Like many Americans, I've been greatly enjoying the NBA Playoffs. The TV ratings boosts for ABC/ESPN and TNT over last year's postseason have been nothing short of phenomenal, ranging from 11% to 42%. Despite these increases, ABC/ESPN and TNT aren't resting on their laurels and sticking with the broadcast status quo. Indeed, these networks are taking the extra step of streaming some playoff games live on the Internet for free. This is heartening to see because, frankly, it's the only way that these major players can protect their dominance of the industry.

One of the greatest gifts the Web has bestowed on content owners and the advertisers that support them is the mountain of data that is available at every turn. But this is also turning into a problem for advertisers and publishers alike. Are brands taking behavioral targeting too far?

What Are Video Ad Standards? Standards are generally thought of as best practices -- approved models, if you will, of how something should behave. In terms of video advertising, standards address the length of the ads, the coding of the language with regards to how players deliver the ads and how players interact with ad servers. Basically, standards are aimed at creating an effective and efficient way for advertisers and their agencies to easily create ads and communicate with online audiences by engaging them, not annoying them.

The debate continues: When will there be a significant shift of ad dollars from television to online video? Most recently, Eric Franchi's "big shift" articles captured the attention of many readers and sparked a number of responses. That's a sure sign of a good article and a hot topic. But as some of you expressed in your comments, I think questions about if, when and how "the big shift" will occur lead us into the wrong debate. Granted, the Internet has emerged as a major disruptive force for the advertising and publishing industries. If you're a masochist and follow "The …

I was pretty excited to see this post by Jack Wallington of the IAB extolling video advertising as a way to present a unified brand message across many audiences -- specifically through social networks, but also through audiences coming to content via email, links, search results and more. The reason Jack's so bullish about digital video probably has a lot to do with the research and work he's put into the recently published IAB Video Council guidelines for advertisers. This interesting online guide educates advertisers in the U.K. about the opportunity and best practices associated with digital video.

I recently participated in the latest installment of Digital Hollywood in Santa Monica, Calif. Somehow, whether it's my chic New York sensibility, or lack of style, I always find myself out of sync with the dress code for these events. When I'm looking snappy in my Gimbels corduroy suit and checked flannel shirt, the rest of the assembled are e dressed in faded jeans and expensive button downs. And, when I arrive resplendent in khakis and blazer, everyone else has received the memo "Back to suits and ties." This past trip, however, I found myself in harmony with the collective …

Last month my company surveyed 150 video advertising media buyers about their needs, new opportunities and the future of online video advertising. After cutting through buzz-worthy sound bites about pricing (yes, it's going down) and spending (yes, it's going up), we found some very interesting topics come up.

It's upfront season. I can tell because it's again difficult to book hotel rooms in New York. I am not one to debate the merits of the network & cable upfront period, other than to say it appears to be a tactic from an era in which the media companies owned content and tightly managed video ad supply. But, in today's media world video content, particularly via Internet and mobile applications, is becoming more ubiquitous. The plethora of professionally produced video content provides marketers options in terms of content adjacencies, targeting and integrations. The trick has been to get enough …

People see digital video screens everywhere they go today: at gas stations, coffee shops, gyms, taxis, grocery stores and sports stadiums. Still, if you want to make this new medium part of your integrated advertising campaigns, you'll need to ensure you're getting the biggest bang for the buck. Here are five strategies media buyers are using to do just that.

The connection between premium video and advertiser dollars is the reason why Disney Corp. made the strategic investment to purchase 30% of Hulu for an undisclosed sum. This gives Disney the ability to reach a far larger audience via Hulu than its current ABC video portal. It also gives Hulu access to an amazing library that includes current hits "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives. " Disney now has three board seats in the venture, alongside NBC Universal and News Corp.