NewFronts 2013:AOL
Programming
AOL announced 15 new web series for numerous AOL On channels.
Entertainment
City.Ballet: Enter the graceful but competitive world of the New York City Ballet through the eyes of executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker. Produced by Pretty Matches Productions and Zero Point Zero Production.
#CandidlyNicole: Nicole Richie stars in a new series based on her twitter feed. Produced by Telepictures Productions and World of Wonder with executive producers Nicole Richie and Michael Baum.
Sports
My Ink: From award-winning producer Mike Tollin, big names in sports share the personal stories behind their tattoos. Produced by Mandalay Sports Media.
Food
Anthony Eats America: Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson eats his way across America one kitchen at a time, as he connects with home chefs to learn the secrets of their signatures dishes. Produced by Principato-Young Entertainment.
Now Eat This! Italy with Rocco DiSpirito: Chef and New York Times best-selling author Rocco DiSpirito visits Italian mamas in their homes in Sorrento, Italy to learn how to make authentic Italian dishes healthy and under 350 calories.
Style
Inspiration Point with Jonathan Adler: Designer and author Jonathan Adler shares his perspectives on creativity, inspiration, and adding style, craft, and joy to your life. Produced by AOL Studios.
The Sartorialist: Photographer Scott Schuman searches the city streets for amazing fashion as well as the stories behind the style.
Fuego Your Life: 25-year-old Colombian-born Latina spitfire Sandra Vergara shares her spicy secrets to style and beauty in this new digital girls’ guide. Produced by Telepictures Productions.
Health
Second Chances: Gwyneth Paltrow and Tracy Anderson spend time with women who’ve overcome hardship, injury, and setbacks to triumph in the face of adversity. Produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions.
Tech
Hardwired: Millennial tech gadget guru and digital influencer Justine Ezarik aka iJustine explores the latest in wearable technology. Produced by AOL Studios.
The Future Starts Here: Founder of the Webby Awards Tiffany Shlain explores humanity’s evolution with technology.
Autos
Flat Out: High end documentary series following 17 year old NASCAR rising star, Dylan Kwasniewski, in his quest to become a top NASCAR driver. Produced by Vuguru and NASCAR Productions.
Parenting
Fatherhood: Emmy Award-winning actor Hank Azaria wrestles with the challenges that come with being a first-time father. Produced by BermanBraun.
Business
Funded: Discover crowd-funded small business success stories with author, comedian, and entrepreneur Baratunde Thurston. Produced by AOL Studios with Cultivated Wit.
Acting Disruptive: Features Hollywood’s biggest names away from the cameras as they launch tech and new media start-ups. Hosted by Max Lugavere and produced by Tribeca Enterprises.
Marketing, Promotions, and Distribution
AOL will distribute the new shows on AOL On and across 1,700 partner sites. “Consumers are watching web video everywhere and all the time — on their plasma screens, in their living rooms, on their mobile phones, and on their tablets,” said Karen Cahn, GM/AOL On Original Video. “We want to bridge the gap between the TV world and the digital world. We want to bridge the gap in quality. We want to bridge the gap between platforms,” said Ran Harnevo, SVP/Video at AOL.
AOL’s Internet talk show HuffPost Live, which debuted in August 2012, has been picked up by AXS TV, the network backed by Mark Cuban, CBS, Ryan Seacrest Media, AEG and CAA. The interactive video-chat talk show, which centers around politics, current events and pop culture, will continue to be available for free on live.huffingtonpost.com. The show will premiere on AXS TV on May 13, running for six hours from 10a to 4p.
AOL Be On: A new end-to-end branded entertainment offering, from creation to syndication and measurement. The first partnership under the Be On umbrella is with the Roma football club in Italy and Nike. The video, which was unveiled during the NewFront, will roll out in the US, Europe, and Asia.
A big story yesterday was Nielsen‘s announcement that it plans to begin testing a tool to measure online TV audiences with a new product called Nielsen Digital Program Ratings. The pilot program will run from May to July, with NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS, Univision, Discovery, and A+E on board to participate. AOL is also participating, the only digital video provider to do so at launch. If all works well, a commercial rollout will take place later this year. It will primarily allow networks to track views on their own desktop websites. Ran Harnevo stressed how AOL’s involvement with Nielsen’s product testing will position AOL as a provider of video inventory that is comparable to TV, as they will all be measured alongside each other.
On a similar front, AOL announced a partnership with FreeWheel that will allow TV buyers to buy digital/online video via a system they already use to buy and manage their TV campaigns. The partnership’s third member is Mediaocean, a provider of media-buying software for TV buyers. Mediaocean has integrated its technology with FreeWheel’s new FourFronts solution, which will make it possible for agencies to access premium video inventory from digital publishers alongside TV inventory. AOL is the first digital media company to sign up for this offering, though FreeWheel plans to bring in more content providers.
