OTT Question Time #10 – Taking Stock as Lockdowns Ease
In this episode of OTT Question Time we looked at the TV and on-demand industry through a wide-angle lens as lockdowns in many parts of the world started to ease. Together with Gulliver Smithers, former SVP of Product & Technology at Sony Pictures Entertainment and now CTO at [...]
BT Sport Now on NOW TV
BT Sport is giving customers more ways to watch, by making its app available from today (16 June) on NOW TV devices. NOW TV joins a wide range of large-screen devices and platforms on which sports fans can watch BT Sport, including Samsung smart TV, Sony PlayStation, Xbox [...]
OTT Question Time #9 – The Content Aggregators
During this OTT Question Time we talked about content aggregators and asked if, with so many movies and TV shows now available to view online, they’re the de facto future of finding and watching titles. We explored: Aggregator business models (free, freemium, charging SVODs and broadcasters) Building scale [...]
OTT Question Time #8: Lessons Learned from the ANZ OTT Experience
In this episode of OTT Question Time we went down under! Together with Kym Niblock, Chief Product & Information Officer at TVNZ, Holly Knill, Group Director, IP & Content Products at Foxtel, and Sam Hall, Chief Content & Commercial Officer at Fetch TV, we explored FTA / Pay-TV [...]
OTT Question Time #7: Building a Profitable AVOD Business
Together with Kasia Jablonska of Endemol Shine Group, Francesco Denti, formerly of Fox Networks and now advising the Web Stars Channel Group in Italy, and Simon Murray from Digital TV Research, we explored the AVOD market opportunity, AVOD platforms, how commercial deals are structured, how data is used to assess and optimise how content is performing and the role in MCNs in creating sustainable AVOD businesses.
OTT Question Time #6: TMT Funding in a (post) Pandemic World
Our guest moderator, Ben Keen, was joined by Louis Kenna of Liontree Advisors, Mike LaSalle from Shamrock Capital Advisors and Timo Argillander of IPR.VC and together they discussed M&A deal flows, funding start-ups and new content, the prospects for global tech players making increasing investments in the TMT sector and whether the industry will inevitably emerge loaded with more debt than ever before.
ScreenHits TV Launches Super Aggregator to Streamline At-Home Viewing
Today ScreenHits Limited is delighted to announce the launch of its new app, ScreenHits TV, allowing consumers to manage all their streaming subscriptions, AVOD and Live Channels in one easy to use app. Consumers can now easily see what is trending, share recommendations with friends and manage their [...]
OTT Question Time #5: The Future of SVOD
Together with Simon Murray of Digital TV Research, Maria Rua Aguete of Omdia and Jonathan Broughton of Media Business Insight we talked about SVOD take-up, the average number of SVODs per household, changing consumer behaviours and the elasticity of viewer’s TV / SVOD spending compared to the rest of their entertainment budgets.
OTT Question Time #4: Content Production, Sales & Scheduling in a Pandemic World
Together with Wim Ponnet of Endemol Shine, Emma Tibbetts, the former GM of UKTV Play and now founder of Chuck Data and Mike Sid of Whip Media Group, we talked about the making, selling and scheduling of content in this time of lockdowns and social distancing.
UK Broadcasters Introduce New Guidance for Producing TV Safely during Covid-19
ITV, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV, ITN, the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA) and Pact have joined forces to introduce new industry wide guidelines for producing television safely in the weeks and months ahead. The guidelines are intended to enable a return to [...]
BBC iPlayer Viewing up 61%
The BBC has reported that since the UK's national lockdown was announced on the 23rd of March, BBC iPlayer has seen 927 million requests (including Sky catch-up viewing) – 61% higher than the same seven-week period last year. The BBC also said that: BBC iPlayer’s biggest ever day was [...]
OTT Question Time #3: The Pandemic & The Advertising Paradox
Together with Simon Thomas of GroupM, Leon Siotis of SpotX and Alan Wolk of TVREV we talked about why, when TV and OTT viewing is soaring, broadcaster advertising revenues have plummeted. We also discussed regional differences between the UK, Europe and the US and the prospects for an advertising recovery later this year and in 2021.
OTT Question Time #2: How Have Broadcaster’s Roadmaps Evolved since Lockdown?
Together with Bjarne Andre Myklebust of NRK, Kerensa Samanidis of M&E Digital Consulting and Allan McLennan of PADEM Media Group, we discussed the effect of the various national lockdowns on broadcaster, operator, pay-TV and service-provider roadmaps. Specifically, their operational, product, strategic and technical plans and how they've rapidly evolved in Q1 and Q2 2020.
ITV Online Viewing Up 75%
ITV has reported strong growth in its OTT services in Q1 2020. Compared to the same period last year, long form online viewing hours were up 75% to 169.4 million, simulcast viewing was up 112% and reach up 40% on the company's AVOD product, ITV Hub. ITV is also seeing [...]
ThinkAnalytics Increases Revenues 30% as Growth Accelerates in the US
ThinkAnalytics™ today revealed that revenues increased 30% year-on-year for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2019, particularly driven by strong demand in the US for the ThinkAnalytics personalized content discovery platform and ThinkInsight, its real time dashboard and big data analytics solution. Reflecting the firm’s substantial investments in [...]
OTT Question Time #1: The Rise in TV & OTT Viewing Since Lockdowns Started
Together with Julie Mitchelmore of A+E Networks, Peter Docherty of ThinkAnalytics and Richard Cooper of Ampere Analysis, we discussed the huge rise in TV and OTT viewing since the COVID-19 national lockdowns started. We also talked about the content that's being watched, the people that are watching it, how titles are presented and surfaced to audiences, the number of SVODs per household and the sustainability of this level of TV viewing.
Netflix Adds 16m Subscribers in Q1 2020
Netflix has posted its latest round of quarterly financial figures with the headline number of a net 16 million increase in global paying subscribers. The SVOD giant now has just short of 183m paid memberships. In its letter to shareholders, Netflix said: "During the first two months of [...]
All 4 Posts Biggest Ever Quarterly Viewing in Q1 2020
All 4 has achieved its highest number of quarterly views ever across Q1 of this year, driven by titles including Friday Night Dinner, Gogglebox, The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, Hollyoaks, Celebs Go Dating and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This record breaking period includes All 4’s [...]
ITV Hub Viewing Surges
ITV has announced that its OTT service, ITV Hub, has achieved a significant uplift in both reach and consumption hours during the first quarter of 2020. Year on year consumption hours have increased by 82%, while monthly reach on the platform has risen by 40%. ITV Hub plus, ITV’s [...]
Five VOD Talking Points – Q2 2020
Are people watching more TV? Will audiences run out of new content to watch? What’s happening with freelancers? The cascading effects of the pandemic. And will all broadcasters survive? Here are some TV / OTT talking points for Q2 2020.
