The Pay-TV Innovation Forum has set what it believes to be the key priorities for European providers in 2018.
The Forum, a partnership between NAGRA and research company MTM, polled a panel of European TV executives in March.
The key findings include:
– 87 per cent of European executives agree that product and service innovation, and digital business transformation are becoming more important for the European pay-TV industry
– 80 per cent believe the pay-TV bundles will change substantially during the next five years
– 93 per cent see data-driven analytics as a major opportunity for the industry
– 80 per cent of respondents said they see strategic partnerships with content owners as a top priority to help expand their content offering to viewers
Industry executives cite content owners moving towards direct-to-consumer distribution, new forms of bundles integrating content and e-commerce services, and growth in online streaming piracy, particularly in Southern and Eastern Europe, as key developments that will shape the European pay-TV markets over the next few years.
“It is promising to hear that pay-TV executives are no longer just seeing the threats to their business, but identifying the new opportunities available to them that will lead to further revenue growth,” said Simon Trudelle, senior director, product marketing, NAGRA. “There is strong consensus that future growth will be enabled through investments in their products and in digitising their business to meet the demands of customers who increasingly want a more personalised experience from their providers.”
“With disruption and competition intensifying, pay-TV industry participants need to think carefully about new strategies, business models, product portfolios, and technologies that will help them maintain and grow their business,” said Jon Watts, managing partner, MTM. “It is an exciting time for the industry as more and more providers start to recognise and adapt to the new “post-OTT” pay-TV landscape.”
