In today’s on-demand world, traditional broadcasters are growing their multi-platform offerings against the expanding shadow of Netflix and other OTT services. An acceleration of stand-alone OTT services has fragmented content destinations and created more competition. So, how does a broadcaster maintain traditional services while competing for viewers in today’s multi-platform universe?
We have seen the adoption and maturation of multi-platform scheduling and rights management solutions, and of managed services and white label online video providers. There is an equal number of companies offering application templates or deep expertise to put your brand on smart TVs, smartphones, and tablets. Combined, these have established de facto standards and modes of operation that allow us to follow a known and repeatable pattern. We are also seeing deeper integration between the products and services used to deliver content to subscribers on multiple platforms, to the point that we can start thinking about content as a service.
There are some very large players now in the marketplace who have already taken a commanding position in providing content as a service, or are poised to. The expected entrance of Disney will draw upon a gold mine of content combined with a proven delivery stack and an experienced team who understand the business model and technology through their acquisition of BAMTech.
Without re-inventing the wheel, or needing to operate at the same level of vertical integration as the Netflix’s and Disney’s of the world, broadcasters of all sizes can still stake out their individual claims in this on-demand world.
The key is to have great content, exclusivity, and availability. While Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu are becoming ubiquitous, there are untapped niche markets, audiences and types of content that have value to viewers who are looking for an OnDemand experience beyond the big players.
Over the past 10 years, BroadView has worked with broadcasters of all sizes in helping them achieve their goals in OnDemand. As both a technology partner and a software vendor we have helped broadcasters develop technology and workflow models that support their business growth. If you want to take advantage of the trend towards commoditising your content, our advice is to lower your operating costs where possible and focus on exclusive or original content. This gives you your best bet in standing out and staking your claim in this ever-changing landscape.
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