Channel 4 – Videonet https://www.v-net.tv TV and Video Analysis Tue, 12 Sep 2023 15:46:50 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.25 https://www.v-net.tv/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cropped-Videonet-favicon_517x517px-32x32.png Channel 4 – Videonet https://www.v-net.tv 32 32 Channel 4 collaborates with ViewersLogic for “first-of-its-kind” TV attribution platform https://www.v-net.tv/2022/10/10/channel-4-collaborates-with-viewerslogic-for-first-of-its-kind-tv-attribution-platform/ Mon, 10 Oct 2022 10:52:48 +0000 https://www.v-net.tv/?p=18982 Channel 4 has announced it is launching a new service which will measure the effectiveness of TV campaigns and allow advertisers to understand how their TV spend is affecting outcomes such as sales, footfall, app downloads and account openings. 4Sales – the British broadcaster’s advertising arm – collaborated with ViewersLogic on a “new industry standard” platform which tracks individual consumers’ journeys to purchase, rather than just the media they consume.

The platform leverages data from a representative panel of the UK population. Viewers are incentivised to download ViewerLogic’s panel-based app through a reward scheme and, once downloaded, the app passively gathers data on users’ activities across TV, mobile and tablets. The app also tracks geographical location and offline purchases. According to the company, this data enables brands to determine the uplift in their KPIs that can be attributed to their TV campaign.

The companies say their solution overcomes the weaknesses associated with the traditional attribution model which “fuses data from different silos to find weak correlations between ad viewing and sales.” ViewersLogic’s platform also allows brands to extend the attribution window to one week and beyond, revealing to brands how their advertising affects short-term sales as well as longer-term brand building.

The ViewersLogic platform will be offered to selected clients initially as part of 4Sales’ suite of advertising solutions. The partnership covers Channel 4’s full linear channel portfolio, as well as select UKTV and Discovery channels (of which 4Sales is the UK sales house.)

Ewan Douglas, Head of Sales (N&R) & Business Development, Channel 4, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what we have created with our partners at ViewersLogic, and we truly believe it will help transform how the market can attribute the success of a TV campaign.

“While the platform is exclusively available to Channel 4 advertisers, we hope in time we will be the first in a long line of adaptors of this technology which helps prove the continued power of TV advertising.”

Hassan Khan, VP Sales, ViewersLogic, commented: “Existing cross-media measurement approaches using dubious maths and probability are woefully inaccurate and waste significant portions of invested advertising budgets. While they used to be state of the art, today, they are unfit for purpose and in any other industry this situation would not be tolerated.”

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Channel 4 welcomes ‘off-platform’ viewing, despite investment in owned-and-operated BVOD https://www.v-net.tv/2022/06/13/channel-4-welcomes-off-platform-viewing-despite-investment-in-owned-and-operated-bvod/ Mon, 13 Jun 2022 10:05:03 +0000 https://www.v-net.tv/?p=18297 Channel 4 has made it clear that its go-to-market strategy, even in the streaming era, will involve a wide selection of distribution/platform partners rather than a focus on driving and keeping all viewing within its owned-and-operated app environment – meaning All4. The UK commercial broadcaster has just announced a ground-breaking deal that will see Channel 4 long-form content distributed via YouTube, while the company is using TikTok as a way to build audiences for short-form content.

Some (though not all) of the major international studio groups are going all-in on their owned-and-operated (and direct-to-consumer) ‘Plus’ apps, hoping they will become the home for digital viewing of their content. And broadcasters everywhere have been investing heavily in their ‘Player’ services, including deeper catalogues that help them evolve from catch-up services to destinations in their own right. But speaking at Connected TV World Summit three weeks ago, Jonathan Lewis, Head of Commercial Innovation & Partners at Channel 4 Television, explained that Channel 4 was taking a balanced approach to digital distribution.

Focusing on the YouTube deal in particular, he said: “We don’t think this is going to cannibalise audiences on our owned-and-operated platforms. TV is getting older, and YouTube is still the youngest social platform, and big-screen viewing on YouTube is skyrocketing and that is really important to us because people want to watch our content on the big screen.

“We view YouTube as a distribution platform in the same way that we view Sky Glass and other connected TV environments. This is a big pivot [to embrace long-form distribution on YouTube] but the YouTube strategy helps us reach younger audiences and super-charge our digital growth strategy and diversify revenues. It is a significant step in terms of delivering on our Future4 strategy [the high-level strategy C4 announced two years ago to prioritise streaming and grow digital’s share of revenue].”

The YouTube deal applies to the UK and Republic of Ireland and will see Channel 4 making an ever-growing catalogue of content available via the service – reaching around 500 hours next month and something like 1,000 hours by the end of this year. And this is part of a wider digital distribution focus that includes social platforms like Snap, Facebook and TikTok – with TikTok viewed as a natural home for 2–3-minute clips of the broadcaster’s output, which includes often irreverent comedy.

Asked why Channel 4 does not want to ‘force’ streaming viewers to come to its streaming service, All4, to see content [a theoretical possibility in the streaming space], Lewis declared: “We will fish where the fish are.”

He added: “We are doing both [D2C via owned-and-operated, and third-party streaming distribution partnerships]. We are trying to appeal to an audience that we are pretty confident are not going to come to All4. That is why we are going to start building a big presence on TikTok, because we recognised that the format, and the types of content you find on TikTok, won’t work as a 30-minute show [within All4].”

Lewis believes it is important for the Channel 4 brand to be seen, including by people that may not come to the owned-and-operated app. Focusing on TikTok again, he said: “We need to be on that platform and talking to that audience because we want 16-24 year-olds to have an empathy with Channel 4 as a brand, and a sense of what our brand means, and they are not going to get that if we just sit within our walled garden expecting them to come to us.”

Channel 4 views these third-party streaming services / social platforms, and also long-established partners like Sky, as key elements in the future digital distribution strategy. “We were a launch partner on Sky Glass,” Lewis pointed out, referring to Sky’s Pay TV operator created/branded retail Smart TV that ditches satellite tuners and relies on streaming. “We want to offer our service to users where they want to consume it. We see IP [digital/streaming] as a TV delivery that allows us to hold onto audiences, grow them where we can, and in particular grow younger audiences.”

Lewis emphasised how third-party content distribution complements the owned-and-operated environment – observing that when Channel 4 signs a syndication deal for Netflix to show archive programming, viewing of the more recent episodes increases on All4. He cited the [outrageous teen comedy] ‘The Inbetweeners’ as one example. “There is a halo effect.”

The deal with YouTube does not cover international markets but Channel 4 is looking at how it can increase non-UK revenues and it was clear that if the rights agreements could be agreed with the Indie producers (who retain their rights on Channel 4 broadcasted content) then a wider YouTube deal could at least be considered. The same applies for potential FAST channels, although Lewis acknowledged that the broadcaster would need to convince the programme rights holders that Channel 4 curation for international streaming was their best option.

One key point about the UK YouTube deal is that Channel 4 (whose 4Sales is one of the major UK television sales houses) will sell the advertising that appears. “We will have the relationship with the advertisers. We have great relationships with them already and now we can offer a reach extender into younger audiences off-platform.” This direct Channel 4 sell means advertises can also buy directly against content (rather than buying only against an audience).

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Channel 4’s head of All 4 discusses VOD mistakes and how to avoid them https://www.v-net.tv/2019/06/17/channel-4s-head-of-all-4-discusses-vod-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/ Mon, 17 Jun 2019 13:45:27 +0000 http://www.v-net.tv/?p=14172 Impatience, over-confidence, and prioritising content above all else are among the biggest mistakes made by broadcasters running video-on-demand platforms, according to Richard Davidson-Houston.

Speaking at Videoscape Europe in London last week, Channel 4’s outgoing head of its All 4 digital service outlined ten common mistakes made by companies working in this space and offered a number of ways to avoid them.

Over-confidence and impatience were two of the ten mistakes that he flagged. Taking attention away from problems that can’t be fixed quickly means businesses cannot focus on solving big, intractable problems.

Davidson-Houston argued that while content needs to be ‘king-like’, content alone is not enough. “If you work in an organisation where the religion is ‘content is king,’ that is a conceptual mistake”.

Another major point was that broadcasters should treat VOD as a fully-formed businesses in its own right, not as a tech project: “It’s a huge catastrophic mistake to see it as one and it will make your business less competitive.”

The discipline of curating large-scale VOD platforms, he argued, has more to do with experimentation and mastery than it does with innovation and bosses need to value the people who are mastering these skills.

In terms of organisational structure, Davidson-Houston said that research and product teams should not be separated as they’re inextricably linked. Similarly, companies should not choose between strategy and implementation.

The key to hiring new talent, he added, is to find people who can learn and are able to teach themselves.

Decision making was flagged as crucial, as bad decisions can usually be superseded by good decisions – the key is to make a distinction between those that are reversible and irreversible. “I’m paraphrasing Jeff Bezos but, generally speaking, the cost of not making a decision is likely to exceed the cost of making the wrong decision.”

Strategically, broadcasters should be “fishermen” not “shepherds”, he said. They should not merely be herding people from broadcast channels to on-demand services, as this audience is both reducing in size and getting older, thus becoming less valuable.

“The thing about fishermen is they acquire. Most broadcasters that I know, especially those high up the EPG, have a bit of an issue here, because they’ve never had to learn how to acquire a customer.”

Discussing how best to avoid these mistakes, Davidson-Houston said that you need power in four main areas: having financial power; having staff and being able to move them around without asking permission; being able to design processes yourself; and being able to sit everyone together.

However, with this power you should not lead a rebellion against your own company. “You may be right but you’ll be dead in the water, absolutely finished,” he said. “Lead, be luminous, be the hope, bring people with you, love the incumbent business – it’s probably paying your wages.”

When it comes to dealing with bosses, he encouraged people to engage them early. “Take your work to them before it’s finished. Don’t transact with them. Don’t tell them ‘here’s my work, please mark it’. Say here’s what my work is going to become. It’s not finished. Please, would you be involved?”

Last week’s keynote came after Davidson-Houston announced in May that he is stepping down from Channel 4 in the summer after 12 years at the UK broadcaster. “It’s time to get stuck in to something new,” he said in a statement at the time, without revealing what he plans to do next.

He joined Channel 4 from Microsoft in 2007, was Head of Channel 4 Online from 2010, and launched video-on-demand service All 4 as Head of All 4 in 2015.

Videoscape Europe is the strategy event for D2C, SVOD, AVOD and vPayTV, with a focus on delivering profitable growth in premium digital video. You can find more details here.

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Head of All 4 steps down after 12 years at Channel 4 https://www.v-net.tv/2019/05/17/head-of-all-4-steps-down-after-12-years-at-channel-4/ Fri, 17 May 2019 16:14:23 +0000 http://www.v-net.tv/?p=13882 Channel 4’s Head of All 4, Richard Davidson-Houston, has announced he is stepping down after 12 years at the broadcaster and plans to leave Channel 4 in the summer.

Davidson-Houston joined Channel 4 from Microsoft in 2007, was Head of Channel 4 Online from 2010, and launched video-on-demand service All 4 as Head of All 4 in 2015.

Under his leadership All 4 has evolved from a catch-up service for Channel 4 programmes to a service that offers a mix of live TV, catch-up, box sets and archive content. All 4 now also hosts content from partners such as Adult Swim, Vice and Walter Presents.

“It’s time to get stuck in to something new,” said Davidson-Houston in a statement, without revealing what he plans to do next.

“Channel 4 has been part of my life for a long time. I’m happy that I’m leaving All 4 in good shape and wish my colleagues all the best for the future.”

Channel 4’s Director of Programmes, Ian Katz, said: “Richard has played the pivotal role in building All 4 into a hugely successful on demand service that punches well above its weight. He has been a key figure in shaping the channel’s response to the digital challenge and will be much missed.”

Channel 4 claims that All 4 is now available on more than 20 platforms in the UK and has over 20 million registered users, including over two-thirds of the country’s 16-34 year olds. It also said that the service saw double-digit growth in viewing last year.

Richard Davidson-Houston spoke at the Connected TV World Summit in March, where he highlighted the importance of curation and scheduling as part of a keynote presentation titled ‘How established media owners will maintain audiences in the age of hyper-competition’.

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European Media Alliance set focus on streaming, tech and monetisation https://www.v-net.tv/2019/04/15/european-media-alliance-set-focus-on-streaming-tech-and-monetisation/ Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:35:49 +0000 http://www.v-net.tv/?p=13450 Prominent leaders of European Media Alliance (EMA) companies have agreed to co-operate around streaming, technology and monetisation in a bid to address today’s changing media landscape.

The CEOs of ProSiebenSat.1 Media (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), Mediaset (Italy), Channel 4 (UK), Antenna Group (Southeastern Europe), Impresa Group (Portugal) and TVN Discovery Poland (Poland) met at the 4Gamechangers Festival in Vienna last week to reinforce their commitment to work together on these “strategic core areas”.

According to a statement released by ProSiebenSat.1 Media, the EMA will act as a common platform for joint initiatives in video streaming, technology and monetisation – with “scale and transformational impact” to be key criteria in prioritising the joint initiatives.

The group, which also counts TF1 (France), Mediaset Espana (Spain), MTG and Nordic Entertainment Group (Nordics), Blue TV (Turkey), CME (Central and Eastern Europe), Medialaan (Belgium) and Impresa Group (Portugal) among its members, said it is united in its vision to actively shape the European media industry.

“We all fundamentally believe that by international cooperation, we will obtain a competitive edge in our local markets,” said ProSiebenSat.1 Media CEO Max Conze. “That is why we are now sending a strong signal of unity in addressing the most pressing issues our industry is facing.”

Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon described the joint initiatives of the European Media Alliance as “fundamental to Channel 4” in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, while Impresa Group CEO Francisco Pedro Balsemão said that “scale and technology will clearly give us a competitive advantage that will also help us battle giants that have created unfair monopolies.”

Antenna Group chairman, Theodore Kyriakou, said: “Through this alliance we all have a unique opportunity to innovate and scale existing offerings for more than half a billion viewers and users across the continent.”

TVN Discovery Poland CEO, Piotr Korycki, added: “As media companies, we are experienced entertainers and news broadcasters. Our current challenge and a great opportunity is how to continue doing this, as well as capturing the attention in the world where technology, language and national borders create no barriers anymore.”

The European Media Alliance claims to cover more than 200 million households, reaching 550 million inhabitants.

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Channel 4 on the importance of curation and partnerships https://www.v-net.tv/2019/03/28/channel-4-on-the-importance-of-curation-and-partnerships/ Thu, 28 Mar 2019 13:22:38 +0000 http://www.v-net.tv/?p=13231 The importance of curation and scheduling and the benefits of partnering with niche verticals were highlighted by Channel 4’s Richard Davidson-Houston at Connected TV World Summit yesterday.

Delivering a keynote titled ‘How established media owners will maintain audiences in the age of hyper-competition’, the head of Channel 4’s All 4 on-demand service ran through an A-Z of ideas.

Stressing the importance of curation, Davidson-Houston said that familiarity, rather than new content, is both the biggest driver of viewers’ intention to watch and an enormous challenge, noting that boxsets are important for driving retention as viewers become invested in completing series.

He also claimed that linear scheduling remains “the most important recommendation engine in all of media” and is something that has a huge impact on the consumption of on-demand video.

“Partnering with niche verticals can bring new audiences to platforms that wouldn’t otherwise have come,” he said, citing Channel 4’s international-focused drama service Walter Presents and its content partnership with Adult Swim.

However, he criticised the industry for being “incredibly bad at reaching out and finding other people around the world” to forge partnerships with.

“I can’t go global, I work for a state-owned commercially-funded broadcaster,” he said. “But we can all go global if we buddy up with other people in other markets.”

In terms of brand building and aggregation, he described the latter as battle between the economic or strategic compulsion of being aggregated by a big tech platform and the difficulty of making a brand cut through in that environment.

For smaller brands to continue to have meaning in an online world populated by tech giants, he said they must be “amphibious,” able to be at home in linear, over-the-top, social and even areas like podcasting.

YouTube is a marketing platform and a “means to an end” for broadcasters, according to Davidson-Houston. “It’s a confusing means to an end because often that marketing takes the form of publishing content and sometimes we monetise the content.”

Elsewhere, Davidson-Houston was critical of paying too much credence to ‘HiIPPOS’, an acronym that means the “highest paid person’s opinion,” or people that base their strategic thinking on their own children’s media consumption.

Experimentation was deemed important, with companies encouraged to “play like a jazz band” by innovating and taking risks. However, virtual reality was dismissed as “basically a distraction” and “nothing to do with broadcasting”.

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Channel 4 in ‘positive discussions’ about joining BritBox https://www.v-net.tv/2019/03/07/channel-4-in-positive-discussions-about-joining-britbox/ Thu, 07 Mar 2019 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.v-net.tv/?p=13071 Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon has revealed that the UK broadcaster is having “positive and constructive discussions” about partnering with the BBC and ITV on their new UK streaming service, BritBox.

Speaking at Deloitte and Enders Analysis’ Media and Telecoms 2019 and Beyond event in London today, Mahon said that Channel 4 is discussing how it can help “build the scale of BritBox”.

Speaking at the same event, BBC Director General, Tony Hall, described BritBox as a “new model of public service and commercial partnership in the UK” that will support “the whole public service broadcast ecology”.

“BritBox will provide an unrivalled collection of British boxsets as well as new original series that you won’t see anywhere else, on demand, all in one place,” said Hall.

“Crucially, UK audiences will always know who to credit for what they’re watching. Both ITV and the BBC will have full branding and attribution at service and programme level.”

Announcing the UK service last week, the BBC and ITV said that BritBox will have the biggest collection of British content available on any streaming service, alongside BritBox originals commissioned from British production companies.

The BritBox initiative sits alongside the BBC’s plans to make TV programmes available on its iPlayer catch-up service for at least 12 months after they air on TV, providing what Hall described as “more value for the licence fee”.

“It’s what audiences expect” said Hall. “19 million of our Killing Eve requests came before it was broadcast. So did five million of the 12 million requests for Peter Kay’s Car Share. Our research shows that a majority of people would like more boxsets and full series available, and available all year round.”

As the BBC sees it, extending the iPlayer window won’t affect the its ability to maximise commercial returns, as the initial public service window is not usually available for commercial exploitation in the UK and international sales won’t be harmed.

“Of course, all these proposals are subject to regulatory processes – clearly this could mean a delay,” said Hall. “Here I have to make an obvious but vital point. If we need to change and adapt to a new global, digital marketplace, so does the regulation around us.”

He added: “If we want PSB to continue to be relevant in the next 10 to 20 years, and to thrive at the heart of a uniquely powerful media ecology, we have to support it,” pointing out that, “the same programme can be regulated in half a dozen different ways in the UK, depending on who’s hosting it.”

On the regulation front, Mahon used her speech to warn that the UK is “sleepwalking into a position where public service content is no longer prominent.”

UK broadcast regulator Ofcom ran a consultation last year on proposed changes to the linear EPG code and future of the public service prominence and is due to report on the matter by the end of 2020.

Mahon and Hall’s comments come a year after Ofcom CEO Sharon White used the same conference stage to urge the UK’s public service broadcasters to collaborate with each other and also work with the likes of Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and Apple to tap into these services’ global reach.

A US version of BritBox, designed to offer “the very best of British TV” launched in the US in 2016 and rolled out to Canada in February 2018. The BBC and ITV said they aim to launch the UK service in the second half of 2019.

Read Alex Mahon’s speech in full here, and Tony Hall’s full speech here.

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