Since its entry to the ecosystem, by the sheer quantity (and quality) of consumer experiences, live-streaming video has captured the fascinated attention of both publishers and advertisers. Specifically, live streaming on mobile devices has already opened up millions more impressions over the past couple years, and is beginning to transform the way we watch sports, music and live events. The demand is there. So, with our eyes on adoption and with more superior ad tech now in hand, I believe 2015 is the year that this opportunity will significantly mature.

A New York Times article by Alina Tugend, "Sometimes Second-Best Makes a Better Role Model," supports the notion that ultra-gifted superstars, in any field, may be poor role models. The idea is that people from Miguel Cabrera to Sheryl Sandberg are so exceptional that it becomes difficult, if not useless, to emulate their path or use them as a beacon. Chengwei Liu, an assistant professor of strategy and behavioral science at the University of Warwick in Britain sums it up: "The more exceptional performers are, the less we may learn from them." Tugend goes on to explain that consistent, high-level …

It's been said that those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. Earlier this year, in "New Challenges Chip Away at Cable's Pillar of Profit," The New York Times' David Carr opined that cable and satellite distributors' strategy of bundling television programming is facing multiple challenges. This got me thinking about the accelerating speed of change in the way media consumers adapt to new mass communication models. Based on the sources cited at the end of this piece, we can see that the timelines for mass adoption of various new forms of communication over the past two centuries …

It's time once again to ponder the future of YouTube -- the dominant video platform that has laid waste to all comers, from Revver to Veoh, from Joost to eBaum's World. While YouTube is, without a doubt, the primary force in digital video along almost every metric, there are a number of disparate issues the company needs to focus on to maintain its position.

The holidays are finally here! It's a time to gather with family and friends, to share traditions, and to enjoy all that the season has to offer. But before we take a break to start the celebrating, let's recap those brands that best embodied the holiday spirit this season. The top 10 campaigns of the 2014 holiday season, as of Dec. 16, are:

Marketers are set to triple their investment in programmatic video next year, according to eMarketer, but a substantial flow of dollars doesn't necessarily mean programmatic video advertising is widely understood. I have written before that video is still in the early stages and there are serious inefficiencies in video advertising. Others have gone on record saying that quality video is scarce, but the major concern about programmatic video is that it's still far too complex. With all of the recent activity in the programmatic space, including Yahoo's agreement to buy Brightroll, it's worth taking a closer look at how well …

Interest in cutting the cable cord is on the rise, according to a new study. The number of new cable customers who ask for broadband service only is 26%, now exceeding the 22% who want only cable TV, according to ad tech firm Marchex, in an analysis of consumer phone calls to cable providers.

In October, ESPN, TNT and the NBA announced a nine-year deal worth approximately $2.7 billion per year for the league's broadcast rights. A surging market around live TV is great for the networks and the leagues, but it's not always good for the advertisers who buy media looking to reach consumers. As live TV grows in importance and cost, advertisers will seek alternatives, which will be a major win for Facebook and Twitter, who may profit just as much as the NBA's players.

In the same week that the ANA named "programmatic" marketing term of the year, a product is being launched that aims to simplify the process of making traditional, linear television ad buys. IPG Mediabrands' MAGNA GLOBAL agency, the media software company eMediaTrade, and network partners NBCUniversal and Viacom Media Networks are debuting AdCore OneView, "a central cloud-based repository of buying costs and specifications for each transaction," according to a press release.

It's no secret that viewership of branded video is on an upswing. Average viewership of the top 10 branded video campaigns increased from 69.4 million views in 2013 to 83.4 million views in 2014. Two creators of popular viral ads had banner years in 2014, with Samsung emerging as the most viral brand of the year for the third year running, and Wieden+Kennedy Portland emerging as the agency with the most viewed video of 2014 thanks to its work for Nike.