24 NEWS & VIEWS
May-June 2016
The evolution of pay-TV
In recent years , the pay-TV market has faced unprecedented change . The rise of over-the-top ( OTT ) TV , shifting viewing patterns and the proliferation of cloud technologies have given rise to significant challenges . The TV industry is now witnessing the biggest shift in media habits since the dawn of television . But this also presents a real opportunity for pay-TV providers to build more innovative and sustainable business models for the future .
The widespread availability of highspeed Internet has transformed the entertainment industry .
Consumers today want cheaper access to content and , with fewer initial investment costs , OTT services are now better placed to charge lower fees . And with growing demand for personalisation and flexibility in everything from mobile-phone contracts to pay- TV subscriptions , services that bypass the traditional provider can give the consumer access to a wide range of content without tying them to an expensive , all-encompassing package .
Catch-up services set new viewing records every month , while paid streaming services such as Netflix are booming . According to a report by Ovum , OTT TV will reach 177 million households by 2019 . This shift to streaming services has been accelerated by the growth of video streaming , as well as the increasingly large , high-quality screens available on smart devices .
The likes of Roku , Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV let viewers bundle their own streaming services in one place , including direct-to-consumer content from networks such as HBO , Disney and Major League Baseball ( MLB ).
Industry shifts have made it increasingly challenging for pay-TV providers to be a one-stop shop for TV services . Content owners can now go direct to the consumer while OTT service providers such as Netflix and Amazon have started commissioning
The TV industry is now witnessing the biggest shift in media habits since the dawn of television .
Stephane Le Dreau , General Manager SEA ,
Nagra
their own original programming .
Pay-TV providers therefore face a strategic dilemma . On one hand , they want to cut costs , while on the other , they have to stay competitive by continuing to innovate and invest in new content .
The changing market is forcing pay-TV companies to innovate . And , with remarkable resiliency , providers have responded with a host of new offerings , including multi-screen TV , more advanced set-top boxes , and novel pricing and packaging deals .
But some big questions remain : how does pay-TV as a whole continue to grow ? What are the best strategies for success ? And what will the next five years of innovation look like ?
To find out , Nagra has committed resources to a research programme studying the major growth and innovation opportunities in the pay-TV industry . In partnership with TV research consultancy , MTM , Nagra ’ s Pay-TV Innovation Forum will carry out interviews and committee discussions with industry leaders around the world .
Investigating the impacts of emerging markets , digital technologies and new revenue models on the pay-TV ecosystem , it will also evaluate the status of the latest pay-TV trends and initiatives . The research will be shared with the industry through several reports and a series of webinars . Some initial findings will be presented at CommunicAsia2016 .
The industry has reached a turning point and both operators and customers want as much information as possible about what ’ s coming next . The Pay-TV Innovation Forum will aim to educate stakeholders on the best strategies to grow and stay profitable through to 2020 and beyond . q
Singapore first stop for BBC Player
SINGAPORE – BBC Player , a new authenticated multi-genre subscription-video-ondemand ( SVoD ) service , will be making a worldwide debut when it becomes available in Singapore to StarHub TV customers later this year .
BBC Player will feature curated content from six BBC global brands — BBC Earth , BBC First , BBC Lifestyle , CBeebies and BBC World News — as well as BBC Brit , a new global brand that will be available for the first time in Asia . BBC Brit will air the latest series of Top Gear , starring Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc , as well as Hoff the Record , David Hasselhoff ’ s semi-scripted “ mockumentary ” comedy series .
Commenting on the launch of BBC Player , Paul Dempsey , president , global markets , BBC Worldwide , said : “ The BBC has a proud heritage in digital innovation — we led the way with news online , radio online and digital video in the UK . But what really sets us apart is the care we take in curating our world-class content for audiences .
“ I ’ m delighted that audiences in Singapore , one of the most connected countries
The upcoming BBC Player service will offer visitors to BBC . com the opportunity to discover more content across the
BBC brands .
South Korean OTT platform expands content library
SEOUL – pooq , an over-the-top ( OTT ) ondemand service , has announced new content distribution deals with Turner Broadcasting System Asia-Pacific and BBC Worldwide .
The distribution deal with Turner will allow pooq ’ s 400,000 current paying users to view Cartoon Network and CNN International for free , albeit only for short previews in the interim , and only within South Korea .
Phil Nelson , SVP and managing director , North Asia and South-east Asia , Turner , said : “ This is the first-of-a-kind launch for us in South Korea . To reach an expanded audience via an innovative new service like pooq is an important landmark in making our content available everywhere . Cartoon Network and
pooq is an OTT on-demand service owned and operated by the Content Alliance Platform , a joint-venture company formed by South Korean broadcasters KBS , MBC and SBS .
in the world with the highest smartphone penetration , will be the first to experience this quality for themselves with the inaugural launch of BBC Player .”
At launch , the authenticated BBC Player app will be available in both Android and iOS , and will also be available online . StarHub TV customers will also be able to access programmes from BBC First , the home of premium and original drama from the BBC and British independent production companies ; and access a selection of popular programmes from BBC linear channels , including BBC Earth , BBC Lifestyle , CBeebies and BBC World News .
Howie Lau , StarHub ’ s chief marketing officer , added : “ BBC Player not only complements our pay-TV offering , but it also delivers the BBC ’ s signature content seamlessly across our customers ’ devices , deepening the overall entertainment experience .
“ StarHub and BBC Worldwide have achieved many milestones over the past 20 years together and we believe that BBC Player will be a service that takes our partnership into the future .”
CNN International are Turner ’ s international flagship brands and genuine world-class products .” pooq has also struck a deal with BBC Worldwide , that will allow viewers to live stream , catch-up view and watch channels such as BBC World News and CBeebies , as well as access BBC titles such as War and Peace on-demand .
Under the terms of the agreement , CBeebies and BBC World News will be available in real time . Additionally , more than 400 hours of BBC natural history and drama content will be available via Pooq ’ s subscription-videoon-demand ( SVoD ) and transactional-videoon-demand ( TvoD ) services . Titles covered in the deal include all three seasons of the crime drama Sherlock , seven seasons of Doctor Who , the new drama War and Peace , the drama series Doctor Foster and the natural-history show The Hunt , narrated by Sir David Attenborough . pooq is owned and operated by CAPTV ( Content Alliance Platform ), a joint-venture company formed by South Korean broadcasters Korean Broadcasting System ( KBS ), Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation ( MBC ) and Seoul Broadcasting System ( SBS ) in 2012 .