Sites like Hulu and the increasing adoption of media players such as the Apple TV are showing consumer desire (and willingness) to experience original content in new ways. This has not been lost on former NBC and Universal co-chair Ben Silverman, who has formed a new studio called Electus.
The studio is an effort to connect content creators with advertisers. Think product placement – taken to the next level.
This, of course, NEEDS to happen. With so many people fast-forwarding through commercials or catching episodes on the internet, content needs a new way to monetize as it is finding new ways to be distributed.
Enter Yahoo!, who has announced a new partnership with Electus (which by the way has been created in a partnership with Barry Diller’s IAC, parent company of Ask.com).
The partnership is designed to create original content to be distributed on the web. Other than that, details are vague. But it should be interesting to see how Yahoo! incorporates this new opportunity with their other advertising opportunities.
For example, when a new piece of content launches, I’m thinking we’ll see a bunch of display ads on the Yahoo! network promoting the content.
Additionally, with Yahoo!’s pursuit of Internet-on-the-TV partnerships, their multi-screen approach will be one to watch.