It is the little content studio that made it big through social media and connected TV.
Now Jukin Media wants to keep control of its new-wave ad sales opportunity, as it scales under new ownership.
In this video interview with Beet.TV, Jukin Media global CTV revenue operations VP Mike Richter explains how he views the new platform.
From UGC to CTV
Jukin Media was founded as a user-generated content studio in 2010. Its properties now include FailArmy, WeatherSpy, People Are Awesome and The Pet Collective, reaching more than 200 million users and clocking two billion video minutes per month.
In August, the company was acquired by Trusted Media Brands, operator of Reader’s Digest and Taste Of Home.
“We originally started as a licensing company, a company that provided video creatives for production houses, and then started a DTC product and social and YouTube space, creating shortform comps that everybody’s so familiar with,” Richter says. “(We) gained millions of viewers around the world.
“Then, through the transition into CTV, we started just providing four hours of content a day on a channel on Xumo and it just expanded from there. And now we’re running four CTV channels across more than 20 platforms in over 25 countries, with plans to bring on more.”
Ad control
TMB acquired Jukin to quadruple its monthly audience reach.
As it does so, Richter is thinking through the company’s next connected TV strategy – namely, finding the appropriate balance of programmatic and hands-on-tiller ad sales. That means supply-side platforms (SSPs) are key.
“We don’t just want anybody buying our platform,” Richter says. “You want to make sure you’re partnering with third-party partners that are vetting who’s buying, that are creating safe and transparent ecosystems, and that are providing a fair deal at the end of the day.
“By not selling it direct, you just don’t pay any commission, but not gouging those prices because there are still margins that need to be met, to be able to keep providing quality content, to continue driving users.”
“It’s this circle of life, bring in The Lion King. You need partners that are partners, not just buyers.”
You are watching “Unlocking the Potential of CTV/OTT for Advertisers & Publishers,” a Beet.TV leadership series presented by Unruly. For more videos, please visit this page.
