NBC Limits Pre-Roll Internet Ads To 15 Seconds; Still 15 Seconds Too Long?
May 8th, 2007 | By Elisabeth Lewin | Category: Corporate Podcasts, Digital Video Downloads, Internet TV, Streaming Video, Video 
NBC Universal has announced that it plans to limit the length of pre-roll advertising (ads displayed before you get any content) in Internet videos to 15 seconds or less. Longer-form content, such as full-length episodes of TV series will continue to accept 30-second or longer spots.
“It’s essential for clients to deliver their messages in a way that best suits the medium and its users,” said Peter Naylor, senior VP of digital media sales for NBC Universal.”Research and client feedback tells us consumers are turned off by a spot that runs almost as long as the content itself.”
NBC Universal also said it plans to implement improved technology on its Web sites that will enable more interactivity in and around the video content.
NBC and other mainstream media providers are faced with increased competition from video podcasts, YouTube and other free Internet video options that don’t force people to sit through irrelevant advertising in order to get the content they want. As a result, people aren’t used to sitting through ads on the Web, and even 15 second ads create a barrier that may chase away viewers.
[…] 9th, 2007 · No Comments While Joost is experimenting with new ad formats that maximize content viewing–projectingout to 1-minute per hour of advertising (!)– and NBC Universal has announcedthat it plans to limit the length of pre-roll advertising (ads displayed before you get any content) in short Internet videos to 15 seconds or less, MTV appears to be pushing up to 50% ad contenton their podcast. Wrong direction, unless advertising is the¬† (home shopping, trailers, etc.) content/engagement. […]