Eric Berger

Berger has grown Crackle from an online video player to a leading OTT, premium ad-supported net, available on every platform. The exec created an attractive business model for advertisers building brand campaigns to enjoy seamless integration into original series. As an industry thought-leader, he’s reimagined ad-supported TV. Berger predicts tremendous innovation in TV in the next few years. “Networks and branded services that can offer a proposition strong enough to repeatedly drive consumer usage in a VOD world will win,” he says.

What does the multiscreen experience look like in 3 years?

The future of TV will be experienced increasingly on-demand through apps as well as VOD and DVR with the exception of certain live events. Networks and branded services that can offer a proposition strong enough to repeatedly drive consumer usage in a VOD world will win, which is a combination of need-to-have content, technology, distribution, brand value, and direct consumer marketing capabilities. We will see tremendous innovation in TV app development in the coming years; TV Everywhere experiences and adoption will improve, and there also will be vast competition coming for consumers’ time on platforms as development kits become more open and operating systems standardize. These new apps will be built by companies that understand technology and user experience and do not have the goal of driving people back to linear.  We’ll also start to witness the current multichannel bundle including fewer networks over time to allow for a less expensive consumer proposition.

How do you keep yourself and your team engaged and informed on the changing multiscreen universe?

We are fortunate enough to work with some of the most innovative companies in the space as our distribution partners, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku, Amazon and of course Sony PlayStation. As a result, we are continually trailblazing consumer experiences that are based on the latest technologies and software available, and collaborating with these partners on how to iterate our product and marketing based on data we collectively are seeing. With over 30 applications that are distributed in over 20 countries, this is one of the ways in which our team stays on the pulse of where things are and where they are going in the multiscreen universe.

To what degree will measurement factor into multiscreen monetization in 2016?

Video is video. Single unified viewer measurement for linear, STB VOD, connected TV, mobile and desktop is critical to advertisers and networks to  accurately value reach and deliver a better ad experience that understands the viewer. The good news is that we are getting there. By end of year we will be close enough for the industry to start changing the way we all do business and all parties win.

What are your 3 go-to apps?

Of course there are all the social apps, Waze, IMDB, Dropbox, Yelp, Shazam, Sonos, airline apps, my streaming box remote apps and Crackle,  that are all a daily must have, but outside of that, I spend a lot of time with Yidio, Confide, and playing Jeopardy!

If you had to spend a month in the virtual reality, what would your environment be?

I would live in the Super Mansion with Titanium Rex and American Ranger.