With more and more broadcasters looking to establish their own streaming services, here is our view on how Service Delivery Platforms are evolving to meet their individual needs.
There have been many shifts and changes in the video industry over recent years. One of the most interesting is the latest evolution we have noticed among broadcasters. While it was originally telcos who led the way when it came to establishing TV services, we now see many new initiatives coming from broadcasters in the market – from big TV Channels and studios to local content owners who want to bring their content directly to their viewers, with their own user applications.
Simply put, viewers’ habits and technology changes have opened new monetization options for broadcasters, reducing the technology barrier in providing their own TV service to end users. Going directly to consumers (D2C), allows them to not only use their own viewer data for monetization (targeted advertising, TV commerce), but also to better understand their audiences’ content preferences, needs, and desires.
The Path to a Successful Broadcaster-Tier Streaming Service
Like every significant opportunity, there is groundwork to be laid and the right choices to be made. This journey involves careful planning, strategic decision-making, and leveraging the right tools and technologies to achieve your goals.
Content Delivery
Broadcasters' expertise lies in content creation, whether it's local or global news, sports rights ownership, reality shows, premium series, or any other content. Until now, their focus has been on creating premium content and selling it to major TV operators. Expanding into content delivery involves a much wider and more complex ecosystem. This includes aspects such as content preparation, customer management, service management, user applications, and more. Finding solutions that offer advanced, comprehensive and easy integration into existing ecosystems can significantly streamline this transition.
Viewer Engagement
To manage a profitable D2C TV service, broadcasters need to engage their viewers effectively, expand their exposure, and continuously deliver a premium experience. Understanding the audience, offering content that piques their interests, and providing a cutting-edge user application is crucial to competing in the market. Utilizing advanced TV business analytics and data collection services can enable broadcasters to fully understand and engage with their audience, maximizing the opportunity to deliver a superior experience.
Monetization Streams
In a competitive market, different business models are required to optimize revenues – whether through live events, FAST channels, subscription-based VOD (SVOD), or Freemium to Premium. All, of course, have to come with best-in-class targeted advertising solutions. Targeted advertising solutions are a vital component of the advertising ecosystem, offering one of the key revenue opportunities for streaming services. These solutions can help broadcasters connect with viewers on the big screen, closing the loop with viewers engaging on social media channels and the monetization funnel.
By preparing the groundwork and making the right choices, broadcasters can successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities in establishing their own streaming services. This means assessing current capabilities, identifying gaps, and making informed decisions on technology and partnerships. It involves a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation, staying abreast of industry trends, and being proactive in responding to market demands. With the right strategy and tools, broadcasters can create a robust and thriving streaming service that meets the needs of their audience and achieves their business objectives.
Revamping the Service Delivery Platform
Considering the evolving industry landscape and emerging trends, success in broadcasting is much derived from the level of reach and scale. Thus, the ability to manage and control a cross-platform, multi-brand, and multi-region solution efficiently via a single, unified center becomes crucial. By adding robust content rights management to this package, broadcasters have the right recipe for global growth.
However, for broadcasters, whose core business is content creation rather than distribution, transitioning to a different operational focus can be challenging. This is where simple-to-operate, out-of-the-box solutions come into play. When these solutions are embedded with generative AI for enhanced productivity and efficiency, they enable broadcasters to adapt quickly and effectively to new demands.
Given the SDP's integral role in the broadcast chain, it must support various business models, provide advanced content and customer management capabilities, and integrate with a comprehensive partnership ecosystem. This ecosystem should ideally feature best-in-class solutions from expert companies. In essence, a robust SDP should empower service providers to establish successful, profitable, and future-proof streaming services.
VO, with its extensive experience and advanced Service Delivery Platform, exemplifies how such a system can meet these criteria. By offering solutions that seamlessly integrate into existing infrastructures and provide comprehensive management tools, VO supports broadcasters in overcoming the challenges of modern content delivery.
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