Countdown to the Big Game begins with YouTube

Whether it was the heartfelt family story or that we couldn’t resist a good revenge, football-related content on YouTube has been getting bigger each year, with fans tuning in to watch food, music, comedy and highlight videos all related to the Big Game. Last year, we hit a new record on YouTube - with 840 million minutes worth of Big Game ads watched on YouTube, more than twice as much as the previous year.1

For the past seven years, we’ve been watching and voting for our favorite Big Game ad on YouTube AdBlitz - a one-stop place where you can catch all the action around the Big Game. This year, tune in to our AdBlitz website before, during and after the game to find:

• Game Day commercials: Missed out on an ad because of a snack run? Tune in to YouTube AdBlitz on game day to easily find and watch all the ads in one place. Last year, more than 300,000 hours of Big Game ads were watched on YouTube while the game was being played.2 In fact, during the game watchtime for ads surpasses watchtime for other well-known YouTube genres, like how-to videos.
• Teaser gallery: Starting today, the YouTube AdBlitz will host a gallery of Big Game ad teaser videos. Each year, advertisers release their game day ads earlier and earlier on YouTube, and are even creating teaser ads for their ads. Brands that release their ad on YouTube before the game receive an average of 2.2x more views than those that waited until game day to post an ad.3 Tune in now to be in the know.
• Original content: We invited some of your favorite YouTube Creators to produce an exclusive series for YouTube AdBlitz themed "How to Win Game Day" that we’ll release the week leading up to the game. The series will be hosted by Jake and Amir with Flula as the band leader. And we’ll also release football-themed videos from some of our biggest creators, including videos from MyLifeAsEva, Hannah Hart and fouseyTUBE.
• Vote for your favorite: Don’t forget to have your say on your favorite ad. After the game ends, visit the YouTube AdBlitz website to vote for and share your favorite commercials. You can start voting as soon as the game ends on February 7 and will have until 11:59 p.m. ET on February 10 to cast your vote.

There are millions of moments that bring everyone together during live events - the play that clinches the game, or that “left shark” performance during the halftime show. To help brands be a part of these conversations in a way that's timely and relevant, today we're opening our Real-time ads beta to more brands including Wix.com, and we plan to roll it out more broadly later this year. With Real-time ads, brands will be able to instantly run an ad across YouTube, hundreds of thousands of apps, and over 2 million sites in our Google Display Network with a message that ties directly to the big moment people just experienced live.

Check out YouTube AdBlitz today to watch ad teasers ahead of the game. Then tune in on game day to watch and vote for your favorite ads. To learn more about how we watch football-related content on YouTube, visit our YouTube Trends Report to catch up on more stats.

Posted by Natalie Marchant, YouTube Sponsorships Program Manager, recently watched “Aaron Rodgers' Amazing Hail Mary: The Miracle in Motown! | Packers vs. Lions | NFL.”

Sources:

1. Google Data, January–December 2015 vs. January–December 2014, Global, Classification as a football related "food," "video game," "sports," "comedy and humor," "advertising" or "music" video was based on public data such as headlines, tags, etc., and may not account for every such video available on YouTube.
2. Google Data February 1, 2015. Global. Classification as a “big game” ad or “how-to” video was based on public data such as headlines, tags, etc., and may not account for every such video available on YouTube.
3. Pixability Industry Study. Super Bowl 2015 YouTube Ads.

YouTube Creators Live From Tomorrow’s #DemDebate

Voters across the country are gearing up for this year’s presidential election -- and tomorrow they’ll be able to tune in live on YouTube! We announced last month that YouTube and NBC News would team up to present the final DNC sanctioned Democratic presidential debate before the first caucus and primary votes are cast.

Not only will this be the first debate live streamed on a social media platform this election cycle, but you can expect to see some of your favorite YouTube creators involved. Take a look at this sneak-peek of the YouTubers you’ll see tomorrow:

• Connor Franta, a top lifestyle creator, earned the "Favorite YouTube Star “award at the 42nd People's Choice Awards just this month. His debut book, “A Work in Progress,” spent 16 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list.
• Marques Brownlee is one of YouTube’s go-to tech reviewers who covers everything from smartphones to drones. Variety recognized Marques as one of the top 12 digital stars in the digital world.
• MinuteEarth is an animated science series that explores how things work on our planet. It is produced by a small team of scientists, writers, and video creators around the world.
• Franchesca Ramsey is a writer, actress and vlogger whose channel covers everything from topical comedy sketches to commentary on social issues.

Along with creators, we’ll feature Google Trends throughout the debate to give a perspective on the issues Americans care about most. Keep an eye out for the topics, policies and candidates that matter most based on Google data.

Tune in to the NBC News-YouTube Democratic Candidates Debate, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and moderated by Lester Holt, tomorrow, Sunday, January 17, 2016, in Charleston, S.C., airing on NBC from 9-11 p.m. ET and streamed live on the NBC News YouTube channel.

Brandon Feldman, YouTube News, recently watched “Mock Job Interview for President," and Steve Grove, Google News Lab, recently watched “The YouTube Interview with President Obama”

Roundup: John Terry’s Goal Helps Chelsea Salvage a Draw and Stay Unbeaten Under Its New Manager

Terry scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time to clinch the draw for Manager Guus Hiddink’s side.

YouTube creators interview President Obama following his final State of the Union

(Cross-posted from the Google Blog.)

"We're going to have 21st century fireside chats where I'll speak directly to the American people in a way that I think will enhance democracy and strengthen our government. “ - Senator Barack Obama, November 15, 2007

Tomorrow evening, President Obama will deliver his final State of the Union address to Congress, which will broadcast live on YouTube. Then, as he has every year after the speech, he’ll turn to YouTube and Google to take questions from Americans about the issues that matter to them.

This Friday, January 15, Destin Sandlin, Ingrid Nilsen, and Adande Thorne—three popular YouTube creators—will travel to Washington, D.C. to host a live YouTube Interview with President Obama. They’ll join the President in the East Room of the White House, asking a selection of questions that are top of mind for them and their fans. You can watch the whole thing on the White House YouTube channel—and if you have a question for the President, suggest it by using the hashtag #YouTubeAsksObama on social media.



The interview will stream live on the White House YouTube channel at 2:15 p.m. EST. And don’t forget to tune in on January 12 at 9 p.m. EST to watch the State of the Union address live, as well as the Republican response, live on YouTube.

Throughout his time in office, President Obama has used technology to open up the doors (all 412 of them) to the White House—from posting behind-the-scenes photos of life in the West Wing to uploading a weekly address on the most pressing topics facing the nation. We’re excited to have played a role in this process with our seven YouTube Interviews, tackling issues big and small, poignant and personal. We look forward to helping future presidents connect with Americans in compelling ways.

Posted by Ramya Raghavan, Google Politics