This week’s Way forward for TV Briefing updates the listing of the important thing phrases that may trigger confusion when speaking concerning the TV, streaming and digital video trade.
Welcome to the fourth version of our glossary of key phrases that individuals within the TV, streaming and digital video trade use — and, usually, misuse. For as a lot as folks proceed to make use of OTT or to behave as if CTV and streaming are interchangeable and for as a lot because the phrases short-form and long-form really feel meaningless, new phrases hold cropping up that may confound and convolute any trade dialog. So right here’s the most recent information to what folks speak about once they speak about the way forward for TV.
2025 additions are marked with an *.
Superior audiences
What it refers to: Viewers focusing on that goes past TV promoting’s conventional age-and-gender-based focusing on to purpose advertisements at viewers segments primarily based on standards akin to family revenue, purchasing habits and pursuits. Also referred to as strategic audiences and data-driven audiences.
The way to use it: Appended with the phrases “versus demo-based focusing on” (or one thing to that impact) — not less than till the binary between broad and slim focusing on fades and it’s all only a single spectrum of addressability.
Instance sentence: Certain, we may fill our stock extra simply by sticking with demo-based focusing on, however we stand to make more cash per impression if we begin promoting on superior audiences.
AI
What it refers to: The usage of synthetic intelligence know-how to automate elements of the manufacturing, pre-production or post-production course of for exhibits, films, movies and commercials. Particularly referring to using instruments like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Midjourney, Runway and Eleven Labs which can be able to writing scripts, producing photos and movies, in addition to recreating folks’s voices.
The way to use it: Prefaced with “generative” to differentiate from different types of synthetic intelligence.
Instance sentence: No, the Wes Anderson AI movies aren’t fully AI generated as a result of an individual nonetheless needed to provide you with the prompts to get the generative AI instruments to create the clips.
AVOD
What it stands for: Advert-supported video on demand
What it refers to: Video programming, akin to TV exhibits and films, that may be accessed at any time, can be found both free of charge or a charge, and carry advertisements that play earlier than, throughout and/or after this system. AVOD’s distinguishing side is that programming is offered on demand moderately than requiring folks to tune in at a given time.
The way to use it: With care. Earlier than the rise of FAST companies, AVOD was successfully synonymous with ad-supported streaming. Then FAST companies got here alongside and cut up the ad-supported streaming market into two sides — just like how conventional TV has linear channels and programming accessible on demand.
However the line between AVOD and FAST is blurring.
A whole lot of FAST companies, akin to Paramount’s Pluto TV, have added programming that’s accessible on-demand and carries advertisements. In the meantime, initially AVOD companies like Fox’s Tubi and Roku’s The Roku Channel have added FAST channels alongside their on-demand programming libraries. In brief, solely use AVOD when referring to a subsection of the ad-supported streaming market to distinguish from the FAST subsection. If the excellence is pointless, go for the umbrella time period “ad-supported streaming.”
Instance sentence: I’m solely inquisitive about shopping for AVOD stock as a result of I determine these viewers usually tend to be paying consideration when my advert airs.
*Clipping
What it refers to: A type of user-generated content material by which a creator or firm pays folks to submit edited clips from the creator’s or firm’s long-form video to an individual’s personal social accounts primarily based on what number of views these clips generate.
The way to use it: Solely round individuals who use phrases like “progress hacking” and “retention enhancing” and “consideration financial system” within the optimistic sense. Round everybody else simply marvel at how the video should have actually resonated with the viewers to generate all this “earned” media.
Instance sentence: Look, off-record, simply between you and me, and provided that you’re actually keen to do no matter it takes to get in that Alex Cooper tier — are you aware of the time period “clipping”?
*Co-viewing measurement
What it refers to: The rely of how many individuals are in a room when a TV or streaming program or advert performs on a TV display screen.
The way to use it: With no matter asterisks and caveats and packets of salt you could have accessible. Or not less than with the phrase “probabilistic” in the identical sentence. As a result of there’s at the moment no deterministic technique to rely precisely how many individuals have been in each room by which a present, sporting occasion or advert aired, so co-viewing measurement is simply taking some pattern of viewers and projecting them throughout the complete viewers base. You recognize, like panel-based measurement.
Instance sentence: After all making use of a co-viewing measurement issue of 1.2X is ridiculous as a result of there’s no such factor as 0.2 of an individual, however TV measurement’s at all times been probabilistic.
*Creator-generated content material
What it refers to: Movies that manufacturers fee creators to supply and distribute via the manufacturers’ personal channels.
The way to use it: When the CEO is consistently asking about your model’s influencer advertising and marketing technique, the CMO is obsessing over natural social and CFO is respiration down your neck about company charges. Or when it’s time to provide your artistic company a little bit additional motivation to maintain your account.
Instance sentence: We all know your company is utilizing gen AI to deal with a few of our campaigns, so both you mirror that within the billable hours or we put money into creator-generated content material.
CTV
What it stands for: Related TV
What it refers to: TV screens which can be related to the web. This may be both a wise TV with its personal built-in working system or an everyday, “dumb” TV hooked as much as an internet-connected system like an Apple TV field, Roku streaming stick or Chromecast dongle. The purpose is that CTV issues the TV as a tool via which individuals stream companies like Netflix and Disney+ — it isn’t synonymous with streaming.
The way to use it: To discuss with the TV display screen as an internet-connected system or to discuss with the audiences, programming or advertisements which can be accessed via an internet-connected TV display screen. Contemplate CTV to be the TV trade’s analogue to the cell trade’s smartphone.
Instance sentence: I don’t wish to watch “Home of Dragons” on my laptop computer, so I’ll stream it via HBO Max’s CTV app.
Forex
What it refers to: The measurement metric(s) used as the idea for transactions between advert patrons and sellers. Traditionally, this has referred to Nielsen’s Gross Scores Level metric that gauges how many individuals could have seen a model’s advert on TV, however it will probably additionally apply to different varieties of measurement. For instance, since Google sells search advertisements on a cost-per-click foundation, clicks are the foreign money for search promoting.
The way to use it: To discuss with measurements strictly when a measurement is the metric dictating how a lot cash is to be exchanged between advertisers and media firms or tech platforms.
Instance sentence: I don’t care how many individuals noticed my advert. I care how many individuals bought my product after seeing my advert, so let’s use gross sales raise because the foreign money for this marketing campaign.
*Faceless creator
What it refers to: Video creators who don’t present their faces of their movies.
The way to use it: To rebut somebody proclaiming the significance of exhibiting an individual’s face within the first 5 seconds of a video in addition to the YouTube thumbnail. Or to rebut somebody who says social video doesn’t have a “made-for-advertising” downside.
Instance sentence: Was BuzzFeed’s Tasty, with its “palms and pans” format, the unique faceless creator?
FAST
What it stands for: Free, ad-supported streaming TV
What it refers to: Streaming properties that resemble linear TV by carrying channels that air 24/7 primarily based on a set programming schedule, can be found free of charge and have advertisements that interrupt the programming.
The way to use it: To discuss with the subsection of the ad-supported streaming market that mimics pre-DVR broadcast TV. The time period FAST might be utilized to the companies themselves or to particular person 24/7 channels that the companies carry.
Instance sentence: I don’t really feel like determining what to look at. Simply placed on a FAST cooking channel so we are able to begin consuming.
In-stream video advert
What it refers to: Video advertisements which can be served inside a video that an individual signaled intent to look at. Examples: pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll advertisements.
The way to use it: With the phrases “client has requested” firmly memorized in order that when somebody questions why a pre-roll advert in an autoplay video doesn’t rely as in-stream, you possibly can clarify the core distinction.
Instance sentence: We cost extra for in-stream video stock as a result of persons are extra prone to be being attentive to these advertisements.
Lengthy-form video
What it refers to: Movies which can be greater than 3 minutes lengthy and printed on horizontal video platforms like YouTube, Fb and streaming companies. Principally any video that doesn’t qualify as short-form video.
As talked about above, for years long-form video implicitly meant TV-length or longer movies. However then platforms like Vine, Snapchat and TikTok have pulled on the different finish of the video spectrum to make 10-minute-long movies really feel comparatively lengthy. And a few TikTok creators even think about plus-60-second-long movies to be long-form. That line of delineation is bolstered by YouTube’s TikTok clone Shorts capping video lengths at 3 minutes, implying that YouTube considers 3 minutes to be the edge between short-form and not-short-form, which we’ll name long-form (not less than for now).
The way to use it: With context. Identical with short-form video, which isn’t the identical as long-form video.
Instance sentence: My long-form video technique is stitching collectively a bunch of my TikToks into one video and zooming in to fill the display screen horizontally in order that they seem like an episodic TV or YouTube present.
*Micro-dramas
What it refers to: Serialized, scripted short-form vertical movies.
The way to use it: With as straight a face as you possibly can muster for the inevitable “You imply Quibi?” and with proof on the prepared for the way this content material class has exploded in China and the way there are folks within the U.S. spending $20 per 30 days to look at these snack-sized exhibits. And the way low-cost they’re to supply in comparison with conventional leisure.
Instance sentence: If they’d referred to as them micro-dramas as an alternative of “fast bites,” possibly Quibi would nonetheless be round.
MVPD/Digital MVPD
What it stands for: Multichannel video programming distributor
What it refers to: The main candidate for worst acronym within the trade refers to pay-TV companies — e.g. cable and satellite tv for pc TV companies — with “digital” specifying the streaming variations, e.g. Sling TV and YouTube TV. MVPD is definitely a reasonably correct acronym — these companies distribute a number of channels that function video programming — however so do FAST companies today, and the first distinction between the 2 is that individuals should pay for MVPDs.
The way to use it: Don’t. Say “pay TV,” “pay-TV service/supplier” or “streaming pay-TV service/supplier.”
Instance sentence: MVPD seems like a illness. Do you imply pay TV?
OTT
What it stands for: Excessive
What it refers to: The strategy of distributing TV exhibits outdoors of — or, excessive of — a cable field or satellite tv for pc dish. Not less than, that was the unique definition. This acronym was launched to explain TV networks making their programming accessible on their web sites and different digital properties. Finally, that included Hulu, which was one of many pioneering streaming companies and certain a serious purpose why OTT has grow to be synonymous with streaming and conflated with CTV.
The way to use it: Don’t. Repeat: Don’t use this acronym. Please. OTT was fantastic for a time, however that point has handed. As talked about above, OTT has grow to be synonymous with streaming, so let’s simply say streaming as an alternative. That method our family and friends members will know what the hell we’re speaking about.
Instance sentence: Keep in mind once we used to say OTT? I’m so glad all of us simply say streaming now.
Out-stream video advert
What it refers to: Video advertisements which can be served to an individual who has not signaled intent to look at a video. Examples: standalone video advertisements that seem inside written content material, pre-roll advertisements hooked up to a video that performs robotically however that isn’t the first content material an individual requested.
The way to use it: Identical as in-stream video advert clarification.
Instance sentence: I can hardly even learn the articles on that writer’s website due to all of the out-stream video advertisements popping up on the web page.
Brief-form video
What it refers to: Movies which can be printed on vertical video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts — and considerably brief in size. If that sounds squishy, that’s comprehensible. So let’s spend plenty of time speaking concerning the class of movies which can be presupposed to be concise.
For years, “short-form” referred to movies that have been shorter than half-hour TV episodes and usually meant 10-minute-or-less YouTube movies. Then YouTube creators began making 10- to 20-minute-long movies, which begat the time period “mid-form video.” Then Snapchat created a marketplace for sub-10-minute-long vertical movies, and TikTok shrunk the market much more with sub-60-second-long vertical movies.
As a result of nothing can ever be so simple, TikTok and Instagram have been blurring the definition of short-form video by extending TikTok video lengths to 10 minutes and Reels to twenty minutes. Even YouTube Shorts might be less-short at 3 minutes. However moderately than saying, “Screw it. It’s all video,” and sacrificing any shorthand for delineating amongst completely different video codecs, let’s use the vertical format as the first filter and use the 3-minute marker as a unfastened standards.
The way to use it: With context. If it isn’t already clear, “short-form” is a relative time period. A TV or streaming present producer could think about any YouTube video to be short-form, whereas a TikTok creator could think about any YouTube video to be long-form. So moderately than use the time period “short-form video” by itself, it’s good to quote an instance on the similar time.
Instance sentence: Our short-form video technique proper now’s reducing clips from our TV exhibits and YouTube movies and reformatting them vertically to submit to TikTok.
SSAI
What it stands for: Server-side advert insertion.
What it refers to: A technique of programmatically attaching advertisements to a video when a stream is initiated, versus ready till an advert break to make the request. Also referred to as dynamic advert insertion and advert stitching.
The way to use it: When somebody marvels on the minimal lag when a streaming service cuts to an advert break.
Instance sentence: Keep in mind when streams used to buffer earlier than a mid-roll advert would play? SSAI has minimized that latency. [Pause for those listening to marvel at the insight and perhaps cheer].
TV
What it stands for: Tv
What it refers to: 1) The big display screen(s) in folks’s houses via which they watch video programming, starting from stay sports activities to sitcoms to films to clips of cats. 2) The video programming that individuals watch on screens, together with, however not restricted to, the massive display screen(s) of their houses.
The way to use it: To mirror the convergence between conventional TV and streaming. If a bit of programming might be watched on a TV display screen, then it’s TV. Somebody who watches a bit of programming or an advert on TV is a TV viewer. An advert that performs on a TV display screen is a TV advert.
Admittedly, increasing TV past the standard definition goes to take a while, particularly with TikTok having a CTV app in order that short-form video can be thought-about TV. However if the annual upfront negotiations lately are any indication, that broader that means is gaining traction, particularly with YouTube having overtaken Netflix to guide TV watch time amongst streamers.
Instance sentence: I’m gonna go watch TV now.
VAST
What it stands for: Video advert serving template
What it refers to: IAB Tech Lab’s framework for attaching info — akin to pricing, placement sort and inventive identifiers — to video advert impressions. Consider it as being like a digital canine tag or microchip for video advertisements.
The way to use it: In acceptable firm, akin to as soon as one other member of the dialog has used the phrases “bid request.”
Instance sentence: If our DSP doesn’t replace to VAST 4.3 and add help for the Inventive ID framework, we’re gonna drop them.
*VTuber
What it refers to: Video creators who use digital avatars, as an alternative of their bodily identities, to characterize themselves of their movies.
The way to use it: Along with your guard up as a result of the standard of generative AI video instruments like Runway have made it very easy to grow to be a VTuber. On the similar time VTubers predate generative AI, are among the many hottest accounts on platforms together with Twitch and YouTube and have successfully created their very own mascots, which may make for helpful mental property.
Instance sentence: No, VTubers aren’t faceless creators as a result of they’re exhibiting a face, simply not their actual one.
What we’ve heard
“When our crew learn the model’s e-newsletter, they noticed that the model used the influencers’ picture of their e-newsletter, however it wasn’t a part of the settlement.”
— The CEO of a U.S. influencer company
Numbers to know
$12.99: The brand new month-to-month subscription value for Apple TV+, a $3 improve.
$50 million: How a lot cash CBS Information is reportedly dropping per yr.
$6.3 billion: How a lot income TikTok generated within the U.Okay., Europe and Latin America in 2024.
$20: Month-to-month subscription value for vertical video apps specializing in micro-dramas and that persons are really paying for (R.I.P. Quibi).
What we’ve coated
Confessions of an influencer marketer on manufacturers misusing creator content material:
- The CEO of a U.S. influencer company stated a non-U.S. swimsuit model used an influencer consumer’s likeness past the agreed-upon phrases.
- The model ended up providing an extended contract at higher phrases to make up for it.
Learn extra about influencer advertising and marketing right here.
What Blue Apron’s transfer to in-house its influencer advertising and marketing technique says concerning the creator financial system:
- The meal package supply model is in-housing its influencer advertising and marketing to chop prices and velocity up campaigns.
- Blue Apron is seeking to construct nearer relationships with greater than 100 creators.
Learn extra about Blue Apron right here.
Ignoring political noise, TikTok works to shore up place in natural social hierarchy:
- The platform’s Market Scope instrument is supposed to provide manufacturers a technique to monitor paid and natural content material in a single dashboard.
- The instrument is simply accessible on a invite foundation within the U.S. and Europe in the meanwhile.
Learn extra about TikTok right here.
CTV seems to be to put money into creator content material to win over extra advert {dollars}:
- Tubi, Samsung TV Plus and Netflix are loading up on movies from creators.
- Advertisers are treating the stock as low cost premium video that satisfies demand for working with creators and operating on CTV screens.
Learn extra about CTV creator content material right here.
Entrepreneurs more and more pressured to point out their creator spend is value it — with more durable metrics:
- Advert executives say creator content material is boosting advertisers’ companies however are hard-pressed to show it.
- Manufacturers are evaluating creator campaigns towards buyer acquisition and conversion counts.
Learn extra about entrepreneurs’ creator spend right here.
What we’re studying
MLB’s new rights holders on deck:
NBCUniversal and Netflix are rounding residence on offers to air Main League Baseball video games, with the previous on deck to pay $200 million per yr and the latter to shell out $35 million a yr to stream the “Residence Run Derby,” based on The Wall Avenue Journal.
Netflix’s AI tips:
The streaming service has printed a 1,900-word doc outlining its guidelines round generative AI being utilized in exhibits and films, which principally restrict — however not forbid — using generative AI for content material that seems on display screen within the ultimate product, based on StreamTV Insider.
Streaming’s rebundling:
Persons are more and more subscribing to streaming companies via third-party sellers, a conduct that resembles the standard cable TV bundle as extra streaming companies pop up and their costs go up, based on The New York Instances.
YouTube’s AI enhancing:
The Google-owned video platform has been utilizing AI to regulate creators’ movies, akin to by altering movies’ readability, with out notifying the movies’ creators, based on BBC.
Stability AI’s Hollywood allure offensive:
The corporate behind Secure Diffusion — one of many early image-generating AI instruments — is making an attempt to cozy as much as the leisure trade underneath its new-ish CEO as rivals Runway and Moonvalley try and do the identical, based on Wired.
