Media Companies Join to Extend the Brands of YouTube Stars

Keywords Press will release six to 10 titles annually, both in print and digital formats.



Bits Blog: With Twitch Acquisition Talks, Validation of Games as Spectator Sport

Google’s YouTube is said to be in talks to buy the start-up Twitch for around $1 billion, in another sign that video games are becoming serious entertainment for spectators.



Advertising: Already Crowded, Upfront Week Keeps Snowballing

“Everybody wants to get in on the action,” said Joe Mandese, editor in chief of MediaPost, who estimated there would be “almost 100 events” by the time the upfronts conclude.



Advertising: For Online Video Publishers, a New Tack on Luring Ad Dollars

Publishers of online video at the Digital Content NewFronts indicated they were trying to make it easier for marketers and agencies to spend on video.



Advertising: PBS Seeks Web Sponsors, but Big Bird Still Won’t Sing Jingles

PBS presented a slate of planned online video programming to advertisers at the Digital Content NewFronts, but says it will remain wary of excessive commercialization on the web.

Bits Blog: Six Seconds of Loopy Creativity, and Millions of Fans

Twitter’s Vine app, with its ultrashort, chaotic videos of funny faces, dance steps and stunts, has been finding a bigger audience.



Advertising: Push to Put Brands in Video Content

The move to integrate brands and products into video content and the resulting revenue have prompted the development of more original video programming.



Advertising: Famous Faces Cross Over to Online Video

The online video industry is relying on TV, radio and movie stars to spice up its offerings.



Advertising: Wooing Advertisers by Using Laughs

Marketers like lifestyle content because it often attracts more affluent consumers. Also, humorous content is frequently sought out by younger men.



Advertising: Courting Video Advertisers With Infinite (and Growing) Air Time

The 2014 NewFronts, presentations for buyers of online advertising, offer an expanded calendar of events reflecting the rapid growth of the field.



Yahoo to Offer TV-Style Comedy Series on the Web

The move plunges Yahoo directly into the world of original programming, joining the likes of Amazon, Netflix and others to challenge traditional TV producers for viewers’ attention.



Hot Spots: Ads Look to Stand Out Amid the Political Clutter

The 2014 election cycle has ushered in a rush of political advertising, with campaign ads airing as early as last spring and record-shattering spending for the first quarter of the election year.