Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Hulu stepped up to the live streaming plate for the first time last night showcasing NBC’s coverage of the presidential debate, now available on its on-demand service. (It will also feature live streaming of the final debate on Oct. 15, courtesy of Fox News.) Look for it on the new Election ’08 portal featuring politically-themed speeches, SNL spoofs and commentary. Hulu also announced it is premiering its first original feature film, the documentary Crawford, about the effects of the George W. Bush presidency on his adopted hometown. (Cynopsis 10/8)

Google-owned YouTube will target music videos and video game content in a new e-commerce partnership with iTunes and Amazon.com under which YouTube site visitors can click on an ad to buy the content offered by EMI, Universal Music and Electronic Arts. “If you like the song, you don’t need to leave Google or leave the site to buy it,” said YouTube’s Bakari Brock, who said the company would eventually offer a robust e-commerce platform. The New York Times (10/7) , Variety (10/7)

The much-talked-about talks between Yahoo and Time Warner to unload AOL are definitely on, sources say. Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang and president Sue Decker are said to be in New York trying to cajole Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes into a deal before Yahoo’s next earnings report. (Iwantmedia 10/8, http://valleywag.com/5060407/jerry-yang-in-new-york-talking-aol-deal  10/7)

NBC Universal Digital Studio unveiled its first slate of original productions created by some A-list producers and show runners including Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide) Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum), and John August (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish.) The shows, which are currently seeking sponsors for distribution across multiple NBCU and third party properties including online, mobile, VOD and digital sell through, were put together in partnership with new media-focused 60Frames. (Cynopsis 10/8)

Google is launching a beta version of its in-game advertising system, AdSense for Games, with initial service focusing on casual, Flash-based online games. Marketers Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sprint and eSurance have signed on as launch advertisers. The move represents Google’s bid to compete alongside DoubleFusion, IGA and Microsoft-owned Massive in the video game ad space. CNET (10/7) , paidContent.org (10/7)

Stockholm-based online music service Spotify launched to users in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Finland, Norway and Sweden with licensing deals in place with the 4 major labels – Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, EMI Music and Warner Music Group. Spotify, which is working on clearing U.S.-based streaming rights, enables on-demand streaming of audio content offering both ad-supported and paid subscription models (running 10 pounds/month or 100 pounds per year in the UK.) It has been praised for its huge catalog and socially friendly interface, making it easy to share playlists and discovery new bands. (Cynopsis 10/8)

Online video portal Dailymotion launched a series of ad supported channels featuring a range of original and classic programming from TheWB.com as well as the exclusive offering of the Canadian cult hit jPod. (Cynopsis 10/8)

In time for the premiere of its first original drama Crash, Starz has relaunched its website to showcase extras and previews of its programming along with basic community and interactive features including message boards, blogs and widgets. Starz.com is currently streaming the pilot of Crash which premieres on air Oct. 17 at 10 pm ET/PT. (Cynopsis 10/8)

PGA.com, managed by Turner Sports, will offer comprehensive online coverage of the 2008 PGA Grand Slam of Golf next week including live coverage of the first several holes beginning at 10 a.m. ET on both Oct. 14 & 15. (Cynopsis 10/8)

LP33.tv, the experimental music site that was once called myAWOL (but changed its name to avoid confusion with MyAOL), has launched to the public. The site will compete against a strong field of competitors like MySpace Music, but hopes to distinguish itself with a dedicated content production team and an innovative approach to signing new artists, as well as its experienced team of executives. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/07/lp33tvs-innovative-music-site-launches-to-the-public  10/7)

U.S. online ad spending continued to slow its growth during the first half of 2008 according to new data from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) put together in conjunction with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Spending grew 15% to $11.5 billion in the U.S., down significantly from a 27% increase recorded during the first half of 2007. Search advertising, dominated by Google, not only remained the biggest sector but actually increased its share of the market, responsible for 44% of all online ad spending compared to 41% during the first half of ’07. (Cynopsis 10/8)

A panel at a recent industry conference dispelled worries about bandwidth limitations keeping HD video offline, saying technology constraints are being dealt with. The real obstacle to its development is the lack of an effective advertising model, according to the panel. InformationWeek (10/7)

White label video management firm thePlatform (BBC, Comcast, Sony BMG, CNBC, etc.) claims its clients had a combined total of 329 million video views in July of ’08 according to tracking by ComScore, which would place it third among ComScore’s Video Metrix rankings behind Google (YouTube) and Fox Interactive Media (MySpace.) (Cynopsis 10/8)

% of Spending on Advertising Formats  Jan – June ’07 vs. ’08
                                  FH 2007       FH 2008
Search                   41% ($4,097)  44% ($5,064)
Display Related:       32% ($3,198)   33% ($3,799)
    -Banner Ads        21% ($2,099)   21% ($2,418)
    -Rich Media             7% ($699)       7% ($806)
    -Digital Video          1% ($100)       3% ($345)
    -Sponsorship           3% ($300)       2% ($230)
Classifieds               17% ($1,699)    14% ($1,611)
Referrals/Lead              8% ($799)      7% ($806)
Generation
E-mail                          2% ($200)      2% ($230)
Source: IAB