X-PLATFORM
September 2017
35
resses demand for more
ing experience
❝ Ease-of-use and
viewers’ experience
are the biggest factors,
after content, to
drive TV Everywhere.
Having the content
is important, but
being able to find and
consume that content
quickly and easily is
equally crucial. ❞
— David Blackett, Group GM,
Magna Systems and Engineering
is desirable, hence encouraging
brand loyalty, which is priceless.”
But when it comes to content,
the key in retaining viewers is
through personalisation, Frankin
stresses. “Targeted content is a
worthwhile method to retain
viewers to stay with the service.
Using metadata, content providers
can offer a personalised service.
With a service tailored to suit
their viewing behaviour, viewers
will be more likely to continue to
use it as they are pleased with that
particular service.”
In addition to content, adver-
tising can also be personalised
using big data, to provide more
value to the viewers, he suggests.
Personalised advertisements, in
turn, result in enhanced brand
engagement, and will encourage
operators to deliver services that
are more likely to be relevant to
their consumers.
Franklin concludes: “The bot-
tom line is — all consumers like
to feel as though any service they
are getting are tailored to their
specific needs. It is about time that
content providers understand how
lucrative meeting this desire is. By
providing personalising services,
content providers can attract view-
ers’ attention, and ultimately retain
them on the platform.”
While TV Everywhere is set to
grow, the biggest challenge for me-
dia companies is how to effectively
monetise their content, observes
Sushant Sharma, head of consult-
ing services, Asia-Pacific, Accedo.
He elaborates: “There are a few
options when it comes to moneti-
sation. If the content is compelling
enough, subscription may be an
option. Many consumers, however,
expect content to be free. Thus,
operators may consider offering
additional targeted content at a
fee or using targeted advertising
to monetise the service. Another
option is to bundle the content
with mobile data packages offered
by telcos.”
For instance, Renfe, a Spanish
railway operator, has been offering
on-board Wi-Fi that allows pas-
sengers to connect to the train’s
wireless LAN using their own de-
vices. Last month, Renfe expanded
the platform by partnering Accedo
and Spanish telco Telefonica for
the launch of its TV Anywhere
service — PlayRenfe.
This collaboration, according
to the companies, will allow 19
million Renfe passengers to enjoy
video experiences while travelling
by train and waiting at stations,
without having to tap into their
own data bundles.
PlayRenfe entertainment com-
prises Telefonica’s own produc-
tions, films, series, documentaries,
programmes, courses, books,
games and music. Passengers
can switch between five different
channels, enabling easy access to
live sports events and breaking
Under the collaboration between Spanish railway operator Renfe, Accedo and
Spanish telco Telefonica, 19 million Renfe passengers will be able to enjoy
PlayRenfe during their journey on Renfe’s trains, and when waiting at the stations,
without having to tap into their mobile data.
news at any time. Besides on-
demand video programmes and
live TV, PlayRenfe also includes
other Renfe services such as in-app
ticket purchases and loyalty cards.
Sharma continues: “Viewers
like to access to content when and
where they want it. Being able to
watch their show on the train from
home to work has become a part
of their daily lives.
“As a society, we no longer
schedule our lives around the TV
programming. Instead, consumers
will grab any chance they have to
catch up, and content providers
will need to have their content
ready and on-the-go.”
In response to the shift in con-
sumers’ video consumption habits,
several broadcasters and TV net-
works have launched their own
OTT services across the region.
These traditional content provid-
ers, according to Sharma, are in a
unique position to offer premium
content due to their existing re-
lationships with customers. For
broadcasters, he adds, these OTT
offerings are able to complement
their linear feeds, and can either be
in the form of an alternate content
delivery method or used in a way
to deliver niche content.
Sharma concludes: “While
some media companies have
launched OTT services that are
linked to consumers’ pay-TV sub-
scription with an operator, we are
increasingly seeing media compa-
nies and broadcasters partnering
with telcos to either launch their
OTT services bundled with data
packages or broadband subscrip-
tions, or in some instances, the
mobile data is zero-rated.
“Moving forward, we will see
telcos providing mobile and fixed
broadband as key constituents of
the ecosystem in some emerg-
ing markets in the Asia-Pacific
region.”
Video streaming dominates overall mobile data traffic
By 2022, Asia-Pacific is expected to record
the largest global share of mobile data traf-
fic, which is expected to exceed 30 ExaBytes
(EB). This, according to Ericsson’s Mobility
Report June 2017, is due largely to the rapid
growth in mobile broadband subscriptions
from China — which