• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, November 11, 2011

An online video buy may soon include connected TVs as a de rigueur portion of the campaign. Online video network Tremor Video is the latest online video network to expand deeper into connected TVs, and has added a series of Internet TV partners to its network of publishers.

Tremor’s move to include connected TVs as part of its advertising proposition follows on the heels of YuMe’s recent deal with LG to run Toyota ads. Similarly, entertainment discovery service Rovi has been powering ads on connected TVs from Sony and Samsung.

Tremor is adding Internet-connected TVs to the mix this quarter with new partnerships with Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Phillips TVs through a software partnership with Israel-based justAd.TV. Those are in addition to Tremor’s existing partnerships with Roku and Boxee to deliver ads across those over-the-top devices as well. Research firm Informa has said that connected TV sales will surpass 52 million units this year, and this expanded deal gives Tremor a larger footprint across online, mobile, tablets and connected TVs.

There are plenty of challenges, though, as online video networks expand into connected TVs. “Scale and standardization are the current challenges. Connected TV is a relatively new concept and, as such, is still relatively small. We'll need to see greater adoption from the consumer to increase scale,” said Andrew Baisley, senior manager of business development at Tremor Video. “At the same time, connected TV is, basically, the wild west. There are no standard formats or protocols.” He added that Tremor would help advertisers segue into connected TV.

But just as the online video ad network ecosystem is highly competitive with many players jostling for market share, connected TV advertising may be the next battleground. Tremor said it’s aiming to differentiate by focusing on offering premium inventory to brands on connected TVs and then measuring that impact. Tremor Video reaches 143 million unique viewers on the Web, and 33 million unique mobile devices.