Origin launches native CTV content solution
November 9, 2021
Media and technology company Origin has launched its newest native solution for Connected TV (CTV), Origin Slate. Following a year of development and stealth testing with over a dozen live linear channels, Origin Slate aims to fill unsold ad spots with highly engaging, custom-branded native content that enhances the viewer’s in-channel experience and enables channel owners to convert that inventory into valuable real estate that brands can leverage. Origin Slate’s first adopters include streaming company Cinedigm.
According to Origin, with the shift of viewership from traditional TV to CTV showing no signs of slowing down, the race between channel owners to keep and retain their audience is rapidly heating up. However, until now, the methods being adopted to keep viewers engaged during the ad break where they’re most likely to churn have come from a 70-year-old playbook that includes running promos, tune-ins, or slates – a static message that informs the viewer what channel they are on and that the programme they are watching will ‘be right back’. This antiquated and uninventive approach is expensive to run, delivers a poor user experience and is a waste of valuable real estate at a time when advertisers are actively seeking innovative and cost-effective ways of standing out in the living room.
“Origin Slate is the living embodiment of our commitment to solving problems that we have either learnt to live with or chosen to ignore,” said Fred Godfrey, Co-founder and CEO of Origin. “Not only does this solution allow channel owners to replace their sleepy ‘Be Right Back’ fillers with dynamic and engaging content that entertains their audience, but it also gives brands a new way to engage and activate consumers beyond the traditional ad format.”
“Nothing is worse than having viewer churn during an ad break, so adopting a solution that actively improves someone’s viewing experience was a no-brainer,” added Tony Huidor, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Cinedigm. “Origin Slate represents the kind of innovation we jump on, not only because it addresses this very real problem that every channel owner has, but because the potential it has to generate passive revenue is deeply appealing. We couldn’t be happier with what Origin has brought to the market with Origin Slate.”
According to Origin, the solution benefits everyone in the ad chain (the channel owner, the advertiser and the viewer):
- Viewer – Creates mentally and contextually stimulating content which enhances their in-channel experience.
- Advertiser – Designed for easy and seamless brand sponsorship, Origin Slate is the ideal place for brands to offer shoppable CTV experiences or simply reinforce their presence in the living room.
- Channel Owner – With a wide variety of highly customisable slate templates to choose from, channel owners can run native content that is both entertaining and tailored to their channels. The results are a better quality viewing experience, a smarter way to deliver promos and a new revenue stream that makes rather than costs money.