Brace yourselves, TV networks. About two-thirds of marketers say they'll increase their budgets for online video advertising in 2012, and some of them will be snagging that money from the TV ad budget. That's the finding of a study conducted by Break Media, released today. Of course, the big caveat is Break has a huge stake in the online video ad economy since Break Media Network is a large video ad network reaching more than 120 million visitors each month, and also owns Break.com, the popular humor video site. Even so, the study's findings dovetail with those from marketers and …

That funny cat video you just watched? Did you hear about it on Facebook? How about that helpful how-to clip from a hardware company? Did someone share it with you on Twitter? Social channels are among the most popular means of discovery for online video, whether for branded videos, TV clips or user-generated content. That's why TV networks are jumping into the social TV business, in the hopes that viewers will connect with their shows via social recommendations, and it's also why the social video realm is taking off.

Finding success in the Web series business is not that different from traditional Hollywood at times. Star power helps a lot. That's what digital studio Believe Entertainment Group has been banking on. Believe is the studio behind Web hits like The LeBrons, The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, Mommycast and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. Next up, Believe plans to launch shows with popular DJ Tiesto, an icon of electronic dance music and one of Billboard's most successful touring acts, and superstar Jennifer Lopez early in 2012.

A deal with a TV network has been the sought-after carrot for many producers in the Web video business. After all, someone else to pay the bills, finance the production, and distribute the show. Sounds fabulous. But sometimes a Web video show does better on its own. After a swift and public split from CBSNews this fall, Web talk show What's Trending has finished the first season with double the viewership it generated while on CBSnews.com for the first few months of its run. What's Trending ended the year averaging about 84,000 views per weekly episode across YouTube, iTunes, livestr …

"Comedy. Love, and a bit with a dog." That's what audiences have always craved, according to theater impresario Philip Henslowe in "Shakespeare in Love." A recent study from Blinkx subsidiary Burst Media seems to confirm that observation. Well, at least the first part. In a survey of more than 1,000 online adults, Burst found that comedy is the most popular form of online video programming with about 39% of users saying they tune into the Web for a laugh, while 33% like news and 31% chose music. Men 18 to 34 remain the top consumers of Web video, with nearly …

Online video is looking more like TV everyday, and that may be just what the business needs. The latest example? Nielsen struck an alliance this week with video ad network Tremor Media to include gross ratings points data in online video buys. This deal has the potential to reshape the online video ad business, but it could also go down as a total dud. First, let's look at the possibilities. GRPs are, of course, the currency of the TV ad business and they're exactly what media buyers have said they want for online video as well. Media buyers want to …

As venues for viewing programs proliferate, consumers are changing not just their habits, but also their preferences. A new report from research firm TDG finds that the expanding number of viewing choices may result in consumers shifting away from picking live TV now as their top selection. The research firm studied consumer preferences among the following content sources - live broadcast, DVR-recorded, on-demand, and online shows, as well as physical discs such as DVD or Blu-ray to identify five different consumer segments. While the largest viewer base remains in the linear viewing modes, the growth is occurring in the various …

As the online video economy expands, agencies continue to refine their rules of the road. That's why whenever I have the chance to chat with executives at media agencies, I like to ask them to share tips on what works and what doesn't work in online video. Recently, Jeff Rossi VP and Digital Director, MediaVest spoke at the ad:tech conference and I asked him to share some additional best practices for online video with MediaPost as well.

Every online video campaign is different, but production companies that create Web series often find that a set of guidelines can help steer brands and businesses through the production process. To help figure out the look and feel of a Web video campaign, Happy Little Guillotine Films, which has produced Web series for 7-Eleven, Reebok and Samsung, asks brands and their ad agencies three simple questions.

Disney-ABC Television Group has been expanding its work in original video programming to now include companion content for ABC Family and Disney Channel shows in addition to ABC primetime programs. The company's digital media studios group has also been experimenting with new production processes for online video in support of an upcoming ABC Family pilot in 2012. If successful, the new process could become a blueprint for how the development of complementary online video content can be integrated into the production of a show.