2015: Reflections & Predictions with John West of Whistle Sports – VideoInk

To close out 2015, VideoInk is calling on some of the top execs in the online video business to give us their take on the industry’s most significant developments in the past year, and where it might be going in 2016.

Today, it’s John West, founder and CEO of Whistle Sports.

Since launching in 2014, Whistle Sport has built up an aggregate social reach of over 150 million across platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Xbox and Snapchat, with content ranging from the personal channel of NBA star Jeremy Lin to regular features such as “Top 5 Trick Shots of the Week” and “Sport vs Sport.” Backed by $36 million in funding, the digital network has investors and content partners that include the NFL, the PGA Tour, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, Major League Lacrosse and Sky Broadcasting. This week, it capped off the year with the announcement that it has entered a multi-year partnership Dude Perfect, making the sports-oriented YouTube channel the “brand ambassador” for Whistle Sports.

What was the most important trend in the online video industry in 2015?

While it began at the end of 2014, when Facebook became truly serious about becoming a video platform, it initiated the trend that made 2015 the year of cross-platform social-first video delivery. We launched our community the first day of 2014 with an initial focus on YouTube because our audience cares most about video, but now almost every platform is a video platform. By the middle of this year it was real toss-up for us around where a video or part of a video would break a million views first — Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and other great partners.

What single deal, launch or failure in 2015 was the biggest game-changer for the industry?

There were stories that received much more coverage, but the most under-reported game changer for 2015 was the launch of Verizon’s Go90 because of what it means for the future of mobile media consumption. When a mobile powerhouse like Verizon decides to build a mobile-first content hub spanning sports, music, entertainment and others into its brand (and lets people install on phones across the world), they’re making clear how dominant the phone’s become in content consumption. They were also incredibly smart in bringing together established entertainment brands with the kinds of influencer communities that most impact millennials and designed the app to make it easy to share with friends what you love while you’re watching.

What surprised you the most in terms of hits or misses?

Hit: More brands and agencies than ever embracing creators and communities as a way to influence consumer behavior and build more lasting bonds with customers who might stay committed for years once connected.

Miss: Do you remember those few days around SXSW when Meerkat was going to change live streaming forever and the narrative seemed to consolidate so quickly around its likely dominance? Then, when Twitter and Persicope made clear how quickly (literally days!) dominance can change, a lot of the dialogue over-corrected. Now, we have creators that use both (and Facebook Live, which proves any platform is fair game for live-streaming) to connect directly daily, making live streaming one of the biggest hits that demonstrated its staying power after powering through a series of misses.

What’s the most common mistake you saw this year in the biz, whether it was made by studios or individuals?

There are still so many silos that get can in the way of connecting brands in a meaningful way with young millennial consumers, but it’s certainly getting better. The data we’ve seen is pretty compelling that a proper mix of branded content, ads and social influence driving the discussion around a campaign truly moves the needle, but that integrated approach to be everywhere a customer looks is by no means the default.

Is there a sector of the streaming industry that you feel is chronically undervalued or ignored?

Live streaming  has the opportunity to recreate some of the “view it now” urgency that used to keep people tied to their TVs for hours every night and that still brings people back for tentpole events like live sports. But it doesn’t need to be millions of people at a time to have substantial impact. With Facebook now an easy live streaming option as well, rabid fans of professional lacrosse legend Paul Rabil wait eagerly to Ask Paul through Facebook Live, where he gets to interact directly with his fans. It’s recurring, compelling and connecting.

Virtual reality/360-degree video – fad or future? Why?

It’s neither a fad nor the future for a growing number of creators and consumers. It’s their present and an important part of their production. The speed of end user adoption remains the big question, but the drive is usually towards greater immersion which VR and 360 provide.

Mobile-first distribution – overhyped or undervalued? Why?

The millennial generation is already mobile first, so it’s up to creators, brands and advertisers to be there first as well. While young millennials continue to spend significant time in front of TVs, we have seen how often a smaller screen is also in their hand, between them and the screen on the wall broadcasting to them. The primacy of attention tends to be on what’s most immediately in front of them, and that is a mobile where they are not only watching, but sharing, editing, commenting and engaging.

What do you think will be the big story for the streaming space in 2016?

One of the more interesting stories from an end-user perspective will be the first set of series delivered as mobile-first original content that will go on to become massive hits and cause people to rethink where new ideas are launched.

Tags: 2015: Reflections & Predictions, John West, Whistle Sports

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.