Analysis

Nordic Pay TV provider Allente has introduced a new KPI – that viewers should always find something to watch on its Allente 1 platform within 120 seconds. The company is trying to tackle ‘screen blindness’ when people are presented with so many content options. An advanced UI with personalisation and a content curation team is helping the company match the performance indicator some months, with work ongoing to ensure the ambitious target is beaten every month.

The Cypriot telco and Pay TV provider is leveraging its mobile operator experience and retailer network to offer third-party Smart TVs on a 24-month instalment payment plan, encouraging uptake of its Smart TV app, which launched last year. Smart TV operator-as-an-app users get cheaper Pay TV subscription, after a three-month free trial. The company already delivers a managed IPTV service to set-top boxes and wants to gradually reduce reliance on these devices.

Deutsche Telekom has been outlining the value-adds that will ensure the future success of Pay TV operators in a world where content giants can go direct-to-consumer and Smart TV makers are aggregating more television in increasingly compelling UIs. Unbreakable service delivery, super-aggregation, multi-app subscription management and exceptional holistic content discovery are key pillars. This vision can only be achieved using a set-top box today, and one day a virtual STB on third-party Smart TVs or DT’s own version of Sky Glass. Being just another Smart TV app among apps is not a long-term option for big screen delivery.

As the rising cost of living squeezes subscription TV, how can D2C streaming services continue to grow? A panel at Connected TV World Summit addressed this challenge, during which it was stated that content is still king in the streaming world, the platform is queen, local content and knowledge is power, and there will need to be consolidation. There is a CX opportunity focused on better aggregation and management of multiple subscriptions. Speakers also suggested the audience land grab and content boom will need to be tempered by a focus on cost control and profit – but with the good news that it is easier to broaden your monetisation strategy, including with ads.

Ampere Analysis has outlined five strategies that it believes will help broadcasters increase their share of viewing time in the streaming space. These are: A greater focus on scripted content; More use of co-commissioning; Taking advantage of studio titles that are made available non-exclusively; More digital-first premieres; and Content for younger audiences backed by aggressive social media campaigns. Speaking at Connected TV World Summit last week, the company backed its assertions with a treasure of data from UK BVOD and SVOD services.

Connected TV World Summit is in London on March 21-22, exploring the raison d’etre for Pay TV, the future role of free-to-air DTT/satellite aggregators, how broadcasters can increase their share of digital viewing time, how the TV industry decarbonises without shrinking, and much, much more. Deutsche Telekom, Sky, Allente, TV3 Group, Peacock, NBCUniversal Media, Play Suisse, All3Media, Paramount, Rakuten TV and RDK are among the early confirmed speakers.

At the Future of TV Advertising conference in London last month, Ronan McCarthy, SVP Media Operations, DAZN, said that the sports streamer is looking...

“Both short-termism and long-termism are really just ‘wrong termism’ in my view,” said Tom Roach, VP of Brand Strategy at Jellyfish, while speaking at...

Ampere Analysis has been assessing what it means for the TV industry now major SVODs like Netflix and Disney have introduced advertising tiers. Competition is one factor driving the strategic pivot, but price is a key factor. “When we look at sign-up and cancellation patterns among different subscriber bases, the main driver is price,” Richard Broughton, Research Director at Ampere, recently told delegates at The Future of TV Advertising Global.

ITV has created a direct link from data to profitability. This was one of the observations offered by the company recently when outlining its work to adopt a more joined-up approach to data. Many areas of the business are benefiting: ITV’s own marketing, addressable advertising products, product development, and personalisation of the viewing experience on ITVX – like telling viewers what they might want to watch next. More consumption equals more advertising capacity. The broadcaster has been explaining the tech evolution involved, including a move to a decentralised data model.