• by Ross Fadner , May 15, 2012

In an interview with paidcontent.org, Brian Sugar, CEO and publisher of Sugar, Inc., claims that video is the future of media sites. “Video is the natural progression of content on the Internet,” he says, adding that the monetizing part is still in test mode.

Mid-rolls, branded integrations, and video ecommerce are his favored revenue streams. “Branded content is an important part of making video work,” Sugar says. “We also have a big market in video and commerce -- we have over 800 partners who are retailers. Technology helps us track when they make a sale through us.”

Asked whether a media site can make it on ad revenue alone, Sugar contends that advertising and commerce are one and the same. “We refer to our partners as advertisers,” he says. “It’s hard to think of someone who just does display advertising. It would be a shame to have just one revenue stream when you can layer on other streams. It makes sense as you build out your brands.”