“We believe many mobile operators are on the cusp of becoming fully-fledged TV platforms. In response, we are investing heavily in must-have long- and short-form content and making our content and brands available everywhere.
We are looking at new opportunities with mobile operators and making our apps directly available to consumers”, said James Currell, COO of Viacom for the UK, Northern and Eastern Europe, during a panel on the importance of brands for the consumer experience on Friday.
The company has recently signed a deal with Singtel in the Asia-Pacific region making its Play Plex apps available to Singtel’s OTT subscriber and is looking to sign up similar deals in the Asia-Pacific region as well as in Europe, including in the UK, Italy and the Netherlands. “Mobile can be the new growth path for TV generally,” he added.
Virgin Media has built its reputation in providing broadband connectivity to its users but the company is looking to invest more in TV entertainment, revealed Kerris Bright, CMO for Virgin Media in the UK. “This is the beginning of a revitalisation for us in TV and entertainment,” she said.
The company will be launching a new set-top later this year, so watch this space.
Spotify’s VP of global business development in the US Jorge Espinel said the company was focusing on data.
“Data analytics is critical because music can be interpreted in so many ways: it’s much more than pop or rock, it’s music you might like to listen to when you take a shower, for instance, or while having dinner… Don’t forget that we have a catalogue of 30 million songs that need to be served.”
