According to Internet Bureau of Canada, more than 25 million Canadians now regularly consume video content on-line.  While we all know YouTube is a great place to watch a myriad of content on any specific topic, Network Television broadcasters are displaying growth rates of +100% year over year in audiences using their computers to watch video streams of their favourite programmes.

Content is indeed king and at the present time no one can match the likes of CTV, CBC and Shaw for premium product delivered on-line.  Most networks now offer their primetime programmes up for on-line viewing within 24 hours of their original linear airing. It is even being called “The episodic catch-up effect.”

It is estimated that marketers will spend $180 million in online advertising spending this year and it is projected that this amount will increase by over +30% next year. While online provides great analytics, we are not yet at behavioural targeting, rather savvy marketers are embracing notional targeting to reach their targets via premium video streaming, specifically, those who are most likely to watch The Big Bang on TV are most likely to watch it on-line.

The bottom line: For clients that don’t have big TV budgets (one spot in The Big Bang can set you back about $100,000) or expensive creative, network on-line is a vehicle to reach consumers in a non-traditional manner that can also provide a direct click to a client’s URL.  However, the drawback is that the eyeball in front of the lap top is about 3 times the cost of an eyeball in front of the TV on a CPM basis!!  Next up for screens are Tablets.