Inside A+E Everywhere: A Multi-Video Strategy Outpacing Industry Giants

In an interview, Stacie Danzis, Senior Vice President Digital Ad Sales at A+E, explained the effectiveness of A+E's innovative "community garden" approach. "We are providing our agency and advertiser partners with a competitive edge and unique value proposition by empowering them to access broad and varied markets. Research shows we're consistently outperforming top streaming platforms in both reach and engagement.*"

"A+E's commitment to transparency, operational efficiency, and tailored solutions encompass all of the touchpoints where our premium video can be seen, viewed, found or followed," Danzis explained. "It's given us an opportunity to reach new and unique audiences with little overlap. We like to look at it as one plus one equals many. We're garnering an audience that is diverse in viewing habits and we're not putting all our eggs into one basket."

A+E reports it reaches two-thirds of the 18+ population with a 30% incremental reach in digital endpoints alone. Danzis emphasized that while A+E may not be the largest entity in terms of scale, they offer a diverse range of values that set them apart from competitors, with transparency being a top priority. "Since we're a content creator, we own 100% of our IP, assets, and titles. This gives us unique leverage in the marketplace and allows us to tell people where their ads are running and where they're delivering across all our endpoints. A lot of our competitors can't do that because of the distribution deals with publishers whose content they aggregate."

"We compete with some of the big guys and dwarf some of the smaller competition," Danzis claims. "It's not just because of scale, but because of efficiency. We know that we can be a better partner that can deliver the scale advertisers are looking for and bring down their bottom-line costs."

A+E's commitment to providing consultative service and customized solutions is a cornerstone of A+E's approach, ensuring white glove customer service. A+E has a "boutique-plus mentality" as Danzis describes it. "We're a place where people can try experiments, try something new, and get the benefit of that mom-and-pop feel where everyone knows who they are."

Danzis highlighted a recent partnership with beauty brand Maybelline, which sought to enhance their Super Bowl activation. A+E crafted a custom, multiplatform partnership with Maybelline and the hit series Dance Moms to help raise brand awareness, engage with real people and celebrate beauty. "That's a huge audience for us, especially for reaching younger viewers. We did a social and streaming-led sponsorship that highlighted talent in a way to grow the halo and also bring in that Lifetime superfan."

Looking ahead, A+E is continuing to provide flexibility and innovation in the programmatic space, with Danzis noting the shift from direct 'insertion order' business to programmatic. A+E is also expanding their innovation in FAST (free, ad-supported streaming television). A+E's library currently consists of 36 FAST channels, set to exceed 50+ by the end of 2024. Current offerings include Crime 360, Home.Made.Nation, Little Women, Historia (En Español), Paranormal, and Food Nation.

"A+E has been at the forefront of FAST since its inception," Danzis shared. "We've seen major success in this area, whether it's curated channels that include a mix of shows from our networks or single show channels. We have one for Dance Moms coming up and one for WWE."

Danzis shared that one of the challenges that A+E has had to tackle head on, was the growing volume of digital and video content in the marketplace. But she sees it as an opportunity to grow alongside it. "We are nimble and we are scrappy. We are known as that 'boutique-plus' player that can get things done without the red tape."

"A+E's goal," Danzis concludes, "is to ensure that we constantly are producing the best entertainment to keep people coming back and to keep them engaged. We're proud of the diversity and talent that we bring, whether it's age, gender, or ethnic backgrounds in front of and behind the camera."

A+E Everywhere showcases a forward-thinking model in an increasingly competitive media landscape. By leveraging its complete ownership of intellectual property and a commitment to transparency, A+E not only delivers unparalleled value to its advertising partners but also creates engaging, diverse content that resonates with a broader audience. The media brand's strategic pivot towards programmatic sales and an expanding presence in the FAST channel market further underline its adaptability and drive for excellence and how this approach can lead to sustained success and influence in the dynamic world of digital media and entertainment.

*Source:Ampere 4Q'23. Amazon Prime Video estimates via Ampere/Forbes 1/11/24 ("Amazon Prime Video Is Launching Ad Supported Tier Later This Month"), Peacock subs estimate via Variety 1/24 ("Peacock's Streaming-Only NFL Wild Card Game Drove Record 2.8 Million Sign-Ups, Research Firm Estimates"). A+E Source: Amobee Q3'23 Projections (applied with MSA Exposures, Adobe UVs, Nielsen DAR P18+). A+E Ad Supported End-Points only.

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