30 executive summary theibcdaily The IBC Leaders’ Summit
Paul Lee Global Director, Research, TMT, Deloitte
Every additional connected device in consumers’ hands represents an addi- tional suite of opportunities for all players in the sector. Each new connected device is a new channel to market for all forms of content. For TV companies, connected devices are additional screens on which to watch programmes, screens that can be used to play along with TV programmes, terminals that can be used to program PVRs. For retailers, the use of connected devices while watching TV is akin to having a till on a customer’s lap, with the TV acting as the shop display: TV viewing combined with connected devices could represent a significant boon to the e-commerce mar- ket. We are not just providing vanilla sta- tistics or looking at TV through a prism of technological change, but trying to ad- dress the behavioural, emotional and so- cial drivers behind why people watch TV,
Mark Hollinger, President and CEO, Discovery Networks International
Whether video is consumed through con- nected TV, by satellite or by cable the viewing world is now about on-demand. It seems clear to us, that, even if the models of distribution have changed and some business models are pressured, there remains an underlying desire for quality content which puts providers like us - who own the copyright in what we produce - in a good position. The big questions from our standpoint are ‘What is the business model behind any new form of distribution?’ and ‘What is the knock-on effect on our existing business?’ I am a firm believer in the old adage that you get what you pay for, so while we remain open to any opportunity, we will judge each one against those two criteria.
Brian Sullivan CEO
Sky Deutschland
We love connected TVs! We are already the biggest OTT supplier in Germany with close to 1 million regular customers to Sky Go. Nor do we get any problems from regulators. I am not worried about things like cannibalising my service. All we have to do is to get the packaging right and then it becomes another growth opportunity for us. As far as I’m concerned, if the customer wants to get my content, I’m happy to deliver it to them however they want it. They are all open doors as far as we are concerned. In fact, it is one of the reasons why we launched Sky Go so early in our development cycle. We saw it as a big opportunity for us. From where I sit, the more connected devices there are in German homes, the happier I am. The more connected devices out there, the greater the opportunity for us to deliver our products to those devices – we love them!
David Jones EVP Marketing, Shazam Entertainment
Now is the time for the industry to learn from the mistakes of the past, and embrace new technologies. Used strategically, these have the potential to increase advertising revenues and drive viewer loyalty by enabling people to engage more deeply with the shows that interest them. Additional screens can divide viewer attention, but viewers are often seeking more information and context about what they are watching. This presents programmers with a wonderful new opportunity to deliver conveniently to users on their second screen all of the outstanding content they have at their disposal. The key to success is working with partners that already have scale and can bring a significant, active user base to bear. Viewers will be willing to have only a certain number of TV apps on their phones – while a select few may be willing to download a show-specific app, most won’t; so it is mission-critical to go where the crowds already are to engage them on the second screen.