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Cynopsis Media Presents: NewFront Wrap-up
05.13.15
The fourth annual NewFront season was in high gear from April 27-May 7, with events from 33 digital publishers. Here’s your curated roundup of what happened and when, as well a succinct snapshot of the solutions, programming and distribution initiatives that were presented.
April 27
The New York Times
Virtual reality content is headed to The New York Times’ cache of video programming. At the Times NewFront, execs debuted its inaugural VR film, Walking the City, produced in conjunction with VRSE. The five-minute short puts viewers directly in the mix as editors and creatives assemble the latest NYT Magazine cover. "We think the journalistic potential of this emerging technology is huge," Times Magazine editor Jake Silverstein said.
BuzzFeed
This presentation focused on the dynamics of shareable video content. Among revelations: BuzzFeed has generated 1.08 billion video views since September 2012; CEO Jonah Peretti noted the company had no video business 18 months ago, “so this is coming out of nowhere.” Also noteworthy: BuzzFeed.com accounts for only 15 percent of video views; and just 20 percent of total views of BuzzFeed content come from YouTube subscribers, execs said. Dao Nguyen, BuzzFeed’s Publisher, presented the new video dashboard and data analysis platform called POUND, or the Process for Optimizing and Understanding Network Diffusion. Pound will help BF and its clients better more readily absorb social sharing trends and in turn create better content. “Shares are like a forest, not a tree,” Nguyen explained. “Sharers each plant a root to their own tree, but there are many sharers, which creates a forest of shares. All trees are radically different, and the structure of the forest tells us how content is shared.”
Bloomberg
Responsive.TV, a new platform that gives digital viewers more flexibility in their consumption of video programming, took center stage at Bloomberg Media’s Newfront presentation. The initiative, created with agency Stinkdigital, will offer small bites of longer clips, which is a response to learning that 45 percent of the Bloomberg audience doesn’t want to sit through long videos, execs said. Also noteworthy: four new web-based shows The Morning Brief, The Market Close, original series The Spark and Handmade.
Yahoo
The tech giant rolled out the purple carpet once again for its NewFront event this year. The 18 new series for its live digital magazine and original long-form video collection include: electronic music competition series Ultimate DJ, which counts Simon Cowell as a producer; a second-year extension of live concert and festival streams in conjunction with Live Nation; and The Pursuit, a scripted long-form series from Scott Stuber and Beth McCarthy Miller. In a surprise twist during the showcase, Community star Joel McHale stepped out from the audience to reveal he would take on responsibility as co-host. He wasn’t shy to point out common gripes about the Upfront and NewFront season. “How long is this going to run for? When I came here an hour ago, Yahoo’s Newfront from last year had just ended.”
April 28
Maker Studios
The multi-channel network unveiled a hefty slate of original programming and collaborations with agencies, networks and parent The Walt Disney Company at its second Newfront presentation. Content in development includes Camp, a coming-of-age story adapted from James Franco’s Palo Alto: Stories; Fashpad, a fashion roundtable from the creators of CrashPad hosted by P’Trique; and Lisa Schwartz’ scripted comedy Party Girl. Also, new content from designing woman Rachel Zoe; a comedic look at digital culture hosted by web geek Taryn Southern; American Woman, in conjunction with ABC’s Lincoln Square Productions; and Maker Tales, which reimagines classic fairy tales as music videos. The company is also doing the synergistic deal across Disney divisions, including a collaboration with Marvel and a project with the ESPN. “Maker understands that there’s a reason Disney bought us,” Head of Sales Jason Krebs told Cynopsis. “We have the opportunity to reach the consumer in a different way that Disney hasn’t focused on in the past. In turn, we are able to work with all of Disney’s content divisions and expand our programming footprint.”
Conde Nast Entertainment
CNE will produce more than 2,500 new videos in 2015-16, the company announced at its Newfront. New original programming includes two virtual reality series for The Scene through a new partnership with Jaunt Studios; Tyler Zone, a scripted sci-fi comedy series from Keith Schofield and starring Community’s Danny Pudi; and CNE’s first channel dedicated to Latino millennials. “Everyone talks about being premium, but at CNE, premium is defined as making high quality content for the sought-after influential millennials and then distributing it widely across all screens,” Lisa Valentino, Chief Revenue Officer at Condé Nast Entertainment and SVP, Digital Sales at Condé Nast told Cynopsis. “We also define premium as performance: how is partnering with CNE resulting in achieving real business outcomes for advertisers? This is what we talked about to our 700 attendees at the NewFront.”
AOL
AOL declared itself free of a NewFront season, noting instead at its presentation it has shifted to a “Content 365” strategy. The company showcased new video programming ranging from shareable short-form to long-form content primed for the industry’s future, “which we believe to be the very best of what TV does combined with the mobility, interactivity and openness of the Internet,” said Dermot McCormack, AOL President of Video and Studios. AOL also highlighted continuing existing franchises, including Makers, The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget and Cambio. “We’ll also produce more partnerships within AOL’s ecosystem,” added Frank Besteiro, Head of Business Development/Partnerships, to Cynopsis. “Look at our first long-form series Connected, which did well for us and was driven by OTT distribution. That’s where content is headed, and we’re making sure we’re taking full advantage of that.”
April 29
Hulu
Hulu is raising its profile. That was the message at its Newfront, where the online video service announced two big new deals: exclusive SVOD rights to all 180 Seinfeld episodes (for a total value that may be as high as $180 million) and a multiyear agreement for all new and upcoming AMC Networks primetime scripted series on AMC, IFC, BBC America, SundanceTV and WE tv. The streaming service is expanding its slate of originals for 2015-16, including: James Franco-starring and J.J. Abrams project 11/22/63; NY comedy Difficult People; dysfunctional family sendup Casual; The Way and comedy RocketJump: The Show, where YT personality Freddie Wong chronicles the filmmaking behind RJ’s newest short. “Is this a NewFront or an Upfront? I will put a stake in the ground and say that our ad model really represents where the TV marketplace will end up going,” Peter Naylor, SVP of Advertising Sales, told Cynopsis.
Refinery29
At its first NewFront, lifestyle media company Refinery29 committed to a suite of 29 video programs in scripted comedies, dramas, documentaries and tutorials for its target audience of millennial women. Among the creative partners plumping up l the pipeline are Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky, wifey.tv co-founders Jill Soloway and Rebecca Odes, Jessie Kahnweiler, Planned Parenthood with Lena Dunham, Mae Whitman, Jenni Konner and Jack Antonoff.
Google/YouTube
YouTube emphasized its pop culture influence over a hyper-engaged fan base at the Google-owned company’s Brandcast event, with testimonials from executives including YT CEO Susan Wojcicki and creative talent ranging from Grace Helbig to John Green. “YouTube is, has been, and always will be about video, video, video – that’s our core,” Suzie Reider, Managing Director of Brand, Google told Cynopsis. “One of the things unique to us is our fan engagement. Creators on YouTube form deep connections with their viewers, which means that brands can reach their most valuable, hard-to-reach audiences with us. But it’s more than that. The billions of people who watch video on YouTube engage and connect back with video responses and spin up the viral nature of the commercials/content; we think of the commercials as content.”
April 30
Time Inc.
Time is beefing up its video programming with the launch of Sports Illustrated Films, one of 11 new video initiatives the company announced at its NewFront presentation. “This new documentary-style video experience is a logical next step for SI, which has been in the storytelling business for more than 60 years,” said Time Inc. Sports Group editor, Paul Fichtenbaum. The launch comes on the heels of a string of digital shows including daily live web show SI Now Powered by Ford, Sports Emmy-winning short A Boy Helps a Town Heal and Underdogs. Time has three new shows in development for its digital People/Entertainment Weekly Network, and People.com’s People Now, presented by Toyota, and EW.com’s Lightbulb were renewed for second seasons.
DigitasLBi
As one of the founding NewFront members and the only non-publisher in the 33 events that made up this year’s NewFront market, DigitasLBi’s program revolved around a recent study conducted in partnership with the IAB called Content Revelations. Scott Donaton, DigitasLBi North America Chief Content Officer, introduced “prophets” to speak during the event: Tom Freston, Principal of Firefly3 and former CEO of Viacom; Kathleen Grace, Chief Creative Officer of New Form Digital; Judy McGrath, Founder and President of Astronauts Wanted and former MTV veteran; Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia and co-founder of MTV; Ben Rubin, Co-Founder and CEO of Life on Air, which created Meerkat; and Shane Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Vice.
Vevo
The music network returned to the NewFronts for the fourth consecutive year with a showcase that included performances from Tori Kelly, Halsey and Magic! In a post-performance surprise for Halsey, Vevo revealed that she would join the company’s emerging artist program, LIFT; it’s helped launch artists Sam Smith, Lorde and Rita Ora. Vevo also introduced new CEO Erik Huggers. “This is quite literally my first day on the job,” Huggers said in the stage’s spotlight.
PopSugar
At POPSUGAR’s NewFront held at New York’s Cedar Lake, execs unveiled a new slate of series and updates to its current shows to cater to the millennial woman. New programming includes three style series: Hannahgram with fashion influencer Hannah Bronfman, Upstaged with home stager Cheryl Eisen, and Knock Knock with designer Rachel Antonoff; two food series: Eat, Sleep, Repeat with foodie Eden Grinshpan and Ingrid Dishes with YouTube celeb chef Ingrid Nilsen; lifestyle shows Find Your Happy and Choose Your Challenge, Change Your Life!; plus Facebook-exclusive daily pop culture show POPSUGAR Rush.
May 1
Complex
Complex held its first NewFront at YouTube Space New York to announce a new partnership with BMP Digital (from Bunim/Murray Productions) to produce and distribute short-form unscripted and digital video projects and series. The two companies will adapt Complex’s editorial content into video projects with the intention of evolving them into longer series and television projects.
Vice
CEO Shane Smith announced 20 new shows to debut on the gritty millennial network in the upcoming year. Titles include Gaycation with Ellen Page, Huang’s World, hosted by chef Eddie Huang, Weediquette, Vice Portraits with Marc Maron, Noisey, Motherboard, Fashion Week International, Black Market With Michael K. Williams, Vice World of Sports and F— That’s Delicious, hosted by the rapper Action Bronson. Talk is that the network will actually be a linear rebrand of A+E cable channel H2, but there’s no confirmation as of yet. A+E owns 10% of Vice.
May 4
National Geographic
Nat Geo showed off its Instagram account at its NewFronts event Monday. And why not? It’s the only brand in the top 20 most-followed accounts that isn’t a celebrity. The brand is also keeping busy with a number of video projects, including Your Doc, In a Weekend and Take It Outside.
Fullscreen
The multi-channel network announced its acquisition of social-media studio McBeard, which has created branded content for such clients as Netflix, 20th Century Fox, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures. Fullscreen, which is owned by Otter Media, a joint venture between AT&T and Chernin Group, also plans to get involved in full-length films and is working with measurement companies Nielsen and Millward Brown to figure out ways to track custom content and influencer marketing reach. “Fullscreen reaches one in four millennials under 35 years old, with 60 percent of viewership on mobile tablets,” Founder and CEO, George Strompolos said. “This is a generation who grew up with mobile TVs and production studios in their hands. It’s what we call cell phones.”
Machinima
“We’re back,” said CEO Chad Gutstein at Machinima’s NewFront, held at Arena in Time Square. The company announced several sci-fi and game-inspired digital series. Geared toward millennial males 18-41, the MCN is the 9th largest video destination in the U.S. and the second biggest destination on YouTube, according to their presentation. Highlights included Justice League: Gods & Monsters Chronicles from Bruce Timm, High School 51, created and produced by Transformer’s Roberto Orci, and a reboot of the 1987 hit film RoboCop.
Defy Media
Defy made sure to emphasize its top program, Smosh. The channel, which has more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube, will become a feature film, released this summer: The Smosh Movie. Defy will also produce 30 new series this year and plans to build up relationships with advertisers in order to pitch directly as series develop. “We’re going to produce the content you see in the ‘wild,’ or out in the newsfeeds or even in the primetime news,” DEFY’s President Keith Richman said. “You may go to other NewFronts which promote programming that asserts advertising vocabulary, but we have the content that passes the ‘smell test.’”
May 5
Discovery Digital Networks
DDN debuted its first NewFront this year. “We’re in a new era. I’m not wearing a tie,” Discovery Ad Sales President Joe Abruzzese said as he opened the event at Urbo in Times Square. The net also announced that it nabbed YouTube adventurer Louis Cole to take its users on exploits of all sorts. Cole’s FunforLouis content will join Discovery’s Seeker Network and later this year, the brand will launch Flying the Globe with the man who has 1.3 million YouTube subscribers. Discovery also introduced new platform TLCme, described as “an extensive online destination featuring real-life stories full of heart, laughter and inspiration.”
Collective Digital Studio
CDS, which boasts more than 1.5 billion monthly views (with 70% of their viewers between 18-34), has hooked up with Insomniac Events to get into electronic dance music (EDM), the company revealed at its NewFront. Also coming down the pike is a new dish from Epic Meal Time called Epic Tool Time. Plus, Good Mythical Morning’s Rhett & Link will launch series ReThink and Charlie Todd and his Improv Everywhere team will debut Fake Company Incorporated. Finally, the MCN introduced CDS Connect, a new solution that marries custom ad units starring top influencers with the re-targeting capabilities of AdWords.
StyleHaul
The lifestyle multi-channel network announced that it will launch its first scripted series, Vanity, on June 11. Maybelline will sponsor the series, which will feature Denise Richards, Karrueche Tran, and Alex Frnka in 12 11-minute weekly episodes. StyleHaul also has a documentary, Fresh Dressed, coming to theaters, CNN, and on Vimeo On Demand.
HealthiNation
Its first NewFront consisted of a seven-minute video showing off the brand’s health, fitness, and cooking content, along with four new cooking and fitness series. Returning shows include Gluten Free Tasty, HealthiHolidays, and Eating by Heart.
May 6
Whistle Sports
The MCN aimed to not just inform agencies about its successes since its January 2014 launch, but also to introduce new communities aimed at fitness and soccer that it plans to develop this year. Short-form video shows in the pipeline include Faceoff, with YouTube group Dude Perfect; The Ultimate Tour, which features Ultimate Frisbee star Brodie Smith; Challenge Accepted, with NBA’s Jeremy Lin and lacrosse champ Paul Rabil competing in contests; and Next Trick Shot. “It’s about having brands, agencies and media at our event feel the passion that Whistle Sports creators have and what their fans have for them,” John West, CEO and Founder of Whistle Sports told Cynopsis.
IAB NewFronts Insights
To wrap-up the second week of NewFront presentations, the IAB presented research from ShareThis, Tremor Video, true[x], Unruly, Quantcast and MediaSmith along with its own study. Titled the 2015 Original Digital Video Study, the IAB found one in four U.S. adults watches original digital video programming at least once a month. That’s a 13% increase over last year. Digital video is also able to attract the 18-34 year old market of 17 million cord-cutters and cord-nevers. Fifty-three percent of cord-cutters and 63 percent of cord-nevers see original digital video as “very” or “somewhat” important in their decision not to have pay TV.
May 7
Endemol Beyond
Endemol Beyond’s NewFronts presentation Thursday highlighted plans to launch two new digital-first networks. First is pop culture-focused Looksy and second is Smasher. New series for the two nets, include Neurotica and reality series True Internet Tales, international imports Rule’m Sports and Legends of Gaming from Endemol Beyond UK. The company is also launching two new series with ubiquitous rapper Pitbull, and just signed a deal with American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez, who be featured in a number of the brand’s series.
TheStreet
The publication announced four new shows and touted that their TV team produces more than 600 pieces of content each month. The new programs will be Disruptors, Perspectives From Wall, Financial Fix and The Gamechanger.
Daily Mail
Snapchat unveiled a new ten-second advertising format at the publisher’s NewFront, which will cost two cents per view and run between articles and videos on Discover. Daily Mail North America CEO Jon Steinberg discussed the partnership with Snapchat and its new ad platform; he also unveiled Daily Mail’s special filter for the disappearing-message app. Discover launched in January with media partners such as Daily Mail, Vice, MTV, CNN, and Cosmopolitan; advertisers were originally paying $100 CPMs (the cost to reach 1,000 viewers), twice as much than most online video ads.
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