according to a decision from the Supreme Court. The 6-2 ruling could have implications in the ways copyrighted material is used without permission. The Motion Picture Assn., for one, had warned a broader interpretation of fair use could allow for unauthorized rip-offs of TV shows and movies.

Beginning today (April 6) Philo and T-Mobile are expanding their partnership. All postpaid wireless T-Mobile subscribers and Sprint customers gain access to Philo’s 60-plus channels, unlimited DVR and more than 60,000 on-demand options for $10.

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In 2020, connected TV accounted for 40% of all video impressions, up from 31% the year before, according to Innovid’s Globa Omini-Channel Benchmarks Report. The data highlights the consumer shift from linear to CTV during the pandemic. Key takeaways include:
* Global CTV impressions saw a 60% year-over-year increase. Mobile held on to its top position, with 43% of global video impressions and 68% of global display impressions, while PC impressions continue to dip, resulting in a 16% share of global video impressions and a 32% share of global display impressions.
* Programmatic impressions served to CTV increased by over 200% year-over-year.
* In March, Innovid saw more advertisers swapping out creative across all formats. In H2, Innovid recorded a 100% growth in dynamic creative video impressions as brands swapped out messaging quickly as situations changed.
* Advanced creative video formats generated a 309% lift in engagement and an average of 34 additional seconds earned.
* For display, dynamic creative generated a 37% lift in CTR over standard display — a number that jumps to 82% on mobile devices.

Video advertising platform SpotX reports that as a record number of viewers tuned in to streaming TV in 2020 – with four out of five consumers watching at least some ad-supported CTV programming – global ad spend on the SpotX platform grew 42% during the year, driven primarily by over-the-top clients who account for nearly 70% of overall ad spend. Business continued to accelerate last year on a quarterly basis after COVID-19 initially impacted the second quarter, growing globally to 70% YoY in 4Q20.

tvScientific announced the launch of its CTV buying, measurement, and attribution platform, aiming at eliminating the high barriers of entry around TV advertising by making it accessible and measurable for all businesses. “Until now, Connected TV advertising has been complex, inefficient, and not measurable in the way that digital is, preventing most businesses from advertising on the most influential screen in the house,” said Jason Fairchild, Co-Founder and CEO of tvScientific. “Our new platform allows businesses to buy and measure Connected TV media on one simple platform, and evaluate it the way they do with search and social.”

Video monetization and distribution company VlogBox has teamed with anti-fraud company Protected Media to improve fraud detection on its platform. VlogBox’s applications are now fitted with Protected Media’s SDK, which offers a cybersecurity solution for the CTV ad ecosystem. Protected Media’s patented anti-fraud technology verifies and digitally signs each ad impression, and prevents tampering, spoofing and impersonation that could compromise ad campaigns. “We’re moving to increase the efficacy of our clients’ digital advertising campaigns. Working hand-in-hand with Protected Media will enhance our platform’s antifraud capabilities, thus ushering in greater transparency in CTV ad buying,” said VlogBox’s CEO Nick Platonenko.

IPG Mediabrands has inked a three-year “creator and content” initiative with TikTok, to develop custom campaigns for clients. While just a year ago IPG ranked TikTok as the least responsible major social media platform, “As TikTok’s growth surged in 2020, the platform demonstrated an ability to take a forward-looking approach to building its platform with the index’s key principles in mind, and the second half 2020 assessment results reflect a marked pivot toward enhanced third-party brand safety partnerships,” said IPG Mediabrands in a statement. “The latest Index results newly introduce TikTok’s increased focus on principle 3: Diverse and Representative – a principle they were not able to provide substantial public data for in 1H 2020. TikTok also saw substantial shifts in their third-party brand safety partnerships and policy enforcement approaches.”

Mobile data-powered CTV platform Sabio announced the launch of its Universal Frequency Pixel to address problems like cross-platform transparency in the advertising industry. The UFP gives advertisers the ability to control ad exposure across mobile and CTV publishers. “Sabio is centered around bridging the gap between mobile and TV,” said Joao Machado, SVP Marketing at Sabio Inc. “We work to build solutions that answer real issues facing clients across the platforms.” Sabio’s UFP is refreshed hourly, giving advertisers near real-time decision-making insight into frequency of ad exposure. The tool also helps partners avoid duplicated reach.

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Bad behavior offline will be cause for suspension on Twitch. With the help of a third-party investigative partner, action will be taken “when there is evidence, which may include links, screenshots, video of off-Twitch behavior, interviews, police filings or interactions,” said the Amazon-owned service. Examples of punishable offenses include deadly violence, threats of mass violence, terrorist activities or recruiting, sexual exploitation of children, and membership in hate groups.

ScreenHits TV, a content aggregator for streaming services, has launched its new mobile platform on Apple’s iPad, Android TV, Chromecast and Fire TV Stick platforms. ScreenHits TV allows subscribers to integrate and manage streaming subscriptions, AVOD and live channels in tablet app and desktop versions. Consumers can see what is trending, share recommendations with friends and discover content across all their streaming subscriptions. The user also will have automatic access to premium content channels and Live TV.

Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Network is spreading the laughs to Tubi. The Fox-owned free streamer is now home to a variety of stand-up, interview and animated titles including “All Star Comedy Jam,” “Comedy in Color” and “Cold as Balls.” The deal brings more than 200 eps from the LOL! Network library to Tubi.

HBO Max extended the availability of several Hanna-Barbera and Looney Tunes series, which will no longer be departing the service April 30. Marked safe, for now, are: “The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “Jonny Quest,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Paddington Bear,” “Scooby-Doo Where Are You!,” “Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries,” “Tom and Jerry” and “The Yogi Bear Show,” among others.

Streaming of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on the Roku platform rose 75% over 2019 numbers, said the streamer. It’s “the latest example of the transformation shift occurring in TV viewing behavior,” said Kristina Shepard, National Brand Team Lead, Roku, “What we’re seeing is reflective of a change taking place across all the major sports as they returned from a pandemic induced pause. Marketers looking to continue reaching mass audiences through live sports must shift their focus towards TV streaming.”

Tubi has entered a content deal with Shout! Factory for a collection of anime films. New titles include “In This Corner of the World” and Eleven Arts Anime Studio’s “Millennium Actress,” as well as “Liz and the Blue Bird,” “Penguin Highway” and more. The films will be available free to viewers, with most available in subtitled and dubbed versions, beginning today, April 8, with “In This Corner of the World” coming to Tubi in 2022.