September 26, 2024 - WEBFLiX Democratizes Vertical Video Across the Open Web
Vertical video solution aims to help publishers and other content owners monetize existing video content with control and transparency to advertisersTIME and The Arena Group among first publishers at launch
Los Angeles, October 7, 2024 – WEBFLiX, the vertical video solution for the open internet, today launched to democratize video content outside of the walled gardens, helping premium publishers and other content owners monetize their existing video creative content across the web. At launch, WEBFLiX’s first publisher clients are TIME and The Arena Group.
Advertisers are increasing their spend on social video, with US social network video ad spending projected to reach almost $50 billion in 2024 (excluding YouTube), up 24.6% YoY – signaling a desire to reach consumers using vertical video. However, there hasn’t been enough vertical video inventory on the open internet for advertisers to be able to move away from the walled gardens.
“Typically, when people think of vertical video, they think of scrolling through content on social media apps. But users also enjoy the same scrolling experience on premium publishers across the open internet,” said Josh Markham, Co-founder at WEBFLiX. “In fact, they spend half their time there. Now, with WEBFLiX, publishers are able to take full advantage of the walled garden playbook by reaching audiences across the open internet while upcycling their video content.”
WEBFLiX does all the heavy lifting for publishers, eliminating any operational barriers, including editing horizontal video to vertical with its patent-pending technology. Its system also serves advertisers who are generating content at double-digit growth rates to engage viewers. With modern AI, WEBFLiX can predict what makes each user stay longer, engage more frequently and return more often. As a result, publishers using WEBFLiX in beta have seen a 7x increase in revenue per session and over 1,000% increase in session time.
“WEBFLiX’s product offering gives power back to publishers, allowing us to engage more consumers and advertisers while making the resources we’ve invested in our video content stretch further,” said Megan Hong, Sr. Director, Partner and Yield Management at The Arena Group. “As we continue to invest in our multichannel editorial brands, we’re excited to play a leading role in redefining how publishers can more effectively monetize to ensure that consumers have continued access to one of the most important aspects of our society: journalism.”
WEBFLiX is supported by an investor and advisory team with deep expertise in the publishing and advertising space, including: Matt Barash, Jeremy Hlavacek, Lauren Wetzel, Tiffany Xingyu-Wang, Ohad Tzur, Arnie Gullov-Singh, Greg Stellato, and more.
Matt Barash said: “WEBFLiX is demonstrating what the advertising ecosystem should be: a better monetization opportunity for publishers, a better user experience for advertisers – and ultimately an engaging, seamless consumer experience. By democratizing vertical video across the open internet, publishers can now compete for budgets that historically have been exclusively allocated to walled gardens, meaning everyone wins.”
To learn more about WEBFLiX, please visit: www.webflix.ai
About WEBFLiX
WEBFLiX is a solution for creators, publishers and advertisers to reach audiences with short-form video on the open internet. Founded by Joshua Markham and Stephan Romano, the company uses its patent-pending modern AI to predict what makes each user stay longer, engage more frequently and return more often. Markham has generated billions in revenue through digital media over his 25 years of experience across FOX, Gannett, Live Nation and MySpace, and Romano brings over two decades of technology, data science and machine learning development from NDN, Warner Media, EY and Live Nation.