As much as I love Internet video, I hate online video advertising. Sorry. I just want to get right to the content. I hate pop-ups, interstitials, and other “in your face” advertising.

But what really gets me angry is when I click on a link to watch a video, and I get an ad. Argh! I don’t want to watch an ad. I don’t want to wait 15 to 30 seconds for the ad to finish. I want my video!

This just happened to me a few minutes ago, when I was reading a Yahoo News article about American Idol. I saw this “related video” next to the story and clicked on it. But the first thing that popped up was an ad for something. I was so disgusted I closed the video window and didn’t even get to watch the clip.

I realize advertising is important and pays the bills (yadda yadda), but I don’t care. I guess I’m much more laid back about advertising on TV since I can tune it out. Or if I’m Tivoing, I can fast forward. But many Internet video advertising disables the fast forward button when an ad is showing. Argh!

Even though I was reading Yahoo News, the video came from AP. Other web sites that shove advertising at me include CNN and TMZ. Like AP Video, these sites open up a new browser window (yuck) and show a bunch of other clips that I may like to watch. Are they assuming that I want to watch other kinds of unrelated video clips just because I happen to be watching video? Sometimes I just want to get in, watch the video and get out. I don’t want to lazily watch a series of video clips all in a row.

Anyway, I guess the number one time NOT to play an online ad is before you play the actual content. Please, content owners around the web: You’re only turning off viewers. Let us get to the content, then throw some advertising at us. If I wanted to see an ad I’d watch the Super Bowl.

And yes, I’m back!

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Looks like Internet ad revenue is still growing and even outpacing traditional media. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, advertising revenues from 2007 were about $21.1 billion, which is up 25% over 2006’s $16.9 billion.

Technorati Tags: IAB, research, advertising, Internet advertising, Internet Advertising Bureau

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The CEO of Hulu said that Internet video ads should be short, in order to be effective. Hulu is that new online video venture by NBC and News Corp. that’s trying to take on iTunes and YouTube by bringing TV content to the web.

Speaking at a keynote presentation at the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s last week, Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu said that advertisers shouldn’t re-purpose the same 30-second TV spots on the Internet.

This isn’t new. I think most new media advertisers know that online video ads should be kept short. I mean, most Internet video content is short (about 2.6 minutes) so it makes sense to have even shorter video ads.

Hulu, of course is going for longer content–30 minute sitcoms and hour-long dramas, for example. So it’s a different universe than what YouTube is working with.

Plus Hulu is still trying to get their advertising and revenue opportunities nailed down while still in beta. Currently, Hulu is testing overlay advertising and short video ads running one ad during a natural commercial break. That’s in line with what other content providers, like ABC.com and NBC.com are already doing with their TV shows online.

Interestingly, Kilar said that Hulu isn’t competing with YouTube, since they’re not doing user-generated content. However, YouTube isnt’ all user-generated content. Just last week HBO announced it was putting up entire episodes of its new series, In Treatment, on YouTube for free. Anyone can go on and watch the first five or so episodes of the show or catch up to missed episodes, even if they aren’t HBO subscribers.

It seems like Hollywood is finally getting it. Put your content on the web or people will get it illegally via BitTorrent. They are fully experimenting with this new delivery model: put your content on the Internet, get audiences however you can and see what happens.

Technorati Tags: HBO, In Treatment, Hulu, Internet video, YouTube, advertising, TV on the Internet

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The top 10 advertisers in the U.S. had a 5 percent reduction in TV ad spending for the first three quarters in 2007 compare to a year ago. That’s almost $670 million.

Pundits are saying that advertisers have shifted spending into digital media instead since Nielsen is reporting that they’ve seen $180 million more spent on digital media during the first three quarters. That’s a total of $742 million, a 24% increase from a year ago for the first three quarters this year.

Although digital media ad spending is up, it’s still no match for TV advertising spending. According to the most recent figures, TV takes in $9.06 billion in advertising.

Technorati Tags: digital media, advertising, TV

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The combination of Internet advertising, Internet TV, mobile ads, game advertising and IPTV advertising will generate $41 billion in revenues by 2011, says research firm MultiMedia Intelligence.

In 2007, new media advertising will generate about $18 billion worldwide, which means ad revenues will more than double in five years.

The company says that three new categories–Internet TV, IPTV and mobile TV–will make up about 20% of media ad dollars in 2011. So far, advertising in these nascent media is pretty low.

Technorati Tags: IPTV, research, advertising, TV, DVR, new media, mobile TV

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