YouTube on Tuesday plans to launch a new offering called YouTube Select that replaces Google Preferred, the heart of the company’s upfront offering.
The move supports advertisers buying YouTube media through Google Ads, Display & Video 360, as well as through reservation campaigns that only can be implemented through a Google sales representative.
One major change is that YouTube Select puts an emphasis on global, which varies by market, whereas Google Preferred's strength was mainly in the United States and Canada, although also offered in Australia and the UK. The U.S. was by far its largest market.
The new platform offers advertisers more content for greater relevance as well as greater capabilities for the TV screen and ways to buy media with an emphasis on streaming, and greater flexibility in the United States.
Vishal Sharma, vice president, product management, YouTube Ads, said in a post that the company is launching a dedicated streaming TV lineup as part of YouTube Select in the U.S. This means reaching audiences with one offering, including popular creators, YouTube Originals, live sports, feature-length movies, timely news and more.
With more than 100 million people watching YouTube and YouTube TV on their television screen each month, the move is intended to convince advertisers the company can compete with traditional television in the upfront buying cycle and give advertisers options to tap into YouTube streaming services, given the challenge of scaling in the over-the-top platform.
Among the services, YouTube Select surfaces a diverse mix of content packages called lineups, each tailored to specific needs both globally and locally—such as beauty and fashion, entertainment, technology and sports.
This year, YouTube will introduce specific emerging lineups that provide a way to extend the reach of campaigns among up and upcoming or niche channels, complete with brand suitability controls.
The new services can help advertisers reach new audiences across top YouTube apps and verticals such as YouTube Kids, Sports, Music and Originals with sponsorships and programs.
This also adds sponsorship opportunities across YouTube Sports and YouTube Music, as well as on emerging lineups of brand-safe, up and coming or niche creators in content categories of core lineups.
Earlier this month, YouTube introduced Brand Lift measurement on TV screens that will become available globally for the YouTube app and coming soon for YouTube TV to help brands measure results.