AOL has a new way for brands to get their live events online. The media conglomerate, now owned by Verizon, has launched LIVE by AOL, an all-in-one solution to help content partners produce, stream, distribute, and monetize live events.
The LIVE by AOL tool provides AOL partners with a complete content production and creation system accessible via the cloud across multiple devices. The live event solution uses Verizon Digital Media Services to broadcast the event, and provides monetization through sponsorships and advertising options. Events created through LIVE by AOL can be streamed and distributed across all of AOL’s owned properties, including sites like The Huffington Post and TechCrunch.
A company rep said while LIVE by AOL is an open platform, AOL has “strict parameters” about the kind of “premium partners” that will be given the okay to the use the new service and what kinds of content those premium partners will live stream. Additionally, AOL says it will work with content partners to determine the best distribution outlets and advertising options on a case-by-case basis. However, there’s no information readily available on how much brands will have to pay, what ad revenue will look like, or how AOL will help monetize and drive traffic to partners’ live events.
“As the video landscape continues to evolve, live programming is the next frontier for innovation,” said Jimmy Maymann, Executive Vice President and President of AOL Content & Consumer Brands, in a release. “LIVE by AOL not only unites the pillars of our business, but enables all of our content and media partners to tap into the power of live programming and bring that success to their own properties. As the lines between traditional television and online video blur, producing, distributing, and monetizing live content in the digital realm will be a deciding factor for those who successfully step into the next era of video.”
AOL has some solid experience working with live streams and events. The brand’s live interview series, AOL Build, has already filmed 300 episodes in 2015 alone. Additionally, The Huffington Post has run its HuffPost Live series since 2012 and pulled in over 2.4 billion total global views.
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