AOL Streaming Original Web Video from Revamped Home Page

In a significant development for smaller, Web video producers, who have had to rely on social media moves, are now being surfaced daily on the giant home page of AOL which gets 15 million visitors per day. A daily series, called The One, produced by Next New Networks, debuts this week.

Chris Grosso: We’ve got 15 million people come to the home page everyday. And we took a look at these people what we found is that they are on average about 40 years old. Maybe a little bit younger and they consume tons and tons of media a lot of that being video they’re heavy consumers of DVR they’re heavy consumers of VOD. They just really like to consume a lot of video and they also like to consume a lot of content while they’re watching television. So what we realized about that was we have this big audience that has a lot of desire for video. We also have this commitment to create a lot of original content and we have the scale and distribution muscles actually being able to invest in the original content. So we said let’s put video front and center because that’s where we know where the audience is going and we know where the economics is going and really promote a lot of video on homepage. Well we get content of variety sources we built a great network of fantastic partners and we’ll have partner content and that could be original internet oriented partner content from people like saying next me networks it could also be a content from off line providers like Ellen where we have a fantastic partnership and she create a lot of great content for us. In addition all the AOL properties people like AOL music, people like daily financing, people like kitchen daily all create a lot of video which we will repurpose and use on the homepage or premier on the home page so AOL sessions which is a great brand that has fantastic content we’ll use a lot on the home page cause it’s just great content for our audience. And then lastly we’re creating original programming for the home page since we have the scale to be able to invest and create stuff that our audience wants. We’re launching with three shows over the next couple of weeks, the first is you’ve got which is really bookable space for the celebrities and the not so famous to come on line and give a message to our 15 million people. So we’ve already had people like Kelly Rippa people like the president Obama people like Ellen who came in the first three days and we’re able to give a message to our audience which is fun like some how promote what they’re trying to do in an exciting and interesting way that we think people will continue to come back and want to see what’s whose going to be next on you’ve got and what do they have to say. We already have great success with that to other shows that we are watching the next couple of weeks. The fist is AOL the one where we’re going to take one expert who has a really strong opinion on the important story of the day we’ll have that run in the afternoons. And then AOL day break which is a light hearted look at the news that we’ll run in the morning it feature Lindsay Campbell and is being created in partnership with the lacteous. The one is created in partnership with next new networks and you’ve got were creating in house with the AOL studios and we’ll continue to use accommodation of creating our own contest while partnering with people to create great contact depending on what the show is and what the opportunities are. Male: The home page I assume things just walked out on the home page is there a player with multiple windows or is there a video hub or are you syndicating videos. Where are all these videos live? Chris Grosso: Great question right I think they’ll be consumed in three or four places the first is that we built a video unit upfront that then pop’s open a light box so the user can actually watch the video with out having to leave the page. And we like that as a great environment for our users it’s a very exciting place to consume video. The other places are we have a video hub where people can go and where after we might premier our video on the home page then move it over to the hub might be a great place for social networks to promote to is a great place for people to go back and catch up on stuff after it’s run. And the lastly well contained to distribute video as well weather be through inedible players weather it be through five min where we just recently acquired but we really want the video to live on the home page maybe start on the home page but certainly not end up on the home page and what we think is very powerful about our audience and our distribution is that stories might start on the home page with a great video but then it may go viral that we could reach bunch of people really quickly and that hose people could push it out further. So we want to be using all cylinders to bet this content out. Male: And the sponsorship or modernization how is that work or what are the plans for that? Chris Grosso: We’re looking at a broad side of options for the business piece of this and we think if we create great content we’ll be able to find great ways for advertisers to get involve or one advertiser to get involved in one of the sponsorship weather that may be a pre roll a post roll I think we’re going to test our way into that and really build a set of opportunities for advertisers that really work and we’ll really focus on across the company regardless of what the add format is to create great advertising that works for advertisers but also works for our consumers. Male: What’s in stored for next year? You think will be more memorital programming or is there sort of a test drive right now or? Chris Grosso: I think we’ll going to continue to invest in content I think we’re going to be focused really on our audience and what type of content they want and we’re going to continue to create original content we’ll continue to use some partner content we’ll continue to use content form the vast network of AOL properties and that next I’m sure will evolve over time cause it will depend on what the audience wants. The audience again will decide.