Post makes video push with mobile-friendly comedy site
1:35 p.m. | Mar. 5, 2015
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The New York Post is betting on comedy and mobile phones to bring in ad dollars that brands are moving into digital video.
The tabloid's Post Digital Network on Thursday launched a new video site called Internet Action Force featuring short, humor-driven clips that draw on viral Internet topics and social-media fodder ranging from Bruce Jenner's gender transition to Hillary Clinton's email flap to "House of Cards."
The videos are mobile optimized, reflecting a rapid shift in reading habits and content consumption that is particularly notable within the advertiser-coveted millenial set.
IAF's editor in chief is John Devore, formerly managing editor of Conan O'Brien's TeamCoco.com, and the videos are anchored by performers who've appeared on platforms like Comedy Central, Funny or Die and the Upright Citizen's Brigade.
The question is whether the Post can make its tongue-in-cheek take on the viral web go viral in its own right.
Digital video is attractive to publishers because of the lucrative ad rates it commands—$20 to $30 per thousand impressions on average, according to media analysts. It's an increasingly crowded space, however, that generally relies on syndication partnerships to create viewership numbers high enough to meet advertiser demand and justify the investment.
A Post spokesperson did not immediately have answers to questions about syndication and advertisers, but a quick stroll through iaf.tv revealed pre-roll from Progressive.
The Post, which is owned by News Corp., is said to bleed tens of millions of dollars a year, and it's been striving to rein in those losses by growing its digital footprint.
The Post gave its website a major facelift in September 2013 and subsequently created two sister sites, pagesix.com (gossip) and decider.com (streaming TV), that have helped its monthly traffic numbers soar from the mid-single-digit millions to nearly 30 million unique visitors. The business side created an in-house content studio to capitalize on that growth by working with marketers on native advertising campaigns, which bring in more revenue than traditional banner ads.
Publisher Jesse Angelo claims the strategy is working. He told staff last week that the Post has seen "increased revenue overall and increased traction with national advertisers."
