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Media & Entertainment:

Pre-roll video avails 2001 - 2006: A site, network and aggregated brand analysis

Accustream imedia research
Market Study  July 2006

PDF Single User - GBP 947.50  

Table of Contents

The era of the broadband media brand is still in its early stages, but it is real, embraced by some of the largest rights holders in the world who are convinced broadband advertising will drive the business toward profitability. With more confidence in the advertising model, the broadband Internet market is being reshaped and recast by major Internet and offline brands with more focus and intent than ever before.

Now entering its 6th year as a publishing platform, content migration to broadband is creating new, sophisticated and verifiable exploitation options for agencies, rights holders and networks: The pre roll avail or ad unit is now a gateway to some 94% of all free or ad supported content streams online.

This report breaks out pre roll inventory by site, brand (i.e. TimeWarner, Yahoo, Viacom, Fox, NBC, Microsoft and others) and analyzes dozens of individual sites with pre roll inventory.

-Pre roll inventory (or video streams with pre roll units available) has grown at an average rate of 105.2% over the past six years, compared to free or ad supported video streams, which averaged 72.3% over the same period
-Over that period of time, there has also been an increase in the frequency of pre roll availability or insertions, namely the number of pre roll units as a percentage of total streams served has steadily increased
-In 2006, that figure is close to 1 to 1 (or, one pre roll ad unit for every stream accessed, on average)

Top line report findings and analysis:
-In 2001, 43% of total ad supported or free video streams were being sold against pre roll inventory
-That number jumped to 81% in 2002, a time when pre roll units became more in demand, and at times, scarce
-The comparable figure has continue to rise since 2002, with 2003 at 86.5%, 2004 at 90% and 2005 at 96%
-So far in 2006 (January through April) there is pre roll inventory available across site that control 95% of total free or ad streams
-Typical of early usage patterns set in 2006 year to date, major offline and online media brands control most of the aggregated inventory
-However, there is also a diverse and vibrant group of independent (including sites such as StupidVideos.com, Roo, AtomFilms etc.) and non affiliated sites (many that also have offline assets such as the WWE, NBA, Comcast.net, Discovery and others) that control anywhere from 25% - 33% of streams per month in 2006
-Yahoo controlled 23.97% of free or ad supported video streams during the January through April 2006 timeframe
-TimeWarner followed with 13.7%
-Microsoft with 11.40%
-Viacom with 8.54%

Pre roll video inventory (video streams preceded by ad units) has grown an average of 105.2% annually over the past five years, compared to free or ad supported content streams, which averaged 72.3%.

Driven by scarcity and a guaranteed view, publishers have also increased the frequency of pre roll insertions.

Based on AccuStream iMedia Research data contained in a new report Pre Roll Video Avails 2001 - 2006: Site and Brand Share, the insertion ratio is now almost 1 to 1 (one pre roll for every content stream accessed), indicating an available pre roll marketplace of over 1.13 billion per month..

This pre roll analysis encompasses sites and networks with branded content published by or acquired from major media entities; it does not include community generated video content.

CGV publishing models, the companies hosting the content and total usage with a market analysis is contained in a forthcoming AccuStream report Community Generated Video 2006: Mania, Mirth and Myth.

Usage patterns in 2006 (January through April), reveal an average of 1.2 billion free or ad supported streams served by major media brands per month, and 94% of those streams have pre roll inventory.

The report aggregates branded sites together to create total pre roll share. Yahoo controlled 23.97% of pre roll video streams from January through April 2006; TimeWarner followed with 13.7%. Microsoft had 11.40%, Viacom with 8.54%.

Non affiliated, independent or other branded sites combined to control 27.16% of total ad supported or free streams.
"The high double-digit growth rates seen in pre roll ad units reflects just how much broadband publishing has caught the attention of rights holders," commented AccuStream research director Paul A. Palumbo.

"Five years after broadband streams surpassed narrowband, 2006 is quite noteworthy for the number of broadband extensions rolling out."

Sites such as Sci-Fi.com and USA Networks, or new video-centric offerings like NBCWeatherPlus, NBCFirstlook.com, CBS' Innertube offering, and Characterclique.com from NBC Universal and partner Yahoo, indicate an increasing supply of content, and therefore advertising opportunities surrounding the pre roll unit.

For full details, please email jeremyk@cmsinfo.com

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