YouTube’s NewFront, held at NYC’s Javits Center North, was a massive gala attended by thousands of YouTube celebs, advertisers, fans, and yes, a handful of media types. (Put it this way – unlike other NewFronts this year, the entryway to the event was decked out with a red carpet.) Aside from the obligatory YouTube execs, presenters included YouTube comedian Lilly Singh, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (who touted the advertising value of making content available through YouTube), and even Big Bird (who was just plain adorable). YouTube dubbed the event Brandcast, which made sense given the company’s bold pitch to brands: Spend much less on linear TV advertising, and much more on YouTube advertising. It’s a pitch that YouTube has been hammering for a while; in recent months, it’s starting to become more convincing.
To maker her case, CEO Susan Wojcicki rattled off a startling statistic: “YouTube now reaches more 18–49-year-olds than any network broadcast or cable,” she said. “In fact, we reach more 18–49-year-olds during primetime than the top 10 TV shows combined.” Her assertion is backed up by a Nielsen study of US viewers that Google commissioned. Wojcicki also confirmed news that broke earlier in the week: Between 2016 and 2017, Magna Global, Interpublic’s ad-buying unit, has committed to spending at least $250 million on YouTube instead of TV.
It’s important to note that Wojcicki didn’t give precise numbers as to just how many people are watching YouTube during those primetime hours. Nor did she note what percentage of viewers were watching Google Preferred content – the content that YouTube pre-approves as being brand-safe, and that therefore garners the most ad dollars. Still, Wojcicki’s point stands: Advertisers who fail to consider YouTube’s ubiquitous reach among younger demos do so at their own peril.
The company had some announcements: It will be launching Google Breakout Videos, a product allowing advertisers to insert spots into the “hottest and fastest-rising” viral videos on YouTube. Google Preferred advertising will soon be available programmatically through Google’s DoubleClick Bid Manager. The NBA will be launching two virtual reality series on YouTube. And Sesame Street will now have its own channel on YouTube Kids, which the company said receives over 10 billion views annually.
Finally – and this doesn’t really carry news value, but Cynopsis Digital will go ahead and mention it anyway – YouTube’s event concluded with a live concert from Sia. It was something special. So a note to all digital media companies: If you can afford to pay Sia to perform at your NewFront, go ahead and do that.
