Research by Irdeto at IBC2013 has highlighted how important smart and connected TVs are for operators, in order to compete with the emerging ‘OTT threat.’ Respondents at the event also pinpointed user experience, content release timing and availability as crucial ways to fight media piracy that plagues the pay TV industry.
41% of respondents see connected or smart TVs as crucial to an operator’s future strategy, compared with only 33% who identified tablets and 12% who identified smartphones as the most important devices. 53% of respondents cited new OTT entrants as being the biggest threat to broadcasters and pay TV operators, compared with just 20% who were more worried about piracy.
Live sports streaming and a consistent cross-device user experience are what respondents felt was most in demand by the consumer, with 24% choosing each of these options. While only 9% felt that consumers desired personalised recommendations most, surprisingly 26% indicated that personalisation was most desired by operators from their multi-screen vendor. In addition, 18% cited device flexibility, and another 18% said monetisation and business model options are most desired from a multi-screen solution provider.
“The trend research we conducted at IBC only underscores the increasing importance of compelling multi-screen services,” said Godert Burghard, VP Marketing, Irdeto. “Broadcasters and operators must move from the experimentation stage and focus on the multi-screen experience, as that’s what really drives revenue and loyalty. They must also not forget about the threat of piracy, which requires a blended approach encapsulating content windows, geographic availability and consumer education.”
