Jul 18, 2018
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3
min read
Breakthrough in server-side ad insertion technology sets a new standard for broadcasters planning for millennial viewers.
Yospace and Medialaan have been shortlisted for a prestigious IBC2018 Innovation Award for their work on enhanced live streaming with reduced ad loads.
The technology allows viewers to rewind a live stream then receive shorter ad breaks so that they are able to catch up with the live action. Ad breaks that have already been seen can be skipped. The project is one of four shortlisted in the Content Delivery category and one of 200 entries overall.
Medialaan, the largest commercial broadcaster in Belgium, wanted to deliver a modern, dynamic experience for its digital-savvy viewers and engage millennials in a way that was more aligned to many of the ad-free services they had grown up watching. Yospace’s server-side ad insertion (SSAI) platform with Non-Linear Startover allowed them to do that.
The project was underpinned by the fact that ad spots opened up by Yospace’s platform are fully addressable and, as a result, are more valuable to Medialaan. Any loss in revenue due to the delivery of fewer ads to the viewer is compensated by the fact that any ads that are viewed generate a higher return.
Research from FreeWheel, an ad-tech partner in the Medialaan project, suggests a 30% reduction in ads would lead to a 5% increase in video watched. As described by nScreenMedia in the USA, reducing ad load does not stack up commercially unless addressability is applied. The combination of these two factors in the Medialaan project are what make it such an important step forward for the wider industry.
“To get onto this shortlist, you have to demonstrate an innovative but practical and proven solution to a real challenge. This really is the best of the best,” said Michael Lumley, chair of the panel of international editors and consultants which decides the IBC Innovation Awards. “The IBC Innovation Awards get more competitive year after year, and to make it to the final shortlist is a remarkable achievement. Congratulations to Medialaan and Yospace!”
The awards will be presented on Sunday 16th September at IBC2018, to be held at the RAI in Amsterdam. Visit Yospace’s stand at 14.G14.
For 25 years, Yospace has been at the forefront of the digital video revolution. From the early days of mobile delivery, to the mass consumption and monetisation of premium streaming, we have a history of driving business success for the world’s biggest telcos, broadcasters, and media companies.
Today, we specialise in server-side ad insertion (SSAI), a technology we pioneered over a decade ago. We have helped monetise five Olympic Games, five FIFA World Cups, and thirty-five Grand Slam tennis tournaments. We have over 2,000 live channels under management and we stitch over 3.5 billion advertisements per month.
We work with the biggest names in video streaming, including DIRECTV, FOX, and Tubi in the USA; Allente, Channel 4, ITV, M6, RTL, Telenor, Telia and TV4 in Europe; Nine, Optus, and Seven West Media in APAC.
Yospace sits under RTL Group’s adtech unit.
www.yospace.com
