Highlights from the Brandcast stage: New YouTube Originals and advertiser offerings
Primetime is no longer defined by the time the show is aired, but by the connection that content has with its audience. We see this reflected through over 150 million hours of YouTube watchtime per day on TV screens alone.1 In this next era of entertainment and information, we're more committed than ever to YouTube being a platform for fresh voices, authentic stories, and thought-provoking dialogue.
Tonight at our seventh annual newfront event, Brandcast, we unveiled the latest content trends and new ways for advertisers to connect with their most attentive audience to drive unmatched results for their business. Brandcast is where advertisers, creators and fans come together to celebrate the vibrant community of YouTube.
Doubling down on can’t-get-enough-of original content
At last year’s Brandcast, we announced our new slate of ad-supported YouTube Originals, bringing shows from top Hollywood talent and YouTube creators to everyone, everywhere. From the Slow Mo Guys to Kevin Hart, our first year slate of brand-sponsored shows amassed over 700 million views across all episodes and related clips.2
Katy Perry’s 96-hour livestream, “Witness World Wide,” was named one of Time Magazine’s Top 10 TV shows of 2017, and just today, “Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated” was nominated for Best Music Documentary for the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. All of this content was free and available to YouTube’s 1.8 billion monthly logged-in users3 as a result of partnerships with brands like Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Ulta Beauty, LL Bean and more.
As we move into our second year, we plan to build on the success of our first. We’re using the global reach of YouTube to shine a light on the human stories that inspire us, make us smarter and demonstrate the potential of what we can achieve. Here’s a sneak peek of a new slate of shows that will not only engage and entertain, but also celebrate diverse and authentic voices:
Making even more top content accessible to advertisers
Every one of the shows outlined above will be available through Google Preferred—our premium content offering for advertisers—so that brands can continue to access some of the most popular stars and inspiring stories on YouTube. Year-over-year, we continue to see tremendous growth from Google Preferred. In fact, Google Preferred Lineups reach more 18-49 year-olds monthly than any cable network or full episode player.4
Today, we’re adding to that momentum. For the very first time, Google Preferred Lineups and Breakout Videos will include our complete music universe, including eligible VEVO channels and videos. This gives brands the unprecedented opportunity to advertise against virtually all music in the world, from fresh talent to the most popular music icons. Thank you to our partners at Sony Music, Universal Music Group and VEVO who have joined Warner Music Group and countless independent record labels to bring all of this exciting music to you.
We’re also focused on giving brands even more opportunities to advertise against some of the most influential live music events with Google Preferred and sponsorships. Once again, we are an official livestream partner of the Global Citizen Festival, and we will livestream shows from multiple cities around the world. And, we’re thrilled to announce we have renewed our exclusive livestream partnership with Coachella for an additional three years. The renewal will take YouTube through 2021, which will mark 11 consecutive years of a Coachella webcast on YouTube.
Beyond music, we are also launching a new product improvement to help advertisers reach audiences among some of YouTube’s most popular content. We’re adding new signals to enhance affinity segments on Google Preferred so advertisers can engage with the most relevant audience, creating a richer experience for brands and users alike.
Offering undivided attention and unmatched results
We’ve always believed that when you put the user first, great things will follow. By providing our audience with a home for immersive, engaging video content and our advertising partners new ways to reach their customers that are relevant and assistive, we can deliver greater impact for everyone. Looking across Nielsen Matched Panel Analysis (MPA) studies we’ve run to date, we see that over 70 percent of YouTube campaigns drove a significant lift on offline sales.5
We recognize the need to hold ourselves accountable with first- and third-party measurement tools. That's why we've partnered with trusted experts, such as MOAT on viewability and Nielsen on reach, among others. And tonight we announced we'll continue this work by extending sales lift measurement to Nielsen Catalina Solutions, soon giving advertisers a new option to measure the effectiveness of YouTube campaigns at moving products off the shelves.
Check out #Brandcast to see highlights from the night.
1YouTube Internal Data, Global, Accurate as of Jan 2018. Based on seven day average of watchtime for TV screen devices, which include smart TVs, Roku/Apple TV and game consoles
2Google Data, Global, April 2018
3YouTube Internal Data, Global, March 2018
4Google commissioned Nielsen custom fusion study. Desktop, mobile and TV fusion. TV measurement of all individual U.S. cable networks. Reach among person 18-49 (Live +7, one minute qualifier), television only, September 2017.
5Commissioned Nielsen Matched Panel Analyses - Base: 55 YouTube Campaigns from 2016-2017 across nine countries; count based on tested strategies with a lift based on a one-sided significance >80 percent
Tonight at our seventh annual newfront event, Brandcast, we unveiled the latest content trends and new ways for advertisers to connect with their most attentive audience to drive unmatched results for their business. Brandcast is where advertisers, creators and fans come together to celebrate the vibrant community of YouTube.
Doubling down on can’t-get-enough-of original content
At last year’s Brandcast, we announced our new slate of ad-supported YouTube Originals, bringing shows from top Hollywood talent and YouTube creators to everyone, everywhere. From the Slow Mo Guys to Kevin Hart, our first year slate of brand-sponsored shows amassed over 700 million views across all episodes and related clips.2
Katy Perry’s 96-hour livestream, “Witness World Wide,” was named one of Time Magazine’s Top 10 TV shows of 2017, and just today, “Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated” was nominated for Best Music Documentary for the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. All of this content was free and available to YouTube’s 1.8 billion monthly logged-in users3 as a result of partnerships with brands like Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Ulta Beauty, LL Bean and more.
As we move into our second year, we plan to build on the success of our first. We’re using the global reach of YouTube to shine a light on the human stories that inspire us, make us smarter and demonstrate the potential of what we can achieve. Here’s a sneak peek of a new slate of shows that will not only engage and entertain, but also celebrate diverse and authentic voices:
- Will Smith: The Jump Off: In partnership with Westbrook Entertainment, Will Smith is going to epic heights in his new YouTube Original, “Will Smith: The Jump Off.” In this special, Will accepts the ultimate YouTube fan challenge to bungee jump from a helicopter—all to raise awareness for charity. The cameras will follow him as he prepares for the big jump, which we’ll livestream on his birthday.
- Priyanka Chopra: If I Could Tell You Just One Thing: From Sundog Pictures, Priyanka Chopra will go on a personal journey to meet the world’s most successful and inspirational people—each time asking them for advice they feel can change the world. From actors and politicians to religious leaders and environmentalists, star of the show Priyanka will speak with the people who will go down in history as having challenged the status quo.
- Jack Whitehall: Training Days: In this show, comedian and actor Jack Whitehall trains with the world’s most elite soccer players—and has a little behind-the-scenes fun in the process. Sponsored by Wendy’s in the U.S., “Training Days” is executive produced by James Corden and Fulwell 73 and will launch to fans around the world on Jack’s YouTube channel on May 9, ahead of the World Cup.
- Best Shot: Executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, “Best Shot” is a new documentary series following the Newark Central High School Blue Devils as they find community through basketball and receive mentorship from former NBA player Jay Williams. Directed by Michael John Warren and produced by SpringHill Entertainment and Boardwalk Pictures in association with Blue Ribbon Content, “Best Shot” will debut on the NBA YouTube channel this summer.
- Untitled Demi Lovato Project: In her new YouTube Original, Demi is returning to show fans a side of herself beyond her music to raise awareness about issues that matter. Demi will draw from personal experiences and passions to pay it forward to some of her biggest fans and closest friends. From Philymack Productions and London Alley.
- The Super Slow Show Season 2: In partnership with Rooster Teeth Productions, the Slow Mo Guys are returning with a renewed focus on science, technology, engineering and math. Through the lens of education, the Slow Mo Guys will explore the tiniest phenomena and greatest spectacles—all in slow motion.
- Kevin Hart: What the Fit Season 2: Kevin Hart is returning with even bigger punch lines and celebrity guests. In partnership with Lionsgate and Laugh Out Loud Network, this second season will raise more awareness of healthy living and wellness, as Kevin and his celebrity friends try out some of the most unique and outlandish workout routines.
Making even more top content accessible to advertisers
Every one of the shows outlined above will be available through Google Preferred—our premium content offering for advertisers—so that brands can continue to access some of the most popular stars and inspiring stories on YouTube. Year-over-year, we continue to see tremendous growth from Google Preferred. In fact, Google Preferred Lineups reach more 18-49 year-olds monthly than any cable network or full episode player.4
Today, we’re adding to that momentum. For the very first time, Google Preferred Lineups and Breakout Videos will include our complete music universe, including eligible VEVO channels and videos. This gives brands the unprecedented opportunity to advertise against virtually all music in the world, from fresh talent to the most popular music icons. Thank you to our partners at Sony Music, Universal Music Group and VEVO who have joined Warner Music Group and countless independent record labels to bring all of this exciting music to you.
We’re also focused on giving brands even more opportunities to advertise against some of the most influential live music events with Google Preferred and sponsorships. Once again, we are an official livestream partner of the Global Citizen Festival, and we will livestream shows from multiple cities around the world. And, we’re thrilled to announce we have renewed our exclusive livestream partnership with Coachella for an additional three years. The renewal will take YouTube through 2021, which will mark 11 consecutive years of a Coachella webcast on YouTube.
Beyond music, we are also launching a new product improvement to help advertisers reach audiences among some of YouTube’s most popular content. We’re adding new signals to enhance affinity segments on Google Preferred so advertisers can engage with the most relevant audience, creating a richer experience for brands and users alike.
Offering undivided attention and unmatched results
We’ve always believed that when you put the user first, great things will follow. By providing our audience with a home for immersive, engaging video content and our advertising partners new ways to reach their customers that are relevant and assistive, we can deliver greater impact for everyone. Looking across Nielsen Matched Panel Analysis (MPA) studies we’ve run to date, we see that over 70 percent of YouTube campaigns drove a significant lift on offline sales.5
We recognize the need to hold ourselves accountable with first- and third-party measurement tools. That's why we've partnered with trusted experts, such as MOAT on viewability and Nielsen on reach, among others. And tonight we announced we'll continue this work by extending sales lift measurement to Nielsen Catalina Solutions, soon giving advertisers a new option to measure the effectiveness of YouTube campaigns at moving products off the shelves.
Check out #Brandcast to see highlights from the night.
1YouTube Internal Data, Global, Accurate as of Jan 2018. Based on seven day average of watchtime for TV screen devices, which include smart TVs, Roku/Apple TV and game consoles
2Google Data, Global, April 2018
3YouTube Internal Data, Global, March 2018
4Google commissioned Nielsen custom fusion study. Desktop, mobile and TV fusion. TV measurement of all individual U.S. cable networks. Reach among person 18-49 (Live +7, one minute qualifier), television only, September 2017.
5Commissioned Nielsen Matched Panel Analyses - Base: 55 YouTube Campaigns from 2016-2017 across nine countries; count based on tested strategies with a lift based on a one-sided significance >80 percent