Bresnan Launches Dynamic VOD Ad Trial

Operator Working With Arris, Avail-TVN, BlackArrow

Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 1/14/2010 3:37:49 PM

Bresnan Communications has kicked off a 12-week test of a dynamic ad-insertion system for video-on-demand programming in four Montana markets.
While Bresnan does have advertisers and content providers participating in the trial, it isn't disclosing them at this point, said spokesman Shawn Beqaj. "This announcement is really a technical ‘proof a concept,'" he said.
The trial will run for 12 weeks, through the end of March, according to Beqaj. Bresnan has launched the trial in the Montana markets of Billings, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula using standards-based technologies to insert different ads with VOD content.
Bresnan is working with three vendors on the trial: Arris, Avail-TVN and BlackArrow. The cable operator has integrated its existing Arris VOD architecture with Avail-TVN's Adoniss Asset Management System and the BlackArrow Advanced Advertising System, as well as ad placement and inventory allocation capabilities that use Arris's VOD ConvergeMedia platform and BlackArrow's Placement Opportunity Information Service (POIS) and Allocation Manager.
Other operators have also recently launched dynamic-ad insertion for VOD, including Cox Communications - in partnership with NBC Universal  -- and Comcast.
Historically, operators have needed to hard-code VOD ads into the assets, which hampers how quickly new ads can be sold and placed. By contrast, dynamic ad-insertion allows ads to be selected in real time, based on different criteria, such as content, location and time of day.
"This trial will grow the value of our video-on-demand platform to both advertisers and content partners as we begin to offer a completely new advertising model," Bresnan regional vice president of advertising sales Kelly Enright said in a statement. "Dynamic ad insertion offers an exciting opportunity to develop campaigns that provide relevant, measurable and highly effective advertising to a growing audience and allows programmers to manage on-demand advertising inventory for the first time, while developing a whole new stream of advertising revenue."