TV advertising doesn’t have to be just on TV. That’s the premise behind BlackArrow, a startup that caters to the cable industry by offering a way to place ads on broadband Web video, on-demand TV, and digital-video recorders (with unskippable ads). The company is announcing a new $20 million round of funding from existing investors Cisco Systems., Comcast Interactive Capital, Intel Capital, Mayfield Fund and Polaris Venture Partners.
BlackArrow lets cable companies and TV networks show the same ads on the Web and on other platforms as they do on TV, making it easier to do bundled sales. The company’s technology also provides a central place to manage and track all the ads, whether they run on a TV network’s own site, are syndicated to other sites, or run on a set-top box.
What we really, really need powerful software capable of effectively blocking annoying ads [all of them] from ALL media. A neat feature could be replacing the ads with pleasant screen pictures [of our kids or pets, flowers, etc] plus the music we like.
Now that TV is creeping into our computer monitors, this could be the start of a great company: millions of fed up viewers would buy the software!
Fellow entrepreneurs out there: this is really a market need!!!
The best way is to put a price on the ad you are receiving.
care to expand upon this?
Wow, cool. I will tell some of my big-wig cable friends about this. Maybe they know about BlackArrow already, but this is just the kind of tasty tidbit of information I like to store away for cocktail parties…makes me seem so smart.
“What do you think of BlackArrow?” I’ll say, over a dry, vodka martini some evening.
“Oh, juliejuile,” they’ll gush, “tell us more! You know everything!”
“I read TechCrunch,” I’ll say smartly, yet smugly.
Touche’ Touche’ Julie Julie
Congratulations to them for raising the money. But I think they have got a long way to go to make a big spalsh in this crowded market.
I’m pro anything that makes internet advertising more competitive and legit. Its stealing market share from other mediums but it can’t happen quick enough for me.
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In my experience, when people watch TV they don’t really respond to advertising. It’s taken as more of an annoyance. However, Search advertising is the exact opposite. When people are actually looking for something the advert is effective.
So I think the next ‘big’ deal in TV advertising will combine with the concept of search marketing to allow people to pause shows and “search” for things they see or hear about during the actual program.
Now if someone would like to give me $20 million I’d be happy to spear head that project. ;P
Meanwhile, congrats to BlackArrow – can’t wait to be irritated by your technology.
I’d like to see how fast they get a sweet ROI, so i can invest in that company