Amid all the hoopla that accompanies the Digital Content NewFronts, something more substantial is taking place. It\u2019s the blurring of lines between traditional and digital media, as evidenced by the growing number of new partnerships.<\/p>\n
Whether it\u2019s Twitter and ESPN or Disney and Tastemade, \u201cTo me, that was very encouraging seeing all these partnerships form and bringing premium video into a more expanded space,\u201d Francois Lee says in this interview with Beet.TV.<\/p>\n
Among the deluge of announcements at the NewFronts, Disney revealed that the launch of the Disney Eats brand, partnering with online foodie network Tastemade to develop original content, as Deadline reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n As someone who works primarily in the television space, the EVP of Video Investment at media agency Assembly<\/a> is always on the lookout for \u201cplaces where we can find premium TV-like video in a brand-safe environment with scale.\u201d<\/p>\n Besides acknowledging the nexus of digital and traditional TV, Lee comes away from the NewFronts<\/a> presentations impressed by the increasing number of publishers launching their own over-the-top channels. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely table stakes now,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n While content was front and center at the NewFronts, performance metrics or guarantees were less so. \u201cI think there\u2019s an expectation that if you\u2019re in digital video you\u2019ll be able to provide digital video like metrics, which is not always the case of course.\u201d<\/p>\n