What will you be speaking about at IBC2024?
I’ll be speaking about why collaboration is so important for broadcasters to adapt to changing audience behaviour, sharing insights on how we developed and launched Freely, the new streaming service backed by the UK’s leading public service broadcasters – BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. We launched earlier this year and I’ll be able to talk through how this landmark collaboration came together in response to changing viewer trends. Freely is a bold innovation from UK broadcasters and other free-to-air content providers to ensure free TV continues to be easily available for everyone. I’ll also be exploring how learnings can be taken from the work we have done into other markets who face similar challenges.
What do you hope the audience takes away from your session?
Considerations for the future of broadcast in a streaming age, it’s not doom and gloom for traditional broadcasters, they have incredible content that audiences are incredibly engaged in, we just need to serve it to that audience in a way that makes it easy and attractive to navigate.
What do you view as the key technologies defining the industry at the moment?
For Everyone TV it has been the invaluable work we have done on HbbTV over the past two years to ensure important new additions were rolled into these open standards. Alongside YouView and the BBC, we have worked extensively within HbbTV to ensure the technology was fit for purpose for all those collaborating on Freely. In particular, the developments we’ve made will ensure open access to critical functionality which will pave the way for other HbbTV applications hoping to provide access to DVB-I and IP streaming services in other markets.
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Why is IBC an important date in the media tech calendar?
It’s always a pleasure to gather with peers internationally to share insights and discuss trends. When we see the media tech industries moving at such a fast pace, events such as IBC become even more important. We need to share, collaborate, and learn from each other to continue to deliver the very best tech solutions for TV audiences.
What do you think will be the stand-out topics at IBC this year?
Three stand-out topics I might expect are:
- AI is one we have seen cropping up again and again this year and I am interested to hear further insights on how AI can be used within broadcasting, both in a way that helps to drive the industry’s work forwards whilst ensuring ethical use of AI is considered, always an important factor when creative work and AI are sitting side by side.
- Collaboration. Both for free TV services like ours but also for many pay TV services that are having to look at ways to adapt, collaborate and bundle to continue to be appealing to audiences. It will be interesting to hear how media tech is enabling this trend and supporting the viewer experience.
- And thirdly I would say advertising. How will tech be able to support, personalise and enhance the increased appetite for free ad-supported streaming tiers and services?
Jonathan Thompson will be speaking at Freely – collaboration for the streaming age on 13th September at 1.45pm.
