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The music video network Vevo is launching a new suite of ad products, called Vevo Evolve, with the goal of simplifying the planning, measurement, and activation processes into one platform.
The company, which is jointly owned by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, plans to officially debut the new products on May 8 to coincide with its Upfront presentation, according to executive vice president of global sales Rob Christensen.
“Evolve is going to focus on ease of buying,” Christensen said. “With all the fragmentation in the media space and the importance of data, we know that is important for marketers.”
The new platform aims to unlock the full breadth of the Vevo audience, which across the worlds of connected television and YouTube attracted around 140 million viewers per month in 2024, according to Christensen.
The company, which is completely ad funded, was an early adopter of the streaming ecosystem and the aggressive growth engine of YouTube. In the U.S., around 35% of its total viewership occurs on CTV, with around 50% on mobile and 11% on desktop.
It distributes officially licensed and premium music videos across 15 free, ad-supported television channels and YouTube, inventory it has historically monetized primarily through direct-sold advertising.
While more than 50% of its revenue comes from ads sold directly against its CTV inventory, the company is now working to expand its programmatic ad business, according to Christensen.
Its revenue in the U.S. from programmatic guaranteed deals rose 14% year over year in 2024, although the company declined to provide further financial specifics. Vevo tripled the number of bids in its programmatic inventory last year and now has integrations with more than a dozen demand and supply-side platforms.
The evolution of Evolve
Vevo Evolve aims to address three key pain points for marketers: planning, measurement, and activation.
On the planning front, the platform will offer AI-driven tools that let advertisers target audiences based on privacy-compliant, intent-based behaviors. With over 700 contextual targets and custom options tied to ad creative, the suite offers flexibility across channels.
Plus, thanks to the company’s cozy relationship with YouTube, spending on Vevo will now also count toward YouTube upfront commitments.
Evolve will also introduce real-time dashboards designed to streamline measurement, which advertisers can use to monitor performance, reach, and frequency optimization. For advertisers that spend above a certain threshold, Evolve will also offer attention tracking and limited guarantees tied to engagement.
On the activation front, the new product suite will make it easy for marketers to initiate whatever kind of campaign they want to run, including direct, programmatic guaranteed, private marketplaces, and open-exchange.
Buyers will be able to manage their spend across Vevo’s full distribution landscape, with options tailored for both large and small advertisers.
The new product also helps crystallize one of Vevo’s core appeals, according to Chris Rigas, a vice president of media at marketing agency Markacy.
With its large YouTube audience, Vevo offers marketers scale and ease of measurement, but it also ensures a more brand-safe experience relative to the user-generated content on the platform.
“For me, I see it as more brand safe than an open buy on YouTube, but do have concerns about the quality of views,” Rigas said. “Their focus on attention metrics in Evolve makes a lot of sense.”
As YouTube cements its place as the world’s largest TV provider, Vevo’s dual presence on YouTube and its library of FAST channels positions it well within the converged media landscape.
“Now we’ll be able to say, ‘Here’s Vevo’s audience, and here’s how it fits within your model,’” said Christensen. “The more opportunities you give clients for them to understand incrementality, the more appealing that will be.”
