Fame

Netflix and Disney are fighting to send you ads

Published

8 months ago

September 26, 2022

Ahron Young

For decades, the world of television advertising has been dominated by a few big players. But that looks set to change, as streaming giants Netflix and Disney enter the fray.

Here’s what you need to know about how these two companies are shaking up the world of TV advertising.

Netflix has always been a disruptor in the world of entertainment. The company upended the traditional television model by allowing users to binge-watch their favorite shows without having to wait a week for the next episode.

Now, they’re looking to do the same with television advertising.

Skipping ads

In 2018, Netflix announced that they would be launching a new ‘skip ads’ feature for some of their original programming. This feature allows viewers to bypass any commercials that play before or during a show. For advertisers, this is a major problem. After all, why pay to have your ad played if there’s a chance that viewers will just skip it?

In response to this, some big names in the world of TV advertising have started pulling their ads from Netflix. But others are seeing this as an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new way of advertising. One company that’s taking this approach is Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola is testing out a new type of ad on Netflix that can’t be skipped by viewers.

The ad plays during breaks in between episodes, and only starts playing once all viewers have pressed ‘play’ again after the previous episode has ended. This means that there’s no way for viewers to miss the ad. And it seems to be working; Nielsen data shows that these ads have an 80% completion rate.

Disney enters

Disney is also looking to make a splash in the world of TV advertising. The company recently announced plans to launch its own streaming service, Disney+, later this year. And unlike Netflix, Disney+ will feature traditional commercials – but only during certain types of content.

For example, commercials will only play before or after movies that are part of the Disney Vault – meaning classic films like Snow White and The Lion King that are only released every few years. This means that viewers won’t have to sit through commercials every time they want to watch one of these movies; they’ll only see them occasionally, making them more likely to pay attention when they do play.

Disney is also testing out a new type of interactive ad format on its online video platform, YouTube – one that allows viewers to choose what product they want to learn more about, and then see an ad for that product tailored specifically to them. This personalization could be a game-changer for TV advertising, and it’s something that other companies are sure to follow suit on in the coming years.

What’s certain is that traditional television isn’t going anywhere anytime soon; despite the rise of streaming services, TV still reaches more than three times as many people as online video platforms like YouTube and Facebook combined.

Business

Deepfakes are taking over Hollywood

Published

5 days ago

May 30, 2023

ticker NEWS

Deepfakes are the online phenomenon changing the way in which we consume and trust social media

Have you ever scrolled through social media and found a celebrity selling something a bit left of centre?

Chances are you have fallen victim to a deepfake.

These images and videos are a type of artificial intelligence, which promises to create doctored videos, which are almost impossible to tell apart from the real thing.

They have typically been used in pornographic clips and for celebrity endorsements.

Fame

Prince Harry involved in ‘near catastrophic’ car chase

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2023

ticker NEWS, Brittany Coles

Harry has long spoken out about his anger over press intrusion, which he blames for his mother’s death

Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and her mother were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi photographers in New York.

The incident took place after they left the Ms. Foundation for Women, where Meghan was honoured for her work.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers,” said Prince Harry’s spokesperson.

The chase involved paparazzi driving on the sidewalk, running red lights and driving while taking pictures.

“I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible,” New York Mayor Eric Adams said.

Harry has long spoken out about his anger over press intrusion, which he blames for his mother’s death.

Princess Diana was killed when her limousine crashed as it sped away from chasing paparazzi in Paris in 1997.

Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, partly over what they described as intense media harassment.

Harry is currently involved in numerous court cases in London where he has accused papers of using unlawful methods to target him and his family.

Fame

Tom Hanks open to continuing career with A.I. help

Published

3 weeks ago

May 17, 2023

ticker NEWS, Brittany Coles

Despite the crackdown on A.I., one famous actor has raised the prospect of his career continuing after his death by using the technology

‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Cast Away’ actor Tom Hanks says new tech could be used to recreate his image to appear in movies “from now until kingdom come”.

Hanks was asked about the legal ramifications of A.I. on a recent podcast with Adam Buxton.

He says talks are being held in the film industry about how to protect actors from the effects of the technology.

Hanks told the host: “I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on.”

The award-winning actor acknowledged that tech developments could lead to an AI-generated version of himself appearing in films he may not not normally choose.