In Broadcast - November 2015 - 30


30

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 5 - Issue 11 | November 2015

InStudio

The Conflicted
Media Landscape
On demand content at our fingertips is
irrevocably changing viewing habits, writes
Mehul Kapadia, Managing Director of F1®
Business, Tata Communications...

T

here's no denying that in the
modern world we are accustomed
to having content at our fingertips,
with as little delay as possible. It's
this behaviour that is driving a change
in the media landscape, and adding
fuel to the rising tension between
OTT providers and live broadcasters,
who have not yet embraced OTT
programming.
As OTT providers deliver video and
media content over the Internet,
broadcasters continue to show live
event viewing and fight to keep hold of
their share of viewers' attention. While
many are unaware of the full effect
of this shift, it has created a hugely
complicated broadcast and media
landscape.

The On Demand Economy
A priority for players battling the
media war is ensuring content is
available on demand - a necessity
in the 'on demand economy'. Unlike
generations before, today's viewers
no longer have to watch content that
isn't interesting or completely tailored
to their interests. They have content
on tap. Services such as BBC iPlayer
and Hulu have created an environment
where people can plan their viewing
around their own schedule, rather
than having to be around at 10pm on
a Saturday night, for example, to catch
the latest Gogglebox episode.
Ultimately, the rise of multichannel
could well mean the demise of the
television, and concern is mounting
for the future of a product that was
once not a luxury but a necessity.
The change in attitude that this shift
has led to is certainly on the minds of
television executives, with murmurs
that linear viewing is to come to an
end.
As the world moves away from big
screen viewing and into the space
The Mercedes AMG Petronas of
Lewis Hamilton takes the win in
Sochi that earned the team the 2015
Manufacturers' Championship

of OTT content, a few of the pay-TV
providers are ramping up their service
offering and making interesting moves
to fight back. Last year, Telefonica, for
example, rebranded its pay-TV offering
as Movistar Plus, a merger of Canal+
and Movistar TV, also incorporating
a cloud DVR solution. This allows
customers to record an unlimited
number of programmes, and makes
everything they record available on
any device they choose.
Challenging Choice
Shifts in consumption behaviour
highlight that it is no longer about
having one great product, but creating
an experience that pulls the consumer
in across multiple channels, and gives
them the choice. Red Bull is a great
example of this. While it is a huge
drinks brand, it has also been an
innovator in content delivery.
The main goal of the Red Bull Stratos
mission was to transcend human
limits, no mean feat for a brand of any
size. The event saw Felix Baumgartner
make waves in the media when he
broke the speed of sound in a freefall

from the stratosphere, the first to do
so. It captured the interest of people
all over the world, actually breaking
the record for number of concurrent
live streams for its YouTube showcase
and reaching eight million viewers,
gathered valuable data for future
space exploration, and was delivered
online through everything except
traditional broadcast channels.
The stunt signalled something very
different for the media landscape. It
was a major viewing event delivered
beyond traditional television and
without the involvement of a
traditional TV broadcast. It was
evidence that, thanks to the explosion
of multichannel, multi-device delivery,
anyone can be a broadcaster, and they
can reach their audience just about
anywhere.
Immersive Sports
Another
example
of
media
consumption habits is in the arena
of sport. The experience associated
with sports is one that is known to
unite people and bring out a passion
that is unprecedented. Whether it's
attending games, playing, watching
from a device or talking about sport,
loyal followers are invested in it. Just
like any form of entertainment, sports
have had to evolve and grow with the
desires of their loyal fans. If sports

were played in the way they once
were, the variations would be a far cry
from what we see today. That is why it
is no surprise that as an industry it has
continued to evolve, with technology
spurring on many of the changes.
Getting sporting events to fans in
a way that is convenient to them and
with an increased level of engagement
is becoming more of a reality, and one
example that immediately comes to
mind is Formula One that is taking big
strides towards housing online content
and crafting a hub for its fans beyond
traditional TV. With tonnes of content
at its fingertips, stunning visuals, and
a nature that is extremely competitive
and gripping, the F1® website will only
continue to use these assets to pull in
new fans to the sport, attracted by the
rich, live experience it provides.
Continuous innovation
Companies that have kept ahead
and offer multi-channel experiences
know first-hand that it's completely
unrestrictive, and gives them a
competitive edge.
The reality is that TV is no longer the
main output for broadcast content -
with people viewing their programmes
and consuming content on PCs,
smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and
games consoles.
Whilst the shift away from watching
a favourite show at a set time on a
set day to on-demand content may
not have happened overnight, these
changes in consumer behaviour are
forcing broadcasters to innovate and
ensure they are continuously updating
their offering with a rich, affordable,
multi-channel viewing experience front
of mind.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - November 2015
