August/September 2018

Accenture: a four-point plan for media Gavin Mann on how established players will survive and prosper

ACCENTURE SPECIAL PROMOTION

pOFC DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 31/08/2018 15:53 pXX CSG DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 10:43 Digital TV Europe August/September 2018 Contents

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12. Broadcasting in the age of AI

Artificial intelligence is already having a profound effect on the media and TV space, but what applications hold most promise and what challenges need to be overcome? Andy McDonald reports.

20. The age of Android

From being an also-ran in the TV operating system space, Google’s Android TV now could be 20 set to sweep all before it, following the introduction of the service provider-friendly Operator Tier. Stuart Thomson reports.

28. Advances in advertising

As consumers fragment across platforms, how can advertisers be sure of the value of their investment? Adrian Pennington reports. 28 32. Accenture: a four-point plan for media

Media and entertainment businesses face an unprecedented array of challenges as big tech companies move into content creation and distribution. To survive and prosper, established players need to guard their core business while forging a path to unlock new revenue streams through innovation, says Accenture’s Gavin Mann in this sponsored feature.

36 36 Experience counts

Keeping audiences engaged is key to any successful video service, but how are traditional content providers adapting to today’s content market? Anna Tobin reports. 44

44. IBC 2018: the preview

This year’s IBC exhibition will take place at Amsterdam’s RAI from September 15-19.Digital TV Europe takes a look at some of this year’s technologies.

Regulars

2 This month 4 News digest 42 Viewpoint 50 Technology 54 People 56 Final analysis

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p01 Contents DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 1 04/09/2018 20:12 This month > Editor’s note Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

Issue no 340 The data issue Published By: KNect365 TMT Maple House data is the thread that runs through this issue of Digital TV 149 Tottenham Court Road Europe. The control of data, its use to deliver new consumer London W1T 7AD Big experiences, and its role as fuel for the global ambitions of big tech organ- Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5000 isations, are key to the future of the media business. Fax: +44 (0) 20 7017 4953 In this issue of the magazine we look at four topics in which data plays Website: www.digitaltveurope.net a starring role. The first is the growing importance of artificial intelligence in media. Editor Stuart Thomson The application of AI is seen to have the potential to revolutionise the Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5314 video distribution business, but what does the application of AI mean in Email: [email protected] practice? We look at the potential of AI to make TV more highly person- alised than ever before through applications such as facial recognition, voice-control and the analysis of emotions. Contributing Editor Andy McDonald Control of data is at the core of Google’s business of delivering services to consumers global- Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5293 ly, including video services through the Google Play store. Google has long coveted a stronger Email: [email protected] position in the TV space, not only as a service enabler, but also as a technology provider through its Android TV platform, and has made a number of attempts to persuade TV operators of the advantages of its technology. Those operators have in the past been reluctant to team up Contributors with Google because they fear, among other things, loss of control of their consumer data and Kate Bulkley, Kaltrina Bylykbashi, Andy Fry, dilution of their brand. Over the last year or so, however, the introduction of the Android TV Adrian Pennington, Adam Thomas, Operator Tier has transformed Google’s fortunes in the TV business. In this issue, we look at Anna Tobin the advantages offered by this platform for service providers. Data is of course most crucial to Google’s core advertising business. Commercial broadcast- Correspondents ers have seen their advertising revenues come under threat from a variety of directions, includ- France: Julien Alliot; Germany: Dieter ing the growing appeal of online content. In order to secure their future, they urgently need to Brockmeyer; Italy: Branislav Pekic make more money from their online activity as well as from legacy broadcast operations. This means accurate audience data. In this issue, we look at initiatives to provide better audience measurement across digital platforms and some of the challenges faced by broadcasters in this Commercial Director Patricia Arescy space. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5320 Data is also at the heart of delivering a personalised user experience to TV consumers that Email: [email protected] matches what they have come to expect from online platforms such as Netflix. In this issue of Digital TV Europe, we also look at the ways in which TV operators are trying to deliver a user experience that serves as a differentiator and provides something that can compete with OTT Art Director Matthew Humberstone providers. Finally in this issue, we take our customary annual look at some of the technologies that will Marketing Executive Abigail Dede be on show at the forthcoming IBC in Amsterdam, as well as providing our usual round-up of industry news and technology developments. l Printing Wyndeham Grange, West Sussex

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© 2018 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved Stuart Thomson, Editor Reproduction without permission is prohibited [email protected]

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p02 Ed Note DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 2 04/09/2018 20:04 Q&A: Steve Oetegenn, Verimatrix Steve Oetegenn, President, talks about the benets of cloud technology and a connected content distribution platform for content providers and operators.

To what extent is the potential of the cloud to make content creation and • Offers improved distribution efficiency by encrypting content just distribution more e cient still untapped? once with decryption keys and playback policies distributed separately The cloud helps deliver a radically new economic model for the and securely via Verimatrix RightsConnex for final end-device playout. infrastructure itself, reducing upfront hardware and software investments. On the hardware side, operators can convert up front capital costs into • Provides higher visibility into the process on a level not available more e cient operating costs. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) model before through automated viewership reporting and QoE analytics exploits similar factors to cut costs by converting licenses to ongoing service based on the functionality available from Verspective Analytics. agreements in which operators only pay for what they use. But the largest untapped e ciencies come from the fact that the • Eliminates revenue leaks from premium content and provides anti- infrastructure is virtualised so that functionality is dissociated from location, piracy protection from a trusted Verimatrix security envelope around which opens up the ecosystem to new operational benets not previously the entire platform. possible. Third-party ecosystems can be connected or accessed very easily just by relocating content using pointers. By e ciently and securely connecting a centralised content library to a network of global video service operators, Viewthority ultimately creates To what extent are the interests of content providers and service a collaborative and transparent environment that opens up new markets, operators aligned in relation to the use of cloud technology to make their new viewers, and new revenue streams. businesses more e cient? They both share a need to streamline and secure distribution of their How central is data and analytics to the vision of a connected platform video assets. While content providers wish to broaden and accelerate the and what benets can this deliver to participants? monetisation of assets, they need new tools to ensure content security, The ability to have unprecedented access to real-time data and analytics enforce distribution windows and downstream playback policies, and obtain is a major advantage of integrating content distribution functionality usage reporting. Video service operators, on the other hand, desire easier and into a single platform. Granular content usage, royalty reports and faster access to compelling content, combined with a reduction in cost and consumption analytics data, delivered on a timely basis, not only increases distribution complexity from the point of origination to the viewers. contract compliance e ciency, but also provides viewer insights, which By centralising the content and security workows via a common cloud enable content and services to become more compelling and engaging platform with a single point of integration, both content providers and over time. video service operators gain signicant distribution e ciencies through As the content industry expands and fragments, it becomes harder reduced and streamlined workow processes. to conduct trade in the traditional way involving direct negotiation over rights, bitrates and formats. This new approach, armed with timely and What might a connected content distribution platform look like in streamlined reporting, provides an automated platform where content practice and what additional benets would it bring to content providers discovery and negotiation, as well as secure transmission, all take place and operators? digitally. Our new platform, called Viewthority, provides unparalleled connectivity between content providers and video service operators. This innovative How can a connected platform deliver more e cient ways of managing approach, delivered as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS), streamlines end-to- security and what commercial advantages could this provide to end workows and automates video analytics and reporting. The platform content owners and distributors alike? is designed to reduce the cost and complexity of the current content While the cloud brings cost savings and new opportunities it also raises delivery processes, resulting in improved competitiveness and enabling challenges, not least because of the radical changes in the workows new business models. and in the apparent exposure to risk. The security threat surface expands Viewthority is an end-to-end platform built upon proven Verimatrix given the transparency and ubiquitous connectivity of the cloud, while technologies that: for the same reasons concerns over privacy multiply. Advanced security is imperative for this type of distribution model. • Avoids duplicate workflows by using a common cloud platform based Content providers and operators must inherently trust that the platform on the AWS infrastructure. is secure. Given the deep expertise Verimatrix brings as a revenue security provider, content providers and video service operators can be • Centralises management and control of content licensing terms, condent that Viewthority is secured with the most advanced protection distribution windows, playback policies and business rules via a dened techniques. rights management interface, which has been integrated with the MediaMorph Content Value Management Platform. Visit Verimatrix at IBC, stand is 5.A59 or visit www.verimatrix.com/viewthority

p03 Verimatrix Q&A DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 31/08/2018 10:23 News > digest Digital TV Europe August/September 2018 News digest > 4 Corbyn calls for ‘British Digital Corporation’ > 5 Sky ups startup focus > 6 Ofcom report highlights structural decline > 8 RTL continues VOD and drama focus

Corbyn calls for ‘British Digital Corporation’ to take on tech giants

By Stuart Thomson > is making Facebook and others public interest in particular, he so rich.” also called for a one-off tax to UK Labour Party leader Corbyn said the organisation, be levied on global technology Jeremy Corbyn has used the idea of which was initially giants to fund public service his Alternative McTaggart floated by James Harding, the media and journalism if a Lecture at the Edinburgh former BBC director of home future government could not International Television Festival news at the Hugh Cudlipp negotiate a longer-term funding to endorse the idea of creating lecture earlier this year, could arrangement for media with the a publicly owned British become the access point for web companies. Digital Corporation (BDC) public knowledge, information “One solution to funding – a sister organisation to the and content currently held boards could also be expanded, public interest media could BBC that could take on Netflix in the BBC archives, the with elections by BBC staff be by tapping up the digital and Amazon by delivering British Library and the British and local licence fee payers. All monopolies that profit from entertainment and information Museum. boards should be representative every search, share and like we to the public. “Imagine an expanded of the country, with a minimum make,” he said. “A BDC could use all of iPlayer giving universal access representation for women and “A strong, self-confident our best minds, the latest to licence fee payers for a minority groups,” Corbyn said. government could negotiate technology and our existing product that could rival Netflix The Labour leader said with these tech giants to public assets not only to deliver and Amazon. It would probably that empowering BBC staff create a fund, run entirely information and entertainment sell pretty well overseas as well,” would make the corporation’s independently, to support to rival Netflix and Amazon he said. top management more public interest media. Google but also to harness data for the In his lecture, Corbyn also accountable. and news publishers in France public good,” said Corbyn. called for a freeing up of the Corbyn also called for and Belgium were able to agree “A BDC could develop new BBC from government control devolution of programme a settlement. If we can’t do technology for online decision by having some executive BBC making to regional and national something similar here, but making and audience-led Board members chosen by staff level within the UK with the on a more ambitious scale, commissioning of programmes and non-executive directors by help of new regional boards. we’ll need to look at the option and even a public social media licence fee payers. Speaking about media more of a windfall tax on the digital platform with real privacy and “To help decentralise the broadly and about the need monopolies to create a public public control over the data that BBC, national and regional to support journalism in the interest media fund.”

in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, DNA has filed a complaint with the Czech Republic and has carried Viasat World’s Finland country’s commercial court over flagship factual channels since the terms of Yle’s call for tenders SAT> Viasat World on Skylink 2007, the first pay TV documenta- DTT> DNA & Yle DVB-T2 row for DVB-T2 distribution of its chan- Pay TV operator M7 Group is ry channels on the platform. Epic Finnish service provider, broadcast- nels, which the service provider to add channel provider Viasat Drama HD will be available in the er and digital-terrestrial transmis- says runs contrary to the terms of World’s recently launched Epic Smart Basic pay TV tier on Skylink, sion services provider DNA and the the country’s procurement rules. Drama service to its Skylink DTH alongside Viasat Explore, Viasat country’s public broadcaster Yle Yle had in February published and platform from September 1. Joining History and Viasat Nature – the have become embroiled in a legal then suspended a tender for tran- the Czech and Slovak pay TV carriage of which the deal also re- dispute that Yle says could delay sition to DVB-T2, before publishing service will significantly extend Epic news. An Epic Drama SVOD service the transition of the Finnish digi- a new tender document in August. Drama’s reach in the two markets. will also launch via Skylink at a date tal-terrestrial network to DVB-T2, However, DNA claims that the ten- Skylink is the biggest DTH platform to be confirmed. enabling migration to an HD service. der favours its competitor Digita.

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p04,06,08 DTVE News Digest AugSep18v4am.indd 4 04/09/2018 20:06 Digital TV Europe News > digest August/September 2018

premium sports channels from Germany Ireland Polish national commercial broad- Events caster Polsat to its programming OTT> EntertainTV goes OTT PROG> Virgin Media Sport line-up, giving subscribers access IBC 2018 Deutsche Telekom is due to Virgin Media in Ireland is due to to UEFA Champions League and Date: 13 - 18 September launch its EntertainTV service for launch its new Virgin Media Sport Europa League football ahead of Venue: Rai, Amsterdam, The customers that use other internet channel on September 18. The the kick-off the 2018-19 Champions Netherlands providers for the first time this channel, dubbed by the pay TV League season. The cable operator W: show.ibc.org autumn. The operator is launching provider as ‘Ireland’s new home of has added Polsat Sport Premium EntertainTV as an OTT package for European football’ will broadcast 1 and 2 and four Polsat Sport Pre- Content Innovation Awards iOS and Android, with details to be Irish-produced coverage of the mium pay-per-view services to its Date: 14 October released in October. The telco said UEFA Champions League and UEFA channels line-up, making all Cham- Venue: Carlton Hotel Grand that EntertainTV OTT users will Europa League. Virgin Media Sport pions League matches available live Salon, Cannes, France be able to enjoy the same content will be available to all Virgin Media to its subscribers, starting with the W: contentinnovationawards.com as its own customers. However, TV customers at no extra cost and play-offs. The Polsat Sports chan- timeshift, restart and replay func- is due to air more than 400 live nels will be available on the Horizon MIPCOM tions will be reserved for customers European matches this season. Go mobile advanced TV service as Date: 17 - 18 October of the ‘classic EntertainTV package’. well as the main television screen. Venue: Palais des Festivals, The news was announced at IFA, Robert Redeleanu, CEO of UPC Cannes, France where Telekom also said it will Poland Poland, said that the deal would W: mipcom.com integrate Amazon Prime content enable UPC’s customers to watch into EntertainTV, making it “excep- PROG> UPC adds Polsat the Champions League and Europa Sportel Monaco tionally easy” for users to search for Liberty Global-owned Polish cable League in high quality for the next Date: 22 - 24 October Amazon series like The Grand Tour. operator UPC Poland has added three years. Venue: Grimaldi Forum, Monaco W: sportelmonaco.com

Sky ups startup focus in Berlin and Tel Aviv Broadband World Forum Date: 23 - 25 October By Andy McDonald > new chapter for us and we can’t Venue: Berlin Messe, Berlin, wait to get started and uncover Germany Sky plans to open a new office new, innovative startups across W: tmt.knect365.com/bbwf in Berlin and invest US$4 the regions and beyond.” million in an Israeli VC fund in Sky Deutschland CEO TV Connect MENA an effort to scale up its startup Carsten Schmidt added: “I look Date: 29-30 October investments across Central and forward to us establishing more Venue: Dubai Marina, Dubai, UAE Northern Europe and Israel. partnerships with early stage W: tmt.knect365.com/tv-con- The Berlin office will give Sky Kevin Baxpehler and former companies by setting up our nect-mena/ a local presence among the city’s Partner at Google Ventures Berlin based office this year.” growing startup scene and allow Europe, Eze Vidra. Sky said the Sky established its London Africa Video Forum it to build relationships with partnership will give it more startup-focused team in 2012 and Date: 13 - 15 November investors and entrepreneurs. access to the county’s technology opened its San Francisco office in Venue: CTICC, Cape Town, Sky’s Berlin team will have a market, which includes a strong 2014. Since then it has invested South Africa remit to scout for companies pool of talent in computer vision in more than 20 companies W:tmt.knect365.com/africacom/ across Germany and the Nordics, and machine learning. across the UK, US and France. africa-video-forum extending the company’s existing “Six years on from our first Sky has invested in companies London and San Francisco-based investment, we’re expanding our including: Roku, which powers OTTtv World Summit startup efforts. startup activity across Europe and its Now TV streaming device; Date: 28-29 November In Israel, Sky will invest in newly Israel,” said Emma Lloyd, group virtual reality firm Jaunt; over- Venue: Inmarsat, London launched Tel Aviv-based venture director of business development the-top streaming platform W:tmt.knect365.com/ ot- capital fund Remagine Ventures, and partnerships at Sky. 1Mainstream; and Drone ttv-world-summit/ which will focus specifically “Spending time in both Berlin Racing League. Sky says it on technology, entertainment, and Tel Aviv has left us hugely invests to accelerate innovation, Mobile World Congress data and commerce startups. impressed with the energy, identify growth and achieve cost Date: 25-28 February The fund is managed by former dynamism and talent of both efficiencies through the adoption Venue: Barcelona, Spain ProSiebenSat1.Media investor tech scenes. This is an exciting of new operating models. W: www.mobileworldcongress.com

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p04,06,08 DTVE News Digest AugSep18v4am.indd 5 04/09/2018 20:06 News > digest Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

logue TV service, Antenna Akado, in package free of charge to con- Global Wrap Portugal the south-eastern part of Moscow. verged customers for one year. TV Lyubov Klyonova, director of sales, Total is Vodafone’s most complete Facebook has secured exclu- PROG> Eleven’s Bundesliga said that it was important to broad- TV offering, with 120 channels and sive free-to-air rights for cer- Eleven Sports has extended its en the offering of analogue TV, multiple on-demand services in- tain UEFA Champions League Bundesliga rights deal in Portugal which remains the main source of cluding HBO España and AXN Now live matches across Span- and will now broadcast live top- information for some categories of exclusively. The offer will be open ish-speaking territories in Latin flight German football for three citizens. She said that the Antenna to subscribers to the operator’s America from 2018-2021. The years from the 2018/19 season. The service was used by the majority Vodafone One converged service football deal grants Facebook broadcaster previously announced of residents in the south-eastern who sign up between August 20 the rights to broadcast 32 live a two-year Portuguese agreement district. The new channels on the until September 30. Subscribers matches each season, for three with Bundesliga in June, which analogue tier include Discovery also have the option of adding seasons, including the final and was due to start from the 2019/20 Channel, Dom Kino, Russkiy Roman, Vodafone’s Cine pack for one year UEFA Super Cup. India’s Via- season. The new deal brings this Trick, TNT-4, TNT-Music, Mul’t, O!, at half price and its truncated com18 is due to launch its vid- start-date forward and adds an Doktor, and Sony Channel. football package for €5 a month. eo-on-demand platform VOOT extra year to the agreement. Vodafone is also gifting 25GB of in the UK in November and is additional data to contract mobile planning 18 original series for Spain and convergent customers for the service. Viacom18 Motion Russia September. The TV Total offering Pictures will produce multi-lin- CAB> Vodafone TV Total means that Vodafone customers gual, multi-genre, web series CAB> Akado adds channels Cable and mobile telecoms opera- can have the package along with for VOOT under the Tipping Russian pay TV service provider tor Vodafone España has stepped Vodafone One with 4GB of mobile Point Films banner. Emerging Akado has added a raft of new up its fight against incumbent rival data and 100Mbps fibre broadband markets SVOD service Iflix is channels to the line-up of its ana- Telefónica by offering its TV Total for €52 a month. set to launch a 24-hour news service in all 28 of its markets from early September. Iflix Ofcom: growing risks of structural decline in TV News will aggregate live news streams, clips, and linear feeds By Andy McDonald > 15% in 2017 to an average of from international, regional and one hour 24 minutes, while local news authorities and re- TV viewing in the UK has been 16-24s’ viewing fell by 12% gional partners for the offering falling since 2010 but saw a to an average of one hour 40 include CNN, Al Jazeera, DW, steeper decline in 2017, with minutes. This meant that over CGTN and CCTV 4. According the risks of structural decline 54s, who make up just 28% of to Kagan, S&P Global Market in the industry appearing to be the UK population, accounted Intelligence, Nigeria accounted growing. for 51% of broadcast TV viewing for 29% of Africa’s multichan- This was one of the findings in 2017. the risks of structural decline nel subscribers and 22.4% of of Ofcom’s Communications At the same time, Ofcom appear to be growing as viewing its TV households at the end Market Report, a major study on said that people now watch an figures fall and online video of 2017. The country profile how communications services average of 88 minutes of non- advertising grows,” said Ofcom. report estimates that Nigeria’s are changing in the UK, which broadcast content on TV each “There was also a decline multichannel market had more shines a light on how the take- day. Its recent Media Nations in pay TV revenues in 2017, than 27 million TV households up of faster broadband and report said that 16-34 year-olds after many years of growth, and more than 6.9 million pay connected TVs are changing watched an average of two hours indicating a challenging market TV subscribers at the end of how people watch programmes. 39 minutes of non-broadcast for pay TV operators such as Sky last year, up 9.1% compared The report said that nine in 10 content a day – including 59 and Virgin Media, which face to 2016. Warner Bros. and DC people still watched broadcast minutes of YouTube – on PCs, competition from subscription Entertainment will launch their TV every week in 2017, for phones and tablets. on-demand services like Netflix digital subscription service, an average of three hours 23 “These changes in viewing and Amazon Prime.” DC Universe, in the US on minutes a day. However, this behaviour present major Ofcom said total broadcaster September 15. The service will figure was down nine minutes challenges to broadcasters. revenue was down by 4% offer new original live-action a day compared to the previous Television advertising revenues in 2017 to £13.6 billion ( 15 and animated series, older TV year, with the steepest fall fell by 7% in real terms in 2017, billion), driven by a decline in ad series and films and a curated among children and young and while this may be largely revenue and the proportion of selection of digital comic books. adults. Children’s viewing fell due to macro-economic factors, the licence fee attributed to TV.

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p04,06,08 DTVE News Digest AugSep18v4am.indd 6 04/09/2018 20:06 Q&A: Gernot Jaeger, Zattoo

Gernot Jaeger, Chief O cer, B2B TV solutions at Zattoo, talks about Zattoo’s rst US customer, Hotwire Communications.

Zattoo has now entered the US market with the Florida-based operator multiscreen service. In the initial phase, focus will be on mobile devices Hotwire Communications. What were Hotwire’s speci c requirements? with iOS, Android and Windows 10 operating systems, as well as on a We have been providing fully hosted & managed end-to-end TV solutions to browser player for PC & Mac. telcos, cable operators and mobile network operators in Europe with great The service will then be extended to include streaming devices like success. Our platform covers the entire TV service from ingest all the way Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. Along with linear Live TV and to the applications including content protection for e cient monetization. Video on Demand in SD, HD and UHD quality, the service oers state-of- With our scalable hosted platform - the Zattoo “TV Hub” - the operator does the-art interactive functionality such as instant restart, time shift, replay not have to invest in hardware or software for its own TV service. TV, network DVR. As one of the US leading ber optics telecommunications providers, Hotwire Communications oers ISP services under their Fision brand to a What other bene ts does Hotwire get from using Zattoo’s platform? large and growing number of communities and customers along the US Hotwire Communications already serves hundreds of communities and East Coast. Hotwire Communications was looking for a partner who gives successfully follows an impressive growth strategy. As our platform is them freedom and exibility to support the specic requirements arising exible for further growth, the growing number of communities can from their business model of serving a large number and wide variety of benet from the state of the art Video services in the future. In order to dierent communities. facilitate further growth from the central TV hub, caching servers can be Among all the solutions they looked at, Zattoo stood out with the implemented close to the end user for e cient content distribution. experience and scale serving millions of TV customers in Europe, as well as with the support of a wide range of devices. A key deciding factor was the What are the next steps for Zattoo as it moves to expand globally? rich feature set that our TV-as-a-Service platform supports out of the box. The rst deployment in the US with Hotwire Communications proves that For the market entry in the US, we have deployed a central “TV Hub” Zattoo’s TV-as-a-Service platform can be easily ported to other regions by in the US. It is hosted in Hotwire Communications’ co-location facility in using a regional TV hub. This approach will be replicated in other regions. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The scalability of our proprietary technology and Early this year we have opened a representative o ce in Singapore Hotwire Communications’ state-of-the-art video headend and datacenter serving as a base for expansion into the Asia Pacic region. Opening facilities with excellent connectivity make the newly established TV Hub the Singapore marks an important milestone in our strategy to serve ideal basis to serve additional operators in the Americas. network operators, OTT players and media companies around the globe with our state-of-the-art, easy to deploy and cost-e cient TV-as-a- What did Zattoo provide for Hotwire and what makes this oering Service model. unique? For Hotwire Communications we have been developing a feature-rich Visit Zattoo at IBC, Stand 14.G04

pXX Zattoo Q&A DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 17:05 News > digest Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

time as part of a new deal with Sweden Switzerland UK Scottish broadcaster. The four-year partnership will also give Scottish IPTV> Kinnevik MTG shares IPTV> Swisscom on the up PROG> BBC voice first Virgin TV customers access to fully Swedish conglomerate Kinnevik Incumbent telco and IPTV operator The BBC has launched its first voice regionalised versions of STV in high has completed the distribution of Swisscom grew its TV base by experience for children, allowing definition. Virgin Media will broad- its shares in media outfit Modern 3.7% year-on-year after adding kids to play along with their favour- cast STV in HD in all cabled STV re- Times Group to its shareholders, 54,000 TV connections in the first ite characters via Amazon Echo gions – Glasgow, Edinburgh and signalling its exit from ownership of six months of the year, reaching smart speakers. The BBC Kids Skill Dundee – on channel slot 103 of the the media company. Kinnevik has a record 1.5 million TV customers has launched with three games fea- electronic programme guide. distributed a total of 13,503,856 at the end of June. The Swiss turing CBeebies characters – Little MTG Class B shares to its sharehold- multi-play operator said that TV and Monster’s Hide and Seek, Andy’s OTT> BrewDog taps SVOD ers. This total includes 4,461,691 broadband connections continue Adventure Dance Party and Go Scottish craft brewery BrewDog, has MTG Class B shares that have been to grow, with strong demand for Jetter’s Glitchy Facts. Children and launched The BrewDog Network, a recently reclassified from MTG Class inOne bundled offerings continuing adults can access the content by curated SVOD service celebrating A shares. Kinnevik took the decision in the second quarter. In the first asking their smart speaker to “open beer. The service will be available to distribute its shares in MTG earlier half of the year roughly 550,000 CBeebies” and then selecting which worldwide for US$4.99 ( 4.30) per this year after the merger deal customers opted for inOne, pushing game they want to play. month, kicking off with 100 hours between mobile telecoms player the total subscriber base for the worth of content. The service is set Tele2 and cable operator Com Hem, offering to 1.89 million customers CAB> STV Player on Virgin to launch 14 original series includ- when Kinnevik agreed to put into at the end of June – meaning that Virgin Media will launch Scottish ing The BrewDog Show, Are You effect pro-competitive measures, if inOne covers 43% of all mobile commercial broadcaster STV’s Smarter Than a Drunk Person, and required, to ensure approval of the subscriptions and 48% of fixed-line on-demand service, STV Player, a game show hosted by actress and deal. broadband connections. on its set-top boxes for the first comedian Alison Becker.

RTL continues VOD and drama focus, rules out Endemol deal

By Andy McDonald and “We will further increase a year earlier. Kaltrina Bylykbashi > investments in our video- For the first half of the year, on-demand services, with a group revenue was up 2.3% RTL announced strong Q2 and clear focus on local, exclusive to a record €3.05 billion while H1 results as it focuses on its content, and gradually adopt reported EBITDA was up by two main growth initiatives a hybrid model – combining 1.9% to €638 million. – building mass-audience a free, advertising-financed RTL announced in June that VOD services and expanding service with a premium pay it would significantly expand FremantleMedia’s drama product,” said Habets. TV Now by offering additional output. “First examples of our local and exclusive content. Speaking after the company’s building strong local streaming It said that paid subscriber quarterly results, CEO Bert earnings announcement that champions are the upcoming numbers grew 43.5% year-on- Habets revealed to Reuters FremantleMedia is seeking massive expansion of TV Now year at the end of Q2. that RTL has dropped out of funding for “at least 35 scripted in Germany and Videoland in In April RTL Nederland also the race to purchase Endemol series ideas” and estimated the Netherlands.” unveiled plans to merge its ad- Shine, commenting that “we that international drama For the second quarter, RTL funded platform RTL XL and stepped out of the process.” productions will generate more Group’s revenue was up by its subscription VOD service, “At Fremantle, we focus on than 20% of FremantleMedia’s 3.6% year-on-year to €1.63 Videoland, into a single platform. expanding our scripted output total revenue in 2019. billion, mainly driven by digital Endemol Shine owners – and we are very successful The German broadcaster and FremantleMedia. Apollo Global and Twenty- in doing so,” he said. “We continued its business Reported EBITDA was First Century Fox put the Big aim to grow the business development and ‘Total Video’ up 4.7% to €379 million, Brother creator up for sale in going forward in the scripted strategy in the first half of the driven by RTL Nederland July for €2.5-4 billion. Press and unscripted domain by year. In a rapidly changing and Groupe M6. Meanwhile, reports from earlier this year small-and medium-sized video industry, it said growth net profit attributable to RTL suggested other interested acquisitions.” is mainly coming from non- Group shareholders was €207 parties could include ITV, Habets stated in RTL’s linear or streaming services. million, up from €183 million Liberty Global and Vivendi.

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p04,06,08 DTVE News Digest AugSep18v4am.indd 8 04/09/2018 20:06 pXX Spacecom DYVE AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 10:47 Q&A: Kris Warreyn, Alpha Networks

Alpha Networks’ CEO Kris Warreyn talks about the Hubee acquisition, the smart TV market and the key challenges faced by service providers.

Why did Alpha Networks acquire Hubee earlier this year? What are the key challenges service providers face and how is this The acquisition of Hubee complements our value proposition and shaping their technology choices? helps us to better address the new needs and challenges of network One of their main challenges is probably how to cope with the OTT operators and media companies worldwide. Hubee components will platforms such as Netix and Amazon. They can either chose to be integrated within our portfolio of products to be showcased during compete with them, or aggregate that content within their overall IBC. This acquisition is also strengthening our video expertise and is o ering. In the rst instance, they will focus on specic content and complementing our monetisation solutions by adding the advertisement user experience to di erentiate themselves. In the second instance, driven component to our portfolio. Last but not least, this acquisition is they will be able to aggregate the di erent content sources and increasing and diversifying our customer base. become the main hub for the viewers to access any content. The latter can also be an advantage for the di erent OTT platform providers as it How far does this acquisition signal a change in strategy for Alpha increases their potential subscriber base. Networks, and what market need does this re ect? If service providers choose to compete with OTT platforms, they will The acquisition accelerates our strategy and allows us to o er an need technology partners with a strong UX expertise, exible enough integrated TV platform, combining the strengths of Alpha Networks’ to anticipate new watching behaviours and capable of delivering new back-end tucano with the user experience skills and solutions of Hubee. features fast. This new smart TV platform is broadening our addressable market to If service providers choose to aggregate content from OTT platforms, broadcasters, channels and other content owners. Being an end-to-end they will need a TV platform that is network and device agnostic, able platform, it is the perfect solution for operators who want to launch a to integrate any type of content source or metadata, and display cost-e ective and reliable video service fast. di erent content in a unied way.

How signicant is the opportunity in the smart TV market and what is What other plans and priorities do you have for the near future? driving growth? We will integrate Hubee team and products into Alpha Networks so that In the pay TV and OTT market, traditional TV remains the dominant we can deliver a unique value proposition to each of our customers. screen to access content, even though user engagement is increasingly These solutions will integrate our core competences: combining content realised through other devices. The approach of service providers is data and viewer behaviour information in a convergent platform, now becoming more comprehensive and oriented to market standards allowing our customers to o er a personalised user experience to their such as Android TV. This change is accelerating the improvement of di erent subscribers. And we will keep our focus on what gives us added user interfaces and user experience on these devices, and we see more value: our innovative product roadmap, the quality of our services and and more viewers switching to connected TVs as they become more our short time to market strategy. popular in the home. Operators can benet of this trend as it lowers their expenditure. Come and meet Alpha Networks at IBC on stand H5.B31

pXX Alpha Networks Q&A AugSep18.indd 1 24/08/2018 17:25 pXX Alpha Networks DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 10:46 Technology focus > AI Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

Broadcasting in the age of AI Artificial intelligence is already having a profound effect on the media and TV space, but what applications hold most promise and what challenges need to be overcome? Andy McDonald reports.

intelligence (AI) and We talked to some of the leading technology across use cases like content creation, closed Artificial machine learning providers in this space and look at how AI and captioning, advanced metadata, and cognitive (ML) will have a profound impact on businesses ML is being deployed and look at the limitations highlight clipping. As AI and machine-learning and working practices n the coming years, with that must be overcome for the technology to models continue to be refined, we’ll see more the TV and broadcasting space no exception. continue to evolve. companies turn to AI as a foundational The technology is already being used to technology for their daily operations.” analyse and understand video content in an IBM Watson Media’s core offering is Video automated and efficient way. While this can Data crunching Enrichment, which automatically identifies help speed up processes like searching for complex content within a video to generate content, putting together video clips, and IBM has a series of products and services that new, advanced metadata. This makes it easier distributing it to the right places, how far are designed to understand and learn what is for content owners to search their video this will encroach into the creative process of contained inside a video. IBM Watson Media libraries, deciding which content to match with making programming and content is still to be brings IBM’s artificial intelligence offering to advertisers, and reduces the time it takes to seen. the media and entertainment industry and is create highlights clips. The company recently AI can also help operators and broadcasters designed to support content owners across the partnered with Fox Sports to provide an AI- to gain a deeper understanding of their content lifecycle. powered highlight experience for the 2018 audiences, which can bring a range of benefits “Artificial intelligence is a game changer for World Cup and earlier this year created an – from personalised recommendations the broadcasting industry,” says David Kulczar, interactive, AI-powered viewer experience for and targeted offers to emotional response senior offering manager, IBM Watson Media. the 2018 Grammy awards. measurement. “In a few short years, we’ve seen innovation IBM also recently launched Watson

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p12-14,16 AI DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 12 04/09/2018 18:13 Digital TV Europe Technology focus > AI August/September 2018

Captioning, a service that automatically to sit through a few minutes of television Paul Shen, who refers to the shift as ‘media 4.0’ captions live video programming like weather advertisements before the programme finally – analogous with AI-led ‘industry 4.0’. reports and breaking news, as well as on- starts because it started later than scheduled.” TVU’s MediaMind suite of solutions delivers demand content. This can be trained with Piksel’s vice-president of engineering Gerald its media 4.0 vision, and includes AI engines location-specific data sets to make sure local Chao believes that there are unexplored search that recognise video content and automates its language nuances like landmarks, sports and discovery experiences that deep metadata creation and distribution to specific platforms teams and politicians are accurately captioned. can enable, “such as via facial recognition, and devices – like smartphones, TVs and social “IBM Watson Media’s biggest priority is emotional context, and plot analysis, to media. In this process, TVU indexes video enabling our customers to stay competitive enhance how media would be discovered and using metadata generated by MediaMind’s AI in an increasingly crowded and fragmented consumed in the future”. engine, while TVU Producer creates content media landscape,” says Kulczar. “We provide The company currently provides tech for different platforms or audience groups. our partners with the tools they need to solutions to big-name companies like Liberty “Media 4.0 is about enabling the mass increase workflow efficiencies and enhance Global, Sky, OSN and Channel 4, and its production of content for individual audiences the viewer experience, all of which impact the AI and ML tools help editors to do their jobs through the automation of video production bottom line.” more efficiently – for example by identifying and distribution. This helps media companies UK-based Media Distillery uses AI to duplicate records, erroneous data or metadata looking to produce more content without analyse video for what it terms ‘deep content inconsistencies. Its AI can also extract deep increasing their expenditures,” says Shen. understanding’. Its technology is used by TV metadata from assets that would traditionally He claims that TVU Mediamind “creates a operators such as Telenet in Belgium and require manual review and data entry. new story-centric workflow, as opposed to helps them to optimise the user experience in Chao believes there is “plenty of headroom” a programme-centric one” and “opens the their replay environments. They can use Media for AI and ML to be used to improve operational floodgates for how programs are produced and Distillery to find out what is in their video efficiencies – like business intelligence, distributed”. content, who is on screen and when, what a forecasting and cost modelling – and sees Over in Tel Aviv, a company called Minute programme is about, or when a programme the opportunity for ML to optimise decision has developed a video optimisation technology started and ended. planning. that automatically generates highlights from “Our technology identifies a number of full-length videos. The company’s ‘smart video visual and audial aspects from video, such previews’ product generates what company as speech, faces and objects. By combining Content creation and CEO Amit Golan describes as “the most these aspects, our technology even identifies distribution effective five to seven-second teasers of the the topic of the content,” says Media Distillery most interesting portion of a video,” which CEO, Roland Sars. “TV operators currently Using AI to understand content is a powerful replaces the traditionally static thumbnail that use our technology to solve the most pressing use of the technology, but machine learning usually acts as a placeholder for a video. consumer frustrations in relation to watching also has the power to create and then distribute “These highlights lead to increased click- television programs in a replay environment. video to the end-viewer. “Currently, the video through rates by an average of 300% and help These frustrations include missing out on industry is experiencing its own sea change in the first couple of minutes of a programme the way video content is produced, distributed Media Distillery’s technology is used by because they were not recorded or having and consumed,” says TVU Networks CEO operators like Telenet in Belguim.

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p12-14,16 AI DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 13 04/09/2018 18:13 Technology focus > AI Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

to drive consumer engagement for publishers, Make.TV is also trying to help broadcasters and applications. which leads to additional advertising dollars,” production teams identify the right feeds for “We predict AI will have a huge impact on claims Golan. He adds that during the World their segments. many various parts of the broadcast chain, Cup this summer the technology was used by Make.TV CEO Andreas Jacobi says that including: natural language processing for a partner to generate teasers and highlights in in the near future he expects workflows to be voice and speech; content understanding on real time and resulted in “an increase of 13% of able to integrate face and object recognition, audio, video and subtitle processing; advertising new users to the live stream”. enabling operators to automatically trigger placement; discovery and recommendations; Wibbitz is an AI-powered video creation graphics or switch between content – for and personalisation,” says ThinkAnalyics platform that uses patented technology to example to follow a specific cyclist or car in a founder and CTO, Peter Docherty. analyse and summarise text-based information race, or automatically transfer segments to a “The key priorities are expanding the into video storyboards. The company’s tech different server. product portfolio with further enhancements selects relevant media, including videos, In the longer-term, once AI and machine to our viewer analytics and audience insight images, GIFs and soundtracks from its learning algorithms are properly trained, solutions. These are two areas that complement licensed media library to match the main idea he says: “We imagine whole live streams our strong content discovery heritage and help of the text, adding text styles, transitions, and being automatically generated based on pre- customers to become more agile and better branded elements to each scene of the video. configured rules – the operator becomes the drive their business forward.” “Once our technology takes care of the heavy teacher, the AI/ML algorithm becomes the new Payments expert Paywizard recently lifting in the video creation process, our users operator.” Like Dayan he believes that AI will launched an artificial intelligence-driven are able to add their own creative touch and get still need the guidance of a trained team to be subscriber intelligence platform. Paywizard their video out into the world in just a couple able to work efficiently. Singula is designed to let pay TV operators of minutes,” says Wibbitz CEO Zohar Dayan. and OTT providers take a more data-driven Although AI often carries the negative stigma approach to customer engagement by using that it could one day replace humans altogether, Know your audience subscriber insights and AI to reduce churn, Dayan believes that the technology will be a grow average revenue per user and acquire complement rather than a replacement to For the viewer, recommendations are new customers. content creators and storytellers. a prominent example of AI in action. “The notion is that you can harness data Founded in 2011 with offices in NYC,Tel Aviv, Underpinning this are broader efforts to to predict how likely a subscriber is to churn and Paris, the company supports video creation understand viewer sentiment – something that or how great their propensity to purchase a for more than 400 publishers and brands, a host of companies are helping operators and package is, but what makes Paywizard Singula helping them to increase audience engagement content providers with. so unique and powerful is that it allows operators to accurately identify the best action to take next in real time – in other words, “As AI and ML models continue to be determine what activity or interaction will work to keep that customer happy, on-board and refined, we’ll see more companies turn to AI positive about their experience,” says Paywizard as a foundational technology for their daily CEO, Bhavesh Vaghela. “This action could be to offer a timely promotion, an informative operations.” communication, or even the decision to do David Kulczar, IBM Watson Media nothing, depending on the recommendations provided within the Paywizard Singula and ad revenues across desktop, mobile, and ThinkAnalytics has a background in platform.” social media. Its partners include Reuters, personalised recommendations and uses AI The Paywizard Singula launch comes Forbes, Bloomberg, and The Weather Channel. and machine learning to power services like shortly after the company partnered with the “By partnering with Wibbitz, The Weather this and natural language voice discovery. EPCC data science unit at the University of Channel has been able to pair their hyper- AI is at the heart of ThinkAnalytics’ big data Edinburgh to develop advanced predictive localisation capabilities with our video creation analytics platform for the TV space, which lets models of consumer behaviour and automated technology, and redefine this experience on a its clients analyse data in real time to help them processes, a move that will help develop digital screen through digital media network boost engagement or drive decisions about Paywizard’s AI-driven capabilities. The initial LocalNow,” says Dayan. content buying, pricing, and promotions. project will see a team of data scientists working Elsewhere, Make.TV is integrating AI into ThinkAnalytics’ customer base includes alongside Paywizard’s internal business its Live Video Cloud solution, which it will the BBC, Liberty Global, Proximus, Cox, intelligence team to deliver the new enhanced debut at IBC this year. The offering is designed Rogers, Sky, and Swisscom. Earlier this year functionalities, with Paywizard looking to to let broadcasters and publishers acquire, it also partnered with Indian pay TV and expand its internal team with University of curate, route and distribute local live video OTT provider Tata Sky to power personalised Edinburgh graduates. sources from and to any destination. However, content recommendations across connected With a focus purely on sentiment, New York- acquiring content is only the first step and devices – initially on Tata Sky’s mobile and PC based Canvs claims to be the industry standard

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p12-14,16 AI DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 14 04/09/2018 18:13 Q&A: Andy Shenkler, Deluxe

Andy Shenkler, Chief Product Ocer at Deluxe, talks about the challenges faced by media companies in managing the content supply chain and the benets of using a cloud-based platform.

What are the main challenges faced by media companies in managing more of our customers and partners continue to migrate their operations the content supply chain? to the cloud, we’re seeing a rapid increase in eciency and reliability. The biggest challenge is standardised information: with the growing number of content creators, there is less consistency with how content, What is the target market for this technology and what are its key and its related data, is represented or shared between entities. Even dierentiators? something as simple as a basic title hierarchy to describe a piece of content Our goal was to create a platform that creators and distributors of all sizes can change materially between organisations. It can be challenging to could use. It’s exible and modular so that a customer can use one piece of have to support so many di erent “standards”. The goal is to create an it and leave the rest, or take advantage of the full end-to-end ecosystem. orthogonal dataset (a structure that will allow everyone to describe their But, the real power lies in the fact that every aspect of the platform is data in their own way) that will also allow for frictionless distribution and a integrated, so the more aspects you leverage the easier it gets to use. consistent user experience across platforms. There are a lot of companies leveraging the cloud, but Deluxe One is Why is this so critical? Because when content is organised it can be unique in that it’s built on the back of the largest content supply chain in automated, ultimately leading to a faster time to market and the ability to the world. Deluxe is the only provider with a true end-to-end capability monetise content in new ways, which becomes even more important as from lens to living room, and now we’ve made that capability more broadcasters compete for audiences everywhere at an increasing speed. accessible and scalable than ever before. In contrast to a traditional MAM or DAM system, Deluxe One enables an What is Deluxe One and how can it aid content companies to meet their entire ecosystem from creation to consumption. Leveraging deep system needs? logic on the backend, Deluxe One creates clean set of assets upstream with Deluxe One is a cloud-based platform that brings together our Hollywood- robust metadata speeding up the creation of downstream deliverables by tested, end-to-end products and services - from content acquisition and reducing redundancy and wasted resources. title and asset management, to localisation, distribution, and through to consumer experiences of OTT / linear playout. What use case can you highlight to illustrate Deluxe One’s bene ts? Deluxe One organises your content and connects it, unifying a We’ve found that one of the most exciting things about Deluxe One is its traditionally fragmented content supply chain. A window into your ability to allow for easy global expansion into new markets. When moving content, Deluxe One provides interconnectivity and transparency to into a new territory with legal requirements, Deluxe One can take on the manage assets, process orders, orchestrate workows, and connect to an burden of distribution agreements and eliminate the need for a large ecosystem of content creators, distributors, and vendors. operations team to sort through the various requirements. What are the main bene ts of using a cloud-based platform in delivering After syncing with their library, OTTs nd that Deluxe One can manage a uni ed supply chain? all their assets and provide distribution services directly in-app, simplifying As new technologies continue to emerge, and with the pace of consumer localization, packaging and delivery while providing title tracking to demand not slowing, the cloud allows us to constantly upgrade our tech coordinate release windows across di erent markets and devices to and also scale up and down as capacity needs change. By shifting away maximise monetisation. from on-premise infrastructure, we’re able to invest in the future of the For MVPDs, Deluxe One can help reduce the time and costs associated industry versus just meeting today’s current demands. with content management. MVPDs work with hundreds of di erent The cloud not only helps decrease time to market, but also allows us content owners and providers, seemingly countless les, and processing to o er our customers exible and more predictable cost models. We’re those les individually can be an expensive process. Deluxe One can ingest no longer held captive to long lead times of infrastructure acquisition or assets from all your content providers and provide a view into everything capacity constraints. We’re able to rapidly scale up infrastructure in order to at once through our title library, with automated processing, and provide support our clients’ peaks, as well as increase capacity for managing new visibility into where everything is at any given time. and emerging large format les like UHD and 4K. What once took days or weeks to procure can now emerge in a matter of minutes. As more and Come and visit Deluxe at IBC on stand H7.C49

pXX Deluxe Q&A AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 10:16 Technology focus > AI Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

Wibbitz’s technology is designed to take the heavy lifting out of video creation.

biggest issues surrounding AI as not the technology itself, but making sure that you have good data to work from. He says that it is easy to waste too much time getting data out of silos – data that must then be cleaned and transformed to avoid suffering ‘garbage in, garbage out’. At the same time, hiring skilled people to do such work presents another challenge. The scope and scale of datasets is also cited as a challenge by Borum at Reelio. “Pre- acquisition, Reelio relied on a combination of very large, publicly available datasets, as well as smaller, proprietary datasets,” he explains. “Combining those two and leveraging them to for emotion measurement. The company uses marketing platform Reelio in a move designed train AI in a way that is unique and valuable patented semantic AI and machine learning to make the influencer marketing process is quite challenging. Now that we’re part of systems to understand how people feel, why “automated, scalable, and streamlined from Fullscreen, the scale of the data we have access they feel that way, and the business impact start to finish”. to is significantly larger and significantly more that creates for brands, agencies, and media Reelio’s AI platform identifies which varied. This solves many of our previous companies. creators would work well with brands based on challenges and simultaneously creates new Canvs’ clients include Comcast, Fox, Turner the audiences that they share and the relevance ones.” and Netflix, and earlier this year NBCUniversal of content to the advertiser. It also predicts the Minute’s CEO Amit Golan says that AI needs signed up to use the Canvs Surveys product return on investment a brand might see when a defined question to get the right answer. If to get a consistent and accurate read on open- working with influencers across a set of social the question is vague or subjective, the insight ended survey responses. The NBC research media platforms and formats and suggests gained might not be appropriate. Data sets also department also uses Canvs for pilot testing. how to optimally allocate budgets. need to be big enough to yield good results, with Canvs CEO Jared Feldman claims that it “Consumers have had a very tenuous a large amount of data or content on the same helped to cut the time it takes NBC to sort relationship with advertising over the last few topic required for 100% accuracy. out survey responses from 16-hours to one, decades, to put it mildly,” says Reelio CEO Pete Kulczar at IBM says that video is a complex while providing “never-before-seen normative Borum. “Our mission is to transition the world medium with nuances that AI technology insights across pilots”. away from advertising that is interruptive and needs to be trained to understand – for “Ninety percent of human decisions are annoying, to unintrusive branded content that example, crowd noise at a golf tournament based on emotion, and there is no trusted entertains, educates and inspires – all while will be very different to that at a football match, standard in quantifying emotional response driving real and measurable ROI to advertisers.” but both in their own context can indicate at scale. Canvs is able to use its patented excitement levels. semantic AI to decode the unnatural language “One aspect of the technology that is often phenomenon,” says Feldman. “Put simply, Learnings and limitations overlooked is training. AI is only as good as the Canvs uses AI to provide immediate emotional dataset it is trained on and creating an intelligent and topical analysis of words expressed online, While the existing benefits and the further system requires the right information,” he says. via surveys, anywhere.” potential of AI and ML for the broadcast and “While the past two years have been critical for Discussing the company’s main priorities, media industries seem clear, there are still AI innovation, and the technology has proven Feldman says that he wants to help ensure challenges that must be overcome. to be a gamechanger for media, we are still in that Canvs’ broadcast partners use it daily to Shen at TVU argues that the greatest of the early days of artificial intelligence.” create research efficiencies, unlock marketing these is the perception that AI-led solutions will While predictions for an AI-powered ‘fourth opportunities and increase revenue. “Our be much more powerful in a year from now, industrial revolution’ seem to fall anywhere biggest challenge is where to focus because meaning that AI is “pretty much only deployed from automated disruption to full robot Canvs is applicable to so many markets beyond today if it’s both the only solution for a task and apocalypse, for the media industry there are media,” he says. “If Canvs can continue to be that task absolutely needs to be accomplished.” certainly promising signs that AI will both the enabling agent that transforms emotion However, he believes that the time when AI help companies assemble and sort content and insights into business-critical media decisions, will be the first-choice solution is “quite some viewers consume it. How big a step-change the sky is the limit for our growth”. time in the future – but probably not as far this will create in the long-term for the TV In April of this year, US social entertainment away as most people think.” sector is yet to be seen, or determined by an company Fullscreen acquired influencer Docherty at ThinkAnalytics describes the algorithm. l

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p12-14,16 AI DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 16 04/09/2018 18:13 Q&A: Peter Cossack, Irdeto

Peter Cossack, vice-president, cybersecurity services, Irdeto, talks about emerging threats to revenue security and the role of watermark- ing in protecting high-value content.

What are the key emerging threats to revenue security for video set a new bar for what operators must do to get this kind of premium service providers? content. It ranges from ensuring renewability in CA and DRM, to locking Piracy continues to be the biggest threat to existing business models down consumer devices, to end-to-end breach response. Watermarking in the pay TV industry, with a report from Digital TV Research last year is a key part of this and for on-demand content such as movies and TV estimating that lost revenue due to piracy will reach US$52 billion by shows, server-based watermarking oers the robustness required for this 2022. Emerging threats over recent years have included OTT credentials content which does not have a limited vulnerability window. However, theft, and the threat from peer-to-peer (P2P) piracy is also not going for live events and sports, a client-based watermarking approach should away. However, recent technology advances have seen the rapid growth be the focus. of content redistribution piracy, which is now a global problem for content owners and rights holders. How useful is watermarking in protecting live content and what are With the latest technology, it is much easier for pirates to steal content the challenges in applying watermarking in this environment? and, with UHD and HDR, the quality of that content is much higher. Social When it comes to live content such as sports, speed is the name of the media streaming capabilities and the pirate plugins that are enabling game. It’s critical that the pirate streams are shut down as quickly as illegal viewing through Kodi, for instance, have lowered the threshold possible as the value of the content is at its highest whilst it is being for piracy. As a result, the need for robust protection and tracking of broadcast live. high value content is even more important and this is the main driver The challenge is to process thousands of streams very quickly, scale for watermarking. up detection, nd the pirate streams, and identify the watermark in as short a time as possible. A combination of an automated platform How can watermarking help video service providers secure their with human veri cation is the most ideal approach to this. This means content? that the service swiftly identi es infringing content. The discovered Watermarking is a proven, crucial tool in the ght against content URL’s are run through the detector then analysed and validated if not redistribution piracy. The invisible, unique mark provides the forensic watermarked, with evidence captured for inclusion in the chosen capability to track and trace, helping you identify the source of leaked enforcement approach. Having the ability to submit URLs instead of content. It also complements other content protection technology such having to create les for detection allows us to do detection in minutes as DRM and Conditional Access. In addition, the forensic information to speed up enforcement. Relationships with ISPs and a strong network that can be provided by watermarking is the key to unlocking business of partners also play an important role in the process to ensure the value. This intelligence enables you to protect your content and current speed of takedown of live streams. revenue through enforcing contractual compliance. Watermarking technology is one of many powerful tools that puts the How widespread do you believe the use of watermarking will become control in the hands of the operator. Using watermarking in conjunction over the coming year and what are the main factors driving uptake? with monitoring will allow the operator to see tangible bene t. The threat to revenues and high-quality content from piracy is not Embedding the watermark into your digital content is only part of the going away and this will see content owners and rights holders push overall process however. To ensure revenue and copyright protection, themselves even harder to battle piracy. The next year will see content watermarking must be combined with proactive online detection and owners, and sports rights owners in particular, increasingly mandating enforcement services. watermarking and other anti-piracy requirements in their licensing contracts. This will drive uptake across the industry to ensure content Why is watermarking so crucial to protecting 4K UHD content in investments are as well protected as possible. We are also seeing that particular? the data is giving the companies that have implemented watermarking There are a variety of use cases for watermarking, from broadcast, to unique insights that are very useful when making business decisions. video-on-demand to live OTT streaming, but the watershed moment However, pirates are always adapting their approach and it is only for watermarking has undoubtedly come with the rapid growth of 4K through a 360-degree approach to security that operators can best UHD content. This higher quality content requires increased investment protect themselves. This means a combination of state-of-the-art from content owners and rights holders, but its greater availability is also anti-piracy technology, proactive services delivered by experienced driving the increase in the illegal supply of premium content. investigators and analysts, and comprehensive cybercrime business MovieLabs’ Enhanced Content Protection (ECP) speci cation has also intelligence services. The Power of Digital Element’s NetAcuity is the gold standard in the industry, and we take comfort in knowing that we are using reliable, high quality geographic proxy IP Geolocation and VPN datasets, which meet the studios’ licensing requirements.

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p06-07 Digital Element DTVE AugSep17.indd 2 01/09/2017 10:58 double page advert v4.indd 2-3 31/08/2017 17:27:56 The Power of Digital Element’s NetAcuity is the gold standard in the industry, and we take comfort in knowing that we are using reliable, high quality geographic proxy IP Geolocation and VPN datasets, which meet the studios’ licensing requirements.

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p06-07 Digital Element DTVE AugSep17.indd 3 01/09/2017 10:58 double page advert v4.indd 2-3 31/08/2017 17:27:56 Technology focus > Android TV Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

The age of Android

From being an also-ran in the TV operating system space, Google’s Android TV could be set to sweep all before it, following the introduction of the service provider-friendly Operator Tier. Stuart Thomson reports.

are many reasons to believe introduction of the Android TV Operator Tier, giving the tech giant control of their customer There that rumours of the death of which finally laid to rest many of the fears and data as well as the look and feel of their service TV are greatly exaggerated. One such reason is concerns operators had about getting up close and reducing their own presence to that of an that global technology giants such as Google and personal with Google. app on Google’s service – or by opting for the and Apple have long coveted TV as an untapped Android Open Source Project, the initiative market and have made a number of attempts whereby Google made most – but not all – to gain a foothold in it, both in services and in Operator Tier of the elements of the Android source code technology to enable those services. available royalty-free to third parties to develop For Google, which has made a number of The introduction of the Operator Tier gave their own proprietary devices and services. attempts to position Android TV as an entry life to Google’s strategy of trying to penetrate “Originally the Android Open Source Project point into the TV service provider market the service provider market, something was a technical platform used by Swisscom with limited success, the last year has seen a that its previous efforts had largely failed to but it took a huge effort to build something,” major breakthrough. Its technology has made achieve. Hitherto, operators had the choice of says Kai Christian Borchers, CEO of 3Screen phenomenal progress as the platform of choice surrendering their independence by adopting Solutions, one of the leading providers of for service providers. The trigger was the Google’s TV platform wholesale – effectively Android Operator Tier launchers for service

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p20-21,24-26 Android TV DTVE AugSep18v4st.indd 20 04/09/2018 18:17 Digital TV Europe Technology focus > Android TV August/September 2018

providers. “No other operators were willing adopt Android TV, along with the flexibility and broadcast TV with all of the OTT TV services to play [with Android TV] and lose complete fast time to market that the platform enables. you need”, he says. Operators like this, says control over their set-top box and customer While set-top upgrades in the past often took up Helbo, because they get “all the flexibility from experience.” to two or three years, operators are being faced integrating broadcast TV with OTT services Adopting Android TV meant giving Google with demands for more advanced services and they see this as attractive because it is the complete control of customer data and having from customers used to seeing rapid changes closest they get to a standardised platform”’. the final word over the line-up of channels as in the user-experience associated with Netflix The introduction of the Operator Tier has well as taking charge of search results. and other OTT companies. “We see ourselves gone a long way to mitigate service providers’ Having failed to make much headway as content aggregators,” says Helbo, who adds fears about Google by giving operators access to with this less than enticing prospect, Google that speed of development was another factor a customised user interface, which has always undertook a rethink and ultimately came in leading it towards Android TV. been key for operators’s brands, says Helbo. up with the Android TV Operator Tier. The A third element, says Helbo, is “reputation”. “The Operator Tier gives you a customised main staging post was enabling custom Cable operators are increasingly seen as UI and that has always been the strength of launchers that gave operators control of their somewhat old-fashioned incumbent players operators,” he says. own user interface. Canal Digital in Norway and Com Hem had an ambition to shed Helbo admits that being tied to Google may was among the first operators to build its own this perception. The Swedish operator also carry some risk, but points out that operators custom launcher for the platform, ultimately provides services over multiple networks – not always have the option of replacing it at some transitioning to the full-fledged Operator Tier just HFC cable – and adopting Android TV point in the future if the tech giant’s policies along with fellow Swedish service provider and accommodated that. change. In any case, he says, Google has leading cable operator Com Hem. “We needed something that could shown itself keen to “make it a success for both Whereas previously operators’ services accommodate all the different platforms – parties” and is continuing to move in more would simply be one app among many, cable, digital-terrestrial and multicast IP over operator-friendly direction rather than the with the Operator Tier they can control the open fibre networks – that we operate on,” opposite. By contrast, he says, the old Android experience from the home screen. says Helbo. “Then you also have the growing Open Source Project was a more-or-less closed- “From the operator’s perspective there attractiveness of OTT.” He says that the off environment that did not offer support for are more options to customise the user operator needed “a Swiss knife” in the shape next-generation technologies such as Google experience and to be able to brand it,” says of a set-top that can cover all bases and handle Assistant and future smart home functionality. Shankar Nagarajan, vice-president of products the transition to non-linear, web-based content. Confidence that Google will not change its at technology provider Seachange. “Having Helbo says that Com Hem looked at policies in a way that alienates operators is a custom launcher makes things really multiple options before taking a decision. broadly shared. TiVo’s Thun says that it is still interesting for our customers.” The Operator Tier has fuelled an explosion in Android TV deployments globally, leading “From the operator’s perspective there technology providers to focus efforts closely on the Android TV market. “The operator are more options to customise the user community has a large installed base of experience and to be able to brand it.” Linux set-top boxes out there and we continue to support those and innovate on them,” says Chris Thun, vice-president of product Shankar Nagarajan, Seachange management, TiVo. “But the Android TV space is where we see the bulk of the growth.” These included relying on a major turnkey the case with Android TV Operator Tier that technology provider, which offered a great “the operators don’t control the rule-book any degree of stability and in-depth knowledge more”, unlike in the Linux world. It is possible Reasons to be Android of TV. However, for relatively small players, that Google could change its priorities in the it is often difficult to command attention to future. However, he says, Google is unlikely Android TV has a strong appeal for operators meet the needs of local regulations and other to do something that is against operators’ for two key reasons. The primary one is that it requirements. interests because the tech giant wants a big slice opens out an almost infinite array of services The second option was RDK, the cable- of this pie and doesn’t see it as in its interests to for the operator to offer to its customers. The centric initiative to create an open source alienate a rapidly growing customer base. second is that Android TV provides a platform platform for operators on which service Moreover, the likes of Com Hem’s comfort with the scale to deliver highly affordable set- provider-specific implementations can be with the platform signifies that its appeal is tops and a big potential base of app developers built. However, the platform requires operators not limited to IPTV providers. Cable operators, to create new applications and services. to have signfiicant resources to accelerate the traditionally more inclined to build something Com Hem chief technology officer Thomas development of the complete user experience. bespoke with the aid of trusted partners, are Helbo says that changing consumer behaviour With Android TV Operator Tier, on the other now also looking to Android TV as a solution, was the key reason the cable operator decided to hand, “you get the flexibility of integrating according to Seachange’s Nagarajan.

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p20-21,24-26 Android TV DTVE AugSep18v4st.indd 21 04/09/2018 18:17 Q&A: Simon Trudelle, NAGRA

Simon Trudelle, senior director of product marketing at NAGRA, talks about the changes driving take-up of OTT among consumers and how OTT TV technology can transform the TV experience

What are the key changes in consumer behaviour that are driving catch-up, exible on-demand oerings, and seamless access to take up of OTT TV technology by service providers? multiple content sources or apps. This is why at NAGRA we developed Our 2018 Pay-TV Innovation Forum research ndings show consumers OpenTV Signature Edition, a multi-journey user interface and platform are clearly enjoying the new freedom that OTT TV gives them to that enables service providers to address dierent viewers’ needs. And, consume the content they love, anytime and anywhere, on the screen with support of STB platforms like Android TV, we ensure that viewers of their choice. Yet one could argue that anytime TV – via the PVR – have optimised access to multiple sources of OTT video apps. appeared two decades ago and anywhere TV with smartphones and Wi-Fi connections a decade later. So what has really changed? First, What impact has Android TV had on the market? quality content: high-budget series are produced for on-demand The market is split in two camps regarding Android TV. Large operators consumption, and live TV events such as sports are also streamed in see a complex trade-o if they chose to do business with Google, which UHD. Second, Catch-up TV and other VOD content from the cloud are oers its Android TV software platform for free in exchange for access broadly available and monetised. Finally, publishing and accessing to highly valuable usage data. Conversely, smaller providers realise new content through apps has never been so easy. A growing share that Google’s STB platform helps them reduce their overall TV solution of consumers worldwide have tried and tested such services, and they appreciate this new model. However, as the NAGRA-sponsored costs, leapfrogging competition with apps and on-demand content. TV Tribes research from Ampere Analysis highlighted, the pay-TV Giving up some control and value to strike a major partnership makes consumer market basically features ve major audience segments sense to them. with dierent content needs and consumption habits. The only thing NAGRA’s extensive product portfolio helps operators address these we know for sure is that consumer behaviour will keep evolving key requirements, both for large and small operators. For those wanting quickly over the coming years. Pay-TV service providers – incumbent to capitalise on the Android TV opportunity, OpenTV Signature Edition and new entrant telcos – need to keep innovating. covers all major end-to-end needs, enabling operators to quickly launch a fully-featured Android TV platform, addressing user experience, What advantages can OTT technology provide for pay TV operators security, data analytics and hardware – while reaping the bene ts it and how can they adapt to the new market needs? provides in terms of deployment speed, access to apps, and reduced It’s all about operational exibility and feature agility. This goes from complexity. This makes Android TV a viable monetisation option for the frontend UI to the apps that are on-boarded, and the backend their pay-TV services. platform that powers and secures TV services. OTT oers potential, yet the underlying platform needs to address multiple use cases, both in What are the challenges in providing an OTT TV experience that terms of user experience and content protection expectations across matches or exceeds that of pay TV and what solutions are available? all screens. This implies upgrading and moving key backend functions OTT TV and pay-TV are just the two sides of the same paid content coin to the cloud – a move that large cablecos and telcos are acting on – and consumers don’t care about the dierence. As the recent World while ensuring that the TV platform can be frequently and rapidly Cup showed, appetite for unicast streaming services is growing fast updated to address new opportunities, and leverage data analytics yet the scalability of multicast and broadcast solutions are still proving and AI to build intimate subscriber knowledge. immensely valuable for high viewership events. While progress has To what extent can OTT deliver a superior experience to that of been spectacular, we are working with industry leaders to overcome traditional pay TV? challenges to deliver the low latency experience that consumers OTT content is often accessed through a very dierent customer expect. Meanwhile, service providers need to play smart and leverage journey compared to the traditional channel-based scheme that their existing infrastructure while planning for seamless transition many TV viewers still appreciate as well. This means that service to OTT TV over time. At NAGRA, we have developed expertise and providers need to develop user interfaces that support and blend products to help our customers, large and small, just do that: evolve both navigation journeys and are consistent across multiple devices, their business, secure their aggregator of choice position or enter new providing a complete set of TV features, from linear to start-over, territory through partnerships. SMARTLY DIGITAL IN THE NEW OTT ERA

Whether you’re a pay-TV operator or a content owner, we can help you thrive in a converging pay-TV and OTT world.

As the lines between pay-TV and OTT conti- nue to blur, the pay-TV industry is transitioning into a paid-for video market where the conve- nience of anytime, on-demand watching on any screen, reigns. Differentiation based on content exclusivity alone is no longer enough.

To grow and thrive, service providers must become ‘smartly digital’ – by embracing cloudification, actively claiming the aggre- gation role and leveraging data-driven prin- ciples to define and evolve their consumer propositions, they can embark on a journey of continuous solution renewal to optimize the next phase of growth in a vastly different competitive landscape.

As a trusted partner to the world’s largest media and communications companies and with more than 25 years of pay-TV industry experience, we can help you redefine your strategy toward true digital transformation with innovative solutions that connect people to the content they love.

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p23 Nagra DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 30/08/2018 11:37 Technology focus > Android TV Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

Technology providers such as TiVo have joined the rush to support Android TV.

thing is to keep the customer inside that environment, but with a greater choice, then Android is the one to go for.” Seachange’s Nagarajan adds that large cable operators are more likely to be reluctant to offer a product provided by Google and more likely to want to fully control the user experience. However, while those players have the engineering resources in house to look to RDK or another solution, smaller players lack that luxury. They are more likely to find Android TV, which gives them voice-enabled search and recommendation as part of the package, for example, attractive. “There was reluctance in the cable space those in the pipeline to deploy it – not all of Anthony Smith-Chaigneau, senior director to ‘look like everyone else’ but the Operator whom are Operator Tier adopters – compared of product marketing at TV technology outfit Tier has unlocked this market. Operators can with about 13 for its main rival, the cable-centric Nagra, says that some large operators are still control the experience with the benefit that RDK. While many of the Android adopters are likely to have concerns about control of data, their customers can do cross-platform searches relatively small compared with, say, Liberty which will be key to making revenue from and so on,” he says. Global, the likely growth trajectory of these and advanced services in the future. “Not everyone other entrants will be “very hard to compete wants to get into bed with Google. There’s still with”, says Borchers. a question over how much you might want to OTT TV services That standardised environment includes the give up and how much you want full control power of Google search and recommendation, over. A lot of people are still juggling with that There is broad consensus that the biggest enabling users to search across different and analysing the pros an cons.” element in the appeal of Android TV to content silos, according to Borchers, who adds For Smith-Chaigneau, the key advantage of operators is that it opens up quick and easy that the introduction of the Operator Tier has opting for Android TV is less to do with the access to a vast array of OTT TV services via the enabled service providers to ensure that their uniqueness of the technology, but about the Google Play store. own content is prioritised in search results. Google ecosystem and what it can bring for “The foremost reason that operators are The Android TV environment also enables operators. The scale provided by Google has looking at Android TV is the ease with which operators to tap into the deep well of Android driven down the cost of sophisticated high- you can incorporate OTT services,” says TiVo’s developers, rather than finding developers specification set-top boxes, he adds. Thun. “Google Play is priority number one.” who can work with platforms with smaller “It has driven down the price significantly 3Screen TV’s Borchers agrees. “We see that footprint. “Even Android developers are hard and for that you you get the high-powered set- cable and IPTV customers want more than to find because it is a high-demand market,” top that Android TV needs,” he says. There is just TV. They want linear TV, video-on-demand says Borchers. now a homogenous set-top platform available and DVR but the main thing [they want] is TiVo’s Thun meanwhile highlights the ease supported by a wide array of suppliers, integration of third-party services like Netflix of integration of the platform, pointing to the something that is relatively new to a market and Amazon,” he says. With the Operator Tier, amount of work that needs to be done to build where set-top suppliers in the past typically service providers have immediate access to a service on Linux set-top boxes. focused on the platforms that were popular at the Google Play store, giving access to a wide By comparison with Android TV, platforms a particular time. range of popular OTT TV services. Adopting such as the cable-centric RDK require possibly TiVo’s Thun agrees that the cost of set-top the platform means that Netflix comes already a greater effort on the part of operators. boxes is a key factor in calculating the merits integrated, something that can take additional Neverthelesss, some service providers may of Android TV. “It gives you standardisation work with alternative platforms such as RDK prefer to go their own way rather than hitch of the set-top requirements that drives the or the Android Open Source Project. their wagon to Google’s star, particularly if box cost down from about US$200 to about The other key advantage provided by the they are so reluctant to open up their platform US$50-70. While the industry has seen that Android TV Operator Tier platform is that completely to OTT TV services. “There are price point before, what we are talking about provides what technology providers describe still customers out there who are not willing here is a full-powered set-top that can support as the closest the industry has achieved to a to open up their environment entirely to all the streaming services out there,” he says. standardised set-top environment. third-party apps,” says Robert Rozycki, senior The Android TV ecosystem includes chipset, Borchers says that Android TV now has product manager at Seachange. “However, if middleware and front-end user experience the support of around 40 operators including an operator accepts that the most important providers. The middleware needs to work

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p20-21,24-26 Android TV DTVE AugSep18v4st.indd 24 04/09/2018 18:17 Q&A: Duncan Potter, ARRIS

Duncan Potter, Senior VP global marketing at ARRIS, talks about the findings of the ARRIS research, what consumers expect from their service providers and where their appetite lies in terms of services.

ARRIS recently conducted research into the importance people The ndings point to the fact that service providers should keep around the world now attach to always-on connectivity to the web. an eye on the indoor/outdoor use-case, especially for households What are the key ndings with relevance for service providers? with children as 53% want their Internet service provider to deliver a ARRIS surveyed 20,000 consumers from 20 countries across the globe seamless experience in and out of the home. Seventy percent expect to determine their attitudes toward constant connectivity. The ndings outdoor connections to be the same quality as inside the home and point to key trends – and the evolution of consumer expectations – that figure jumps to 77% for households with children. Respondents when it comes to where, when and from which device they want to in EMEA (60%) and in US/Canada (62%) had a contrasting view of this be connected. It’s valuable for service providers to understand these when compared with respondents from APAC (74%) and CALA (85%). changing expectations to address consumer needs in their market. Some of the key ndings show: How important is video streaming to users relative to other services • More than 76% of households believe constant connectivity is and how is the pattern of consumer behaviour changing? changing their lives for the better Consumers voice significant frustration when it comes to their ability • Consumers have a strong preference for a single service provider to stream or download video content. Sixty-one percent attribute this and look to them to provide a seamless connectivity and frustration to having too many active devices functioning at once, while entertainment experience 51% point to the lack of Wi-Fi access in their home due to distance/range. • Households with children and elite power users rate security/privacy A few European countries are among the least likely to say this, including more important than cost Germany (50%), Spain (45%), and Sweden (53%). Only Japan (33%) and • 61% of consumers believe “too many active devices” is their top South Korea (45%) recorded lower percentages. These frustrations Wi-Fi streaming/download issue. They fear that new technologies like could get worse as more than 41% of consumers globally now pay for IoT (38%) and virtual reality (29%) will cause further device congestion streaming video services, which is an increase from 27% just two years pointing to the need for better device management ago. Fortunately, many service providers are already turning to solutions like ARRIS HomeAssure™, which delivers reliable, high-bandwidth Wi-Fi To what extent are people prepared to pay more for always-on to every corner of the home with a simple consumer experience connectivity and how might this help shape what service providers oer to them? How signi cant is consumers’ appetite for ultra-high-speed in-home The ARRIS research shows that more than 53% of consumers trust their Wi-Fi connectivity and what is the opportunity here for service Internet/TV service provider. On average, more than 46% say they are providers? willing to pay more for a seamless experience. This number increases in Consumers want Gigabit Wi-Fi speeds. According to the ARRIS CEI India, where 74% of consumers are willing to pay more for a constant survey, more than 75% of consumers believe that Gigabit speeds will connectivity experience, while Swedish consumers are less likely at 28%. transform their lives. An overwhelming 90% state that high-speed Wi- For service providers, consumer priorities are consistency, Fi Internet access is important in every room of their home. This gure convenience, and cost, which ties to their belief that they receive escalates to 96% for power users. more value when services are bundled. The top four bundled services Interestingly, consumers also shared what they would give up to consumers value are the Internet (74%), subscription/paid TV (49%), have the perfect, constant connectivity Wi-Fi experience. Topping that mobile data (43%) and online security/privacy (36%). list are alcohol (30 %), cinema/theatre (26%) and gym membership (25%). From a regional perspective, consumers in Malaysia are most From your research, what qualities do people value from their service likely to give something up (85%), while consumers in Germany are providers and what should service providers prioritise based on these least likely (48%). ndings? Service providers are an important link in delivering these services More than 76% of the surveyed consumers say that entertainment to ensure a constant connectivity experience that delivers unparalleled is more than just watching a screen. It’s about new experiences and entertainment value to consumers. opportunities that they can access anywhere, anytime and in any format. In Brazil and Malaysia this figure climbs to 90%, but Germany says this least at 58%. Come and see ARRIS at IBC stand 1.B19

p25 Arris Q&A AugSep18.indd 1 04/09/2018 10:13 Technology focus > Android TV Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

with the specific box chipsets and there are Smith-Chaigneau says that technology overnight” because of the “very large historical different types of chipsets for hybrid boxes that companies can play a role as system integrators. investment” that operators have made. include tuners for broadcast channels as well “Android TV makes things more plug-and-play, For some observers, the most significant as IP. A number of chipset providers are in but the pay TV ecosystem is the sum of many rival platform is not one of the existing the queue to be certified by Google. Among parts that need to be knitted together,” he says. middleware providers or the RDK platform, or box manufacturers, Technicolor currently “While deploying an Android TV solution, you another global tech giant entering the market, has the lion’s share of the market, with Asian are still looking at formats from UHD down but the ‘bring your own device’ strategy looked manufacturers trying to catch up. to mobile TV and to distribute to iOS devices at by a number of operators that are happy to Software provider 3Screen Solutions has and Amazon Fire TV. You have to be open to distribute their services via an app on a third- provided the reference implementation of a whole range of end devices with different party device, at least to the growing device-savvy the platform through its 3Ready platform, operating systems. Android is not going to be Millennial market. The appeal of this approach and Borchers says that Google has asked his the only flavour in the market.” can be seen in decisions by Swiss operator company to deliver more integrations with set- Nagra also has a role to play in helping to Sunrise and France’s Canal+ to supply Apple top middleware providers. secure a platform that some observers believe is TV to their customers. Borchers sees relatively little risk for open to potential attack. Hanno Impola, senior TiVo’s Thun adds a note of caution, arguing that Android TV is really “in the middle of the spectrum” between Linux-based platform and “The Android TV Operator Tier gives you a the BYOD world, which he characterises as being at a relatively early stage of development. customised UI and that has always been the “There is a wide variety of things that operators strength of operators.” need to be comfortable with before that becomes widespread,” he says. The proliferation of Android TV on the Thomas Helbo, Com Hem one hand, and BYOD on the other, does not close off the service provider market to other operators. He points out that, in the past, director of product marketing at Nagra, says technology providers, and Thun makes the service providers feared being too closely that one key to providing enhanced security point that Android TV is not a technology cure- aligned with single set-top suppliers and an against “the large attack surface” of Android all for operators. “Android TV is often portrayed eight-year lifecycle for a particular generation TV has been to separate the Trusted Execution as a disruptor to the pay TV industry, but that of box. That equation has not fundamentally Environment, which handles entitlements and is a misrepresentation,” he says. “Android TV changed in the case of Android TV, he says. licences and security-related actions, from the is a set-top box operating system. It does not Borchers goes to far as to argue that Android Rich Execution Environment, which runs all provide everything an operator needs.” TV could effectively take poll position in the third-party apps on the platform. “We can One of the main opportunities for software the cable market as well as among telecom keep any malicious apps and hacking attempts providers catering to the Android TV market operators, pointing to the example of Com in the Rich Execution Environment,” he says. now is to enable a seamless multiscreen Hem, which has been among the pioneers of “We have build a virtual brick wall between the experience, says Thun, who sees a role for Android TV Operator Tier. two that effectively blocks any attempt to access his company as an enabler of a seamless Android TV Operator Tier is also able to the Trusted Execution Environment via the user experience across multiple dimensions, support hybrid deployments, combining Rich Execution Environment.” including Android TV on the set-top, iOS in legacy broadcast technology with streaming. mobile and so on. “You don’t want five different Seachange’s Rozycki says that Google “did user experiences across those different not have a clear policy about hybrid”, which Future developments devices,” he says. has largely been left to software and hardware For operators including Sweden’s Com vendors. In addition to supporting the use of Will Android TV sweep all before it thanks Hem, meanwhile, integration of Google traditional broadcast infrastructure to deliver to the momentum behind the Android TV Assistant and smart home functionality in linear services, he says that there is potentially a Operator Tier? general is on the horizon. Helbo says that significant market among operators with large 3Screen Solutions’ Borchers goes so far as integration of Google Assistant, which has only populations of legacy devices in the field that to say that his company has seen the market just been launched in Sweden, “is definitely they do want to swap out. for Linux set-tops “completely dry up” and that on the roadmap” along with smart home Software companies see plenty of he has encountered “no requests for Linux functionality more generally. opportunities around Android TV. “You can’t boxes” for the best part of a year. However, “The important thing for us is to see the TV deploy Android TV as it is,” says Nagra’s Smith- others make the case that Android’s popularity box integrated as a communications device Chaigneau. “It needs to be part of a fuller does not mean that it will be the only game within the home and to make us the default ecosystem. It needs an operator back-end to in town. TiVo’s Thun argues that “innovation choice for HDMI1,” he says. “We should be deliver TV features such as linearised video-on- in this industry takes time” and that Linux- the main communications and entertainment demand and a backwards EPG and security.” based platforms are not going to “disappear device for the family.” l

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p20-21,24-26 Android TV DTVE AugSep18v4st.indd 26 04/09/2018 18:17

Q&A: Mikael Dahlgren, Agama Technologies

Mikael Dahlgren, CEO at Agama Technologies, talks about key developments in video distribution and ways to exceed customer expectations.

What key developments do you see taking place in the video What do service providers need to think about when considering new distribution business? business models such as the virtual cable operator model and live In a market full of choices, it all comes down to exceeding customer streaming of premium events? expectations and enabling customer base expansions. This includes for When it comes to virtualized cable operations and premium OTT live example geographical coverage, ease of use, content, price, payment streaming, viewers are starting to perceive theses services in a similar way method and service quality. To succeed, video service providers as traditional premium TV services, with similar expectations on quality constantly improve their video services to exceed the expectations and overall experience. However, the underlying technology obviously of the consumer, all while delivering video services in the most cost- di ers and o ers its own unique challenges. As live services a ect every e ective way. viewer in real-time, special focus must be placed on the early stages of the Technologies like adaptive bitrate streaming are used in all forms of delivery chain and the real-time perspective. video delivery to enable service exibility and coverage, for example in Again, a deep understanding of the service delivery through the whole TV Everywhere extensions and virtual cable rollouts. For OTT services, chain in real-time, from service creation all the way to the individual securing premium and exclusive content is becoming more and more customer’s app or device, is key to secure a growing customer base and important. is the core of the Agama 360 concept for analytics and visualization. Of Also, whilst a lot of OTT content is consumed on various devices, course, the monitoring, assurance and analytics solution used by the service premium OTT content such as live sports is turning consumption to provider must also be able to function in a virtualized or cloud environment. the main screen. OTT also drives the need for exibility in deploying and running services in a virtualized, cloud or hybrid environment. What other immediate business and regulatory challenges are operators There are more simultaneous changes happening in the market facing, and what do you think they need to do to address these? than ever before in order to meet and exceed customer expectations. In Europe, this year’s big regulatory issue has of course been GDPR. The leading suppliers in this industry have worked with privacy matters for How do these developments impact on the way operators handle years and have experience in supporting service providers in implementing quality assurance? processes and solutions. To manage this new and at times more complex service delivery environment, the need to rapidly gain the right insights is key. This Looking ahead, what do you identify as the main trends in this space? is true not only when it comes to managing quality assurance, but Looking at the developments and challenges currently seen, there also in agile service development and for a deepened customer is a need for far more insights that will support service providers in understanding. To manage service quality and customer expectations, maximizing customer satisfaction and creating great service o erings service providers need a complete and instant view into service with must-see content. The winners in the video service market will performance for the complete delivery chain and subscriber usage. be the ones who have access to the right type of high quality data These insights are vital when developing new o erings and managing and manage to draw the right conclusions from it – and in this, AI and time critical premium services like live OTT, where proactivity and automated analytics will be key to deliver the best customer experience automation are key. possible as eciently as possible.

p27 Agama Q&A AugSep18.indd 1 30/08/2018 17:00 Advertising focus > Data analysis Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

As consumers fragment across platforms, how can advertisers be sure of the value of their investment? Adrian Pennington investigates. Advances in advertising

fragmented viewership “The risk is that there are eyeballs that are not was paused three times, for example – but Today’s is the biggest issue being counted and credited towards audience doesn’t tell us anything about how many plaguing advertisers. Gone are the days sizes when it occurs on a mobile device or people are watching, or what demographic they when TV networks could rely on delivering a outside of the same day, seven-day or even 30- fall into. For SVOD services, that’s not usually broadcast ad to the living room in primetime day windows,” adds Belsasar Lepe, co-founder a problem, but for traditional commercial with the whole family gathered around. Today, and CTO, Ooyala. broadcasters it matters. advertisers have to navigate myriad devices, There are technical and business challenges platforms and VOD in order to find their to overcome. From a business point of view audience. However, many of those platforms Bridging the gap sign-off is required from a range of parties are giving advertisers better opportunities - publishers, aggregators, advertisers and to target specific audiences. Piecing all of it Multiple efforts are underway to bridge the gap vendors of audience measurement tools and together is a significant challenge. between the traditional sample-based methods the ad tech that sits in the middle. “Increased consumer awareness and for measuring broadcast audiences and new “Each party has distinct business goals, which cross-screen fragmentation means that the methods for measuring multiscreen viewing. in turn means a unique set of incentives when development of data-driven TV planning and As Tim Jacks, principal, strategy at Cartesian designing a universal measurement system,” buying is growing,” says Ed Wale, managing underlines, sample-based methods, where says Aditya Ganjam, chief product officer at director, UK and Spain, SpotX. “This creates data is gathered from representative panels of Conviva. “In addition, there is a broader shift an opportunity for publishers and broadcasters viewers, tells us something that data from most from traditional direct buying, which has been to capture incremental digital ad revenue when multiscreen services won’t – who is watching a mainstay of TV advertising for many years, making their premium inventory available to the programme. “Is it someone watching by to more efficient programmatically enabled brands and advertisers across screens.” themselves, or a whole family? And it tells you addressable advertising.” He says this is particularly the case when what demographics those viewers come from.” When you layer this technology shift on top partnered with granular data reporting that By contrast, online multiscreen data tends to of multiple stakeholders jockeying for position, enables digital publishers to offer one-to-one be about what is being viewed – a programme it’s easy to see why coming to an agreement on audience measurement. was watched for so long, at such a time, and a single measurement system is a headache.

Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.com 28

p28-30 Data Analysis DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 28 04/09/2018 19:24 Digital TV Europe Advertising focus > Data analysis August/September 2018

“The reality is that ad sales teams are to all Another work in progress is Project Dovetail, intents and purposes still printing money – Lack of transparency which is expected to be delivered in September legally. There is not yet an overwhelming need with the publication of multiple-screen viewing to adopt standards that fundamentally change If a universally recognised audience figures across TV sets, tablets and PCs. The how business is done,” says Lepe. measurement covering multiscreen and UK’s BARB has also started reporting TV set “An important difference from the current time-shift is not reached, confidence in the audiences for non-linear programming and siloed currency systems, is that the most likely medium could be destroyed. “The main reporting of dynamically-inserted advertising. agreement will be for a cross-media planning danger is the perceived lack of transparency, “Building on this, we are committed to currency,” says Bas de Vos, global director which would result in missed opportunities delivering comprehensive reporting of TV of audience targeting and activation, Kantar. for media publishers,” says Jacks. “Last year set usage,” explains Justin Sampson, chief “Trading will remain as it currently operates; in we saw online brands take huge criticism executive of BARB. “Our third strategic priority TV with TV ratings; in online on agreed CPM from major advertisers such as P&G, which is addressing the growth in unidentified prices defined via programmatic systems.” stated that it has deep concerns about lack of viewing on TV sets – viewing more than 28 There are initiatives to at least have an digital measurement standards and the fraud days after broadcast and non-broadcast viewing. agreement on the requirements for reporting that comes along with it. If TV wants to take This includes viewing to SVOD services, such specific metrics from the IAB and, in the US, advantage of dynamically-inserted advertising, as Netflix and Amazon. We can measure the MRC (Media Ratings Council). and the flexibility that comes with it, it needs viewing to SVOD services in the same way From a technical perspective, the issue is to ensure that advertisers trust that they are that we report our panel members’ viewing to scale. Panel-based measurement starts to break getting what they pay for.” non-linear programmes, but it requires the co- down when you need to measure consumption Ganjam also says there is a need for a single operation of the service providers.” of niche content on niche platforms. trusted third-party measurement tool to be BARB is also exploring how router meters “The industry needs a clear, single, agreed. “Brands will have to buy across multiple could be deployed in panel homes to deliver independent view,” says Wale. This is beyond different platforms without a consistent an aggregate level of viewing to SVOD services the ability of a single broadcaster, particularly mechanism for measuring performance. without their cooperation. It is currently when taking into account all the different This will make designing attribution models trialling two meters: one from Kantar in devices TV is now viewed on. ITV Hub, for more challenging. Furthermore, there will be a BARB’s core panel and another from Nielsen example, is available on 27 platforms alone. trust issue because it will be harder for brands in a specially-commissioned panel. “Since TV audiences are typically much to trust the data coming from individual “Our ability to deliver comprehensive insight larger than most online audiences, on a per platforms, publishers and aggregators.” is improved with the cooperation of media programme basis, it follows that hardening The transition from sampled data to big channels and the platforms they are distributed audience measurement solutions that can data measurement of audiences is underway. through,” says Sampson. “This is the principal accurately and reliably measure very large Nielsen, comScore, and BARB all have challenge, as we have the techniques to audiences that span multiple screens and the offerings, but not all of these are trusted. measure new forms of viewing.” three-day, seven-day, 30-day, x-day windows will “We are in the ‘hardening’ phase of the BARB believe a joint industry approach is take time,” says Lepe. lifecycle of these solutions and it is not clear key to providing equitable figures across all Kantar Media’s Focal Meter tracks online/ how much longer we’ll remain in this phase,” media companies. Its recently consulted a player activity on any device connected to says Lepe. “In that sense, we aren’t at a place range of advertisers, agencies, broadcasters and the home network. Recently upgraded, it is where there are good or best examples. There social media platforms about their expectations currently in operation in Norway and Finland, are a lot of works in progress.” for a cross-platform currency, from which while work on deployments is ongoing in One of them is Nielsen which rolled out two points emerged. First, the joint industry Turkey and Hong Kong with tests being carried a total audience measurement tool that currency (JIC) principles that underpin BARB out in the UK and Switzerland. combines panel and census data into a single (independence, objectivity and transparency) A People Meter is also ready to go to market. measurement tool. However, during the initial should not be weakened or compromised. The most fundamental redesign for 20 years, rollout, some publishers pushed for a more Second, the addition of any channels/ according to de Vos, it will incorporate real-time limited release because they felt the data could platforms shouldn’t impact on the integrity of data collection to deliver real-time ratings for all be incomplete, and might offer misguided data collection and reporting methodology. TV viewed on the main screen – whether live, direction, according to Conviva. A single In addition, the survey clarified three areas time-shifted or VOD. measurement tool still hasn’t been agreed. where advertisers and agencies expect any cross-

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p28-30 Data Analysis DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 29 04/09/2018 19:24 Advertising focus > Data analysis Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

platform currency to delivery comparability: Traditional pay TV operators have made around extensive, per-user data and behaviours all reported viewing metrics should follow progress in developing the use of analytics, like ad targeting. The new legislation means established TV conventions for duration, driven by their increasing base of connected users have to give explicit consent for the viewability and verification; advertisers devices. Jacks at Cartesian says the company PII (personal identifiable information) to be and agencies expect advertising reach and has worked with multiple operators to apply processed. This is particularly relevant within frequency to be calculated for placements that analytics to STB and device data “to develop the digital sphere. “Strengthened privacy meet industry-agreed standards for brand a much more sophisticated understanding of practices will reap long term benefits for the safety; and advertisers and agencies should their cost base – which content is delivering whole ecosystem,” says Wale. “At the same be able to plan campaign reach and frequency good value for money, which content is key to time, privacy concerns could affect the ability of into editorial environments classified by genre/ customer retention and so on.” all parties to efficiently transact at scale.” programme and to verify campaign delivery. Conviva calls for a census-based approach and points out it has the largest independent “An important difference with the current census data collection and measurement network in the world. This has been deployed, siloed currency systems is that the most likely it says, on behalf of many live and VOD agreement will be a cross-media planning publishers and broadcasters “to measure QoE directly from the consumer in-screen currency.” experience as well as very detailed engagement Bas de Vos, Kantar data in a continuous, census-based approach.” Ganjam adds: “Most legacy-based Arguably the best method of quantifying SpotX has developed ‘Audience Lock’ approaches were discrete event-based web how audiences are consuming video is simply as a kind of ‘data escrow’ to conduct data- counting or statistical sampling-based audience to get the right information from users. driven transactions so that buyers and sellers surveys. Conviva’s approach is real-time true “Analytics benefits from audience can maintain complete control of their viewer-level continuous measurement. It measurement, not the other way around as data sets. According to Wale, this alleviates was purpose-built for video, and the sensor the resulting data can then be run through concerns by matching user IDs and audience technology computes consistent and accurate algorithms to better market SVOD services,” segments in a controlled environment. It also metrics over a diverse set of streaming devices says Jacques-Edouard Guillemot, SVP, ensures proprietary data is only available for and application software frameworks.” executive affairs, Nagra. “The operator wants the campaign at hand and can be configured to to know which shows are being watched, when expire upon campaign completion. and on what device. This creates opportunities, “Measures like these can be valuable to the Packaging for SVOD for example, to cluster subscribers very precisely broadcaster who has a duty to keep its data to recommend certain packages of content. If a safe before for legislative reasons, whilst also Once you have a consistent cross-platform user likes watching golf, the service provider ensuring it maximises revenue,” he says. measurement tool, you can use data analytics can suggest and build packages that will appeal Ooyala predicts that over time these to extract deep insights about customers’ to this demographic.” restrictions will encourage more transparency preferences, helping publishers identify the This is core to Discovery’s attempt to better around how data is used. sub-genre of content to commission in order to segment Eurosport’s fanbases. “Data analytics “It is not hard to imagine a world where appeal to valuable customers. The information is already helping us deliver content and our personal data more explicitly becomes a could also be used to package and promote a marketing in a more tailored and personal way currency that each of us uses to access ‘free’ SVOD service depending on the target market. to fans, with the goal of providing them with services online and maybe even offline,” says Netflix and Amazon both view data as the ultimate experience around the sports they Lepe. “Does that mean a potentially smaller encompassing more than just engagement are passionate about,” says the firm’s head of audience? Yes, potentially somewhat smaller as data and collect data everywhere along the international research, Vincent David. some – likely mostly older audience audiences content lifecycle and user journey. This allows The reality is that there are multiple – will opt out. But, I’d wager this won’t be a them a form of content ROI that no other ‘standards’ for online audience metrics and materially large number.” players can match. Crucially, they also benefit they are not always agreed on, nor controlled Conviva similarly believes GDPR is good for from a closed ecosystem and significant by the companies involved. De Vos believe this the industry. “This additional layer of security investment in data analytics. “always online” world will grow towards a set of will help engender trust among consumers, “With these insights, they not only know metrics that the industry agrees on, but it will which has been challenged in the wake of data- which assets to recommend to a given user take time to build a system of agreed planning privacy scandals,” says Ganjam. “It doesn’t from a given catalogue, but also what content metrics and an agreed set of buying metrics. In prevent the collection of audience data, but to create and add to that catalogue in the online the two are not necessarily the same and ensures that consumers are fully aware of what first place,” says Lepe. “This approach has that makes this even more complicated. data is being captured and how it is being used. fundamentally changed the nature of how you Much has been made of GDPR and how it Ultimately this will help weed out bad actors operate if you want to compete in SVOD.” will be the end of services and monetisation built and should prove beneficial to the industry.” l

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p28-30 Data Analysis DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 30 04/09/2018 19:24 Q&A: Ferdinand Maier, ruwido austria gmbh

Ferdinand Maier, CEO at ruwido, talks about short-term fashions and trends in technology, personalising the user experience and convenient interaction.

What are the key factors that enable you discern between what might in-home functionality? What kind of applications and services are be a short-term fashion in design and functionality and what is likely consumers likely to be comfortable with? to be a long-term trend with wide market appeal? With more homes becoming ‘smart’ the question is whether we really Based on the ndings of our scienti c research we are constantly working like the idea of a future living room anticipating what people want and to dierentiate between technology that is a fashion and technology that is machines adopting the behaviour and ‘feelings’ of humans. We strongly becoming a trend. For example using gesture-based interaction to control believe control is for humans not machines. People need to stay in your TV was clearly a fashion, while the ability to (naturally) communicate control over their devices within the home environment, set the tone and talk to others as well as to a system is a trend. It is the evaluation of and remain master of the home. The living room is ‘the camp re of the consumer needs and user’s values that enables us to understand the new age’, a safe place, and we have to respect that. long-term impact of technology on media consumption and to consult our customers. Our scienti c research also helps us to understand what So how can the demands of an increasing amount of ‘smart’ products technology to invest in and which not to focus on. Seven years ago we be met and how can users be supported to reconnect with home said using voice is a kernel behaviour and we believe in the potential of appliances in a pleasant way? voice for search if you know what you want. Now almost all of our remote What we are about to develop is the convenient home, not the controls feature BLE with speech transmission in combination with other automated home. The latest step in that direction is the enhancement interaction mechanisms, a trend with a wide market appeal for dierent of our TICTACTILE.system. The holistic approach brings together our age groups, and with a wide eld of use. knowledge of haptic, visual and voice for a remote and synchronised user interface designed to provide convenient interaction with a range To what extent do you think voice will be the primary input mechanism of day-to day household needs, with no loss of control. Via the TV or of the future, and what other long-term trends or evolution do you specially designed screens, TICTACTILE. can control all TV functions, foresee? sound systems or lighting for example. TICTACTILE. is designed to The key market opportunity will be providing the perfect alignment remove the inconvenience of juggling dierent UIs across devices, of content combined with seamless interaction supporting several because it uses the same stripped down 12 button structure. In order modalities. This includes voice interaction and standard control as well to make content or functions more easily accessible it is important to as new technologies enabling identi cation of users in front of the TV. oer a holistic experience for the user, no matter which screen is used To reach ‘user experience excellence’ it is essential to provide for access. a personalised oer for TV consumers that goes beyond basic Remote controls have always been designed to manage and navigate recommendation algorithms. We need to support ‘convenience’ content. Now they are also powerful enough to seamlessly merge for the user with an instant personal selection that is more than dierent home appliances, with a consistent navigation paradigm. At targeted advertising. What we are talking about is highly personalised IBC we will showcase how convenience can be supported, embedding information, transparent, understandable and clearly structured. With the TV watching activities in the overall context of the home. the integration of new technologies, the system knows who is in control as soon as the remote is picked up. As well as instantly knowing a user’s What are the major challenges you face in designing devices that preferred settings, completely personalised options for suggested delight consumers and how can these be overcome? content can be delivered. With the associated advantages for highly There is no major challenge, there are only customer requirements personalised information, the remote control will become a revenue for more convenience. Technology is not the driver for the media and generator for the operator. entertainment business, it is a natural interaction that will make the dierence. Can you expand on the distinction you draw between the ‘smart home’ and the ‘convenient home’ when looking at the future evolution of ruwido will be exhibiting at IBC, on stand 1.D69

pXX Ruwido Q&A AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 17:08 Sponsored content

Accenture: a four-point plan for media

Media and entertainment businesses face an unprecedented array of challenges as big tech companies move into content creation and distribution. To survive and prosper, established players need to guard their core business while forging a path to unlock new revenue streams through innovation, says Accenture’s Gavin Mann.

“If we want everything to stay the way it is, everything must “You need whatever you provide to work as well change.” As Tancredi Falconeri tries to convince the old as Amazon, as Uber, as Facebook,” says Gavin Mann, Sicilian aristocracy to adapt and take a hand in shaping managing director, global broadcast industry lead at the new Italy (from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Accenture, “Platforms with the biggest budgets continue Leopard). to raise the bar. There is no nish line and service providers must get used to continual change. For organisations not here is no doubt that the media and used to this pace of change – meaning most businesses – entertainment industry is experiencing a period that is disruptive.” of extraordinary revolutionary change. Internet With traditional distribution channels in decline, media companies have played the major role in driving and entertainment companies need to nd the key to this.T New types of distributors have emerged and have unlock the value of their content assets in the digital world. empowered consumers to expect something di erent. On However, unlike the new disruptors such as Netix and the demand side, the growing purchasing power of the Amazon, broadcasters and traditional media companies ‘digital native’ generation – which looks to the internet to also have to maintain and nurture the steady reliable meet its entertainment needs – is adding to the pressure cash ow that comes from their legacy businesses and on big media. established customer bases. Growth from established revenue streams of media “Media companies face a macro-level challenge and and entertainment businesses has therefore stalled. While a macro-level opportunity. The dicult part is how to their digital revenues are increasing, this is still from a change their culture and operating model and embrace small base. And this is all happening at a time when new the change in the way that will be necessary over the entrants such as Netix and Amazon, and potentially coming decade while continuing to grow their legacy Google, Facebook and Apple, are eating into their market business, which remains very important and is in many share. Studios are no longer in a position to act as e ective cases still very strong and will be around for a signicant gatekeepers of their content, and networks are losing their period of time,” says Mann. brand power in an everything-on-demand world. To address this, Accenture has proposed a four-step plan to enable media companies to evolve their core businesses while freeing up cash to invest in the new: “You need whatever you provide to transform the core; grow the core; scale the new; and work as well as Amazon, as Uber, as nally, know when to make what the company describes Facebook.” as a ‘wise pivot’. Transforming and growing the core Those new entrants are increasingly setting the benchmark against which consumers judge established For Mann, media companies must in the rst instance companies’ performance. The term Accenture uses work out how to take costs out of their core business and is “liquid customer expectations” to describe the at the same time develop a clear understanding of how to phenomenon whereby the best-in-class experience grow revenue from linear distribution. available on any device or type of service bleeds into It is however vital for established players not to try to consumer expectations across all service providers. If overreach themselves by dismantling their core business Netix provides the best subscription video-on-demand before they have fully built out a new one to put in its place. experience, or Uber, the easiest to use mobile App, pay “It is very important to decouple the new from your TV customers expect their provider to deliver something legacy business. We don’t recommend overhauling that similar – in addition to the equivalent of the best-in-class business. You can invest to take some cost out of it but linear channels experience and a best-in-class broadband putting the whole thing on a new platform is fraught with and mobile phone service. risk and very expensive,” he says.

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p32-34 Accenture Advertorial DTVE AugSep18.indd 32 31/08/2018 18:49 myBBC | Accenture Digital Video helps BBC’s digital revolution get personal | 4

Sponsored content SOLUTION

Delivering personalization requires a strong value proposition that oers previously anonymous audience members a strong incentive to sign-in. Achieving that lies in ensuring a compelling set of features, whose beneits far outweigh the “hurdle” of registration and sign-in.

Becoming a data-driven media organization that constantly myBBC A far better approach,uses he thesays, information is to make small-stepsit receives Anayltics Services provide from users across all its content insight and data to all other improvements to the core platform where the risk is parties in lifecycle and services to innovate and relatively low and focusdevelop e ort newon innovationservices is incore new areas that can be built toon the independently myBBC experience-led of the existing business. “If the core platformtransformation. is really complex, it may be possible to leave it in a black box and to innovate around A common platform accessible to that, but don’t jump into performing open heart surgery all of BBC’s digital products was on your core business,” hetherefore cautions. essential to allow the This advice extends BBCto all to aspectsmake data-driven of organisational decisions Usage Monitoring & Analytics User Activity Service Providing better understanding of Enbabling cross-device pause change and creating a workforcebased on capable what audiences of taking onlove the how well the BBC’s service are being functionality, “favouriting” content challenges wrought by digitaland why. disruption. It requires tools that used, and who by and powering advanced analytics help online products to build “Again, you need to decouple the old from the new. Content Commissioning SSO Identity loyalty and a true sense that the Editorial teams able to commission A single user identity to facilitate user There are some skills thatexperience will still be required is tailored for tosome audience- time and tailor content based on detailed identi ication across the entire BBC to come, but there is clearlyspeciic a whole needs. new need to create insights about their audience estate, powering value-added services such as voting, user comments & a culture that enables creative and constant innovation, Content Recommendations other future media services including a need to be ableAnd to that’s fail safely,” the goal says that Mann. informed Directing the audience to content all of Accenture’s work with depending on their vierwing habits Notiications Embracing data science – sometimes a challenging task Providing personalized noti ications the BBC. of new content and features, based in an industry led by creative people – along with diversity on what a user follows with the UAS will also be key to getting the most out of the media and entertainment workforce, he suggests. Broadcasters can start to grow by experimenting with new revenue-generating ideas that sit on top of their core companies in a fast-changing and increasingly globalised linear business. “There are ways to extract even more value business. Mann cites UK broadcaster Channel 4 as an out of this very signicant business,” he says. example of a company that has successfully adjusted to Above all this means gathering and making use of the growing centrality of data, while the BBC is praised data. Enhancing existingTo linear help revenues the BBC from reach advertising its goal, for featuredmyBBC’s andlong-term highly coherent reliable vision ofonline reinventing voting for programs like solution, personalization would Strictly Come Dancing) and through the judicious Accentureapplication ofand data the analytics myBBC teamswill public service broadcasting through data, transforming worked to deliver: be impossible. Accenture helped introducing token-based OpenID enable media companies to better understand their its relationshipto address withchallenges its audience arising by buildingconnect one-to-one authentication. The audience, placing them in an advantageous position connectionsfrom an ageingto deliver identity a more personalisedsystem experience.latter opened BBC ID to native Identity management relative to competitors. Broadcasterswith custom with integration the courage into to developmobile the habit applications of for the irst more than 30 products and time; providing a major step in logging on among their audience base are building an A simpli ied, lexible, web- apps across the BBC estate. cross-device personalization for scale identity platform was assetThe for initial the future, roadmap says Mann. focused on the 6.4 million signed-in users critical to achieve the goals “It is very important to decouple the new Therebolstering is no point capacity in putting to support the future ofsince the business May 2015. of myBBC – without a fully in jeopardyhigh-volume because events of an (such untested as fear of alienating a from your legacy business.” section of the audience that is already inclined to complain about any change, he suggests.

For Mann, “passion for the customer across the entire Scaling the new organisation” will be of crucial importance in delivering results. But delivering a best-in-class experience and being Developing this kind of flexible mindset and the ability to able to innovate in ways that delight customers will lean execute the necessary changes will not be enough on its own heavily, inevitably, on data. for broadcasters and media companies with geographically- Mastering the use of algorithms that help companies defined markets and revenue streams that are being bring their audiences together with the content that targeted by trillion-dollar internet giants with global reach. pleases them will be one of the key survival skills for media Media companies need to tack to adjust to the headwinds

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p32-34 Accenture Advertorial DTVE AugSep18.indd 33 31/08/2018 18:49 Sponsored content

they face by making the most of their advantages to develop Wise pivot new business models alongside the core business. “Global-scale platforms are extraordinarily dicult to Those new revenue streams are the acorns from compete with directly,” says Mann. For this reason, he which the oak trees of tomorrow will arise. Media says, media companies will have to be more open to companies that work through the trial and error stage of partnerships, and more creative about structuring those experimenting with di erent revenue-generating ideas partnerships in ways that deliver value for the participants. will ultimately be better-placed to know when to make a Such partnerships are likely to take the form of “loose ‘wise pivot’ away from the old core business and build on couplings that enable participants to tap into another scale”, what was previously an experimental sideline to create says Mann. There is no one-size-ts-all formula for success. a ‘new core’. Media companies will have to be inventive in working out Anticipating this point of inection is a transformational how to share data with third parties that do not compete journey that involves rethinking the operating model, directly in the same market, to the mutual advantage of all skills, technologies and core KPIs. Mann believes that concerned. broadcasters and other established entertainment He points to ‘data cooperative’ initiatives in the US and businesses run the risk of being complacent because in Europe that seek to lay the groundwork for media of the inherent strength of their core business. After companies to operate at greater scale by enabling cross- all, in video distribution, linear TV continues to deliver publisher audience targeting and independent posting audiences and big recurring revenues. But for how much for advanced audiences – meaning advertising buyers can longer? consistently target market segments across participating “I think, in relation to video, that people take comfort television publishers – without the sellers having to pool from their legacy business. Linear TV still has a long future their inventory. ahead of it and there is uncertainty about how things will Forging partnerships to deliver scale is only one part of evolve,” says Mann. the battle to fuel growth, however. Media companies must However, he adds, broadcasters also need to provide a also prove they have an ability to innovate in new areas. plausible story to investors who are aware of the industry’s Ultimately, they have to try out new revenue streams and direction of travel and know that developing a growth gure out what works. strategy requires a di erent mindset to protecting an existing cash-generative business. Convincing investors that they have a meaningful growth story is therefore “Linear TV still has a long future ahead crucial. Only companies that are in a position to invest of it and there is uncertainty about how for growth will be able to withstand the competitive onslaught of big tech on the sector. things will evolve.” “Companies without an innovation story that don’t change their culture to be in a position to innovate will see shareholders lose condence that they can continue to “They need to demonstrate that they can deliver a be high performers,” he says. “You can’t change overnight. good return on capital invested. Innovation is important While the bottom is not about to drop out of linear TV it for growth. Just being cost-ecient doesn’t drive up the may drop out from underneath those for whom the sole share price – but it can release necessary funding to fuel plan for the future is to stick with linear TV.” innovation and create a culture of innovation to deliver new To prosper, businesses need to anticipate that tipping revenues,” says Mann. point in advance of it occurring and to make the Media companies’ core revenues may be larger than necessary preparations. digital revenues overall, but new revenues will grow The advice pro ered by Tancredi Falconeri to his uncle faster. CEOs are becoming more proactive in tackling the holds good for media and entertainment companies disruptive forces that are changing their industry. But addressing the challenges presented by the fast-evolving many still struggle to pivot their organisations to new digital video ecosystem. To stay in place and preserve opportunities decisively or sustainably. Some companies their legacy, they need not just to embrace change but remain overly focused on their core business such that they to lead it. are unable to pursue new opportunities. Others neglect “People overestimate the pace of change in the short their core business in a dash to the New, leaving them term but highly underestimate it in the long term,” says on thin ice or short of the investment capacity they need. Mann. “Right now there is a healthy linear business, but Getting it right is a balancing act,” says Mann. “Data can help in 10-15 years this could be an IP-only industry. At some you know if you are making the right moves. You can test point the broadcast signal will be switched o , and we’re and learn.” not talking about the distant future.”

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p32-34 Accenture Advertorial DTVE AugSep18.indd 34 31/08/2018 18:49 pXX RSCC DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 10:48 Technology focus > User experience Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

Experience counts Keeping audiences engaged is key to any successful video service, but how are traditional content providers adapting to today’s market? Anna Tobin reports.

the exception of live reality and fast with a consistent journey are equally them relying on interaction via remote control, With shows and major sporting important elements as people consume media is complex navigation. As such, menus and events, mass audience appointment TV on a plethora of different devices throughout layouts need to be clean and easily accessible, is an experience few of our children may their day. Embracing data for deeper consumer getting users to content in as few remote remember. In a matter of years, streaming insight and a journey to better personalisation presses as possible,” he explains. “Similarly, services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime with the notion or feeling that all the content the large amount of screen real estate means have rapidly encroached on the space that they love is accessible in one place will make a that dynamic, interesting imagery should be traditional linear broadcasters have owned holistic, engaging TV-user experience.” used to create a visually interesting UI. This for decades. These streamers have taken A seamless UX that allows the viewer to had been a challenge historically, due to many eyeballs away from trusted local and national aggregate and access all their content from smart TVs not having the hardware capability broadcast TV schedules, and it’s not purely due whichever device they are using, should also be to show off a lot of visually stimulating imagery to the freedom offered by anytime, anywhere clever enough to anticipate the user’s needs and within a reasonable amount of time, but thanks viewing. The recipe for their success is the this is where the latest technology comes in. to technological advances in TV set design, creation of an engaging user experience. But “This type of interface relies on new there is no reason why TV UIs shouldn’t aim to what are the key ingredients for this and how technologies like hyper-personalised create the most visually compelling experiences can traditional content providers compete? recommendations and the power of voice as available.” Crucially the SVOD giants notch up screen an input method to rise above the experience The TV remote was once a symbol of time without the audience realising how hard of legacy systems,” says Charles Dawes, senior power both within the home and back at they are trying to keep them engaged. “The director of international marketing at TiVo. TV companies’ headquarters. Whoever had consumer experience or journey to the content Broadcasters need to adapt the way that they control of it had ultimate control of viewing. they love should be as unobtrusive as possible,” interact with their audiences too, claims Neil This is no longer the case, says Dawes at TiVo. says Anthony Smith-Chaigneau, senior director Berry, chief revenue officer at Airbeem. “One “TV operators have for many years had of product marketing at Nagra. “Easy, intuitive thing TV does not do well, largely due to most of control of the remote – their ‘brand in the hand’

Massive: the TV UX needs to be optimised to different viewers, rather that treating the audience as one.

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p36-37, 40 UXP DTVE AugSep18v4am.indd 36 04/09/2018 18:36 Digital TV Europe Technology focus > User experience August/September 2018

– for the whole viewing session. However, non-siloed approach that provides consumers experience, however, is complicated by the as new entrants have come to market, and with access to all content in one place with a fact that many people in a single household most importantly have been easy to access on global and unified search capability that makes consume TV content from a single entry point the best screen in the house – either directly for a seamless experience is what should be on many devices. through a smart TV or via a cheap streaming delivered.” “Creating a consistent user experience that adapter – this position has been challenged. Linear broadcasters’ main advantage over can deliver ‘multiple access points’ e.g. via a Once a user has strayed from your service it’s their OTT counterparts is that they have full simple menu, an advanced EPG, app store or hard to get them back,” he explains. control of their signal. Content may not be as recommendations portal and other journeys “Therefore, having a user experience, like exclusive as it once was, but the quality and to content like voice search, caters for the TiVo Experience 4, that can seamlessly integrate desirability of that content can differentiate spectrum of tastes and age groups that want content from multiple sources becomes one pay TV operator from another, points out to use the TV ‘their way’. Allowing for multiple important for the operator in the retention Håkan Tranvik, co-founder of Magine. journeys means users get the feeling that the battle. Having this kind of experience keeps the “Content is still king and even though experience is personally designed for them,” user within the pay TV world, allowing them you could say exclusive content deals have a says Smith-Chaigneau at Nagra. to understand the value the service brings and declining value for pay TV platforms, it is still With competition for audiences now so ensure they are able to find what they want to quality content that a consumer pays for and fierce, it’s tempting to want to constantly tinker watch at the time they want to watch it.” it is important to have prime content available with your user experience. However, ‘if it’s It also has to be remembered that there in the service – sports, TVOD, latest TV series not broke don’t try to fix it’ is a valuable rule to are now several distinct audiences for whether it is in own packaging or from a third- keep in mind too says Sutherland at Freesat. different content within a single household. party service. “While we’ll always want to take advantage of In recognition of this, Ron Downey, CEO of Massive, says that the TV user experience needs to be optimised to different viewers, rather that “The consumer experience or journey to the treating the audience as one. “If a viewer isn’t watching TV with others, why should they be content they love should be as unobtrusive offered the same viewing experience, content as possible.” and promotions as everyone else?” he says. “Making this a reality is a bit more complicated than it sounds though. It depends on bringing Anthony Smith-Chaigneau, Nagra three different areas together: the platform, the data, and the UI. Hitting this trifecta of video “A reliable video signal, whether it is SD, HD new trends and technologies, being innovative delivery is what’s needed to offer a tailored user or 4K, is also part of a general user experience, for the sake of it is not going to make a great experience that can cater to different subsets and from that point of view the pay TV TV user experience. Some parts of the UX are of the audience and meet different tastes and platforms still have an advantage. OTT services almost best left alone. For example, a TV guide preferences. It’s a tried and tested route to can seldom fully control their signal end-to-end [EPG] that has worked well for decades. Even make any pay TV or OTT service ‘sticky’, which as they need to rely on the broadband delivery though we now have the ability to implement naturally increases ARPU and reduces churn.” from another party.” image-rich navigation, this is probably best left Quality of service is what sets linear for on-demand box sets and movies, rather operators apart from OTT providers, agrees Isla than live TV.” The decline of exclusivity Sutherland, head of product at Freesat. “A key differentiator for us is the amazing reliability Exclusive content has always been the USP that of satellite,” she says. “There’s a good level of UI’s impact on marketing linear providers have come to rely on, but all- tolerance around the on-demand viewing for rights deals are declining in importance now content buffering, but when streaming live TV By the time anyone is using a TV operator’s that so many TV platforms have added third- over IP introduces a few seconds lag, moments service, they’re normally a paid up subscriber, party services, including in some cases their such as the penalty shoot outs at the FIFA but that doesn’t mean that the marketing team old rival Netflix. Consequently, they’ve had to World Cup and hearing neighbours celebrate has done its job and can move on to the next find new selling points and Smith-Chaigneau a few seconds before you, have shown us that potential customer. “While it’s by no means at Nagra reiterates that what will become ‘not quite live’ experience isn’t always good the lead part of any strategy, the UX of a service increasingly important is being able to step enough.” does play a prominent role in marketing a seamlessly between different user interfaces. Ease of content discovery is another way that service, given how it is the way that potential “As it stands in the OTT landscape, TV operators can differentiate themselves from customers will first perceive the service,” says consumers are having to step in and out of the competition. If the EPG allows the viewer Berry at Airbeem. different interfaces, through apps on different to clearly see both the operator’s content and “It serves as a representation for the brand, devices. This is not how content consumption third-party content, viewers will be less likely and it becomes one of the most powerful pieces is best served to the consumer,” he says. “A to look elsewhere. Creating a consistent user of marketing a service has. It doesn’t matter

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p36-37, 40 UXP DTVE AugSep18v4am.indd 37 04/09/2018 18:36 Sponsored content

Akim Benamara, Head of Marketing and Communication at ABOX42 talks about why service providers are ideally placed to tap into the growing market for smart home functionality by oering simple-to-use services

How operators can drive new revenue by launching smart home services

n the service provider market, revenue margins are declining. are still a relatively new concept to most operators. Partnering According to Digital TV Research, pay-TV revenues will fall in with an operator smart home service solutions provider with easy- North America by $12 billion, $566 million in Western Europe, and to-understand value propositions and real-world use cases will $28 million in Eastern Europe by the year 2022. Facing declining help operators gain a greater understanding of how they can be Ipro t margins, service providers need innovative ways to increase pro table in the smart home services environment. their revenue streams, reduce churn, and attract new customers. Recently, smart home and smart living subscription services have emerged as a solution that can drive new revenue with minimal risk. Relying on technology such as gateways and sensors, smart home services allow end-users to remotely monitor and control household systems. Through smart home services, consumers can check doors and windows, motion in the house, water leakage in the laundry room or near sh tanks, the temperature, and monitor the entire home through cameras. There are several reasons why operators are in an excellent position to oer smart home services. They’ve already built up a signi cant subscriber base for other services, such as television, mobile, phone services and broadband internet, which means there is a group of paying customers to target. Furthermore, operators have established sales, installation and support teams, as well as a provisioning and billing relationship with subscribers. Smart home services can easily be added and managed under the same system. What’s even better: Operators’ existing presence in the living rooms of their customers means that they have built up credibility and trust. The challenge is nding the best solution for pro tability. Service providers need a smart home service solution that is aordable and can easily be bundled into their customers’ subscription oering. The smart home service needs to be easy to sell, understand, install, and support, with a focus on minimizing service issues requiring customer care. Moreover, it’s important that the smart home service solution is subscriber-friendly. It needs to provide a seamless, trouble-free installation process for end-users. Operators should also make sure that their customers can eortlessly Get your individual Quick Look of ABOX42´s Operator Smart Home subscribe to and use the smart home service. Solution and its business model from one of our experts and meet us Perhaps one of the biggest requirements is that the smart home at IBC 2018 in Hall 14, Stand G04. Make your appointment today at service solution has proven business cases. Smart home services www.abox42.com

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p38 AirBox42 Opinion DTVE AugSep18.indd 38 04/09/2018 15:51 ABOX42’s HomeOK Operator Smart Home Solution How smart home services help operators to generate new revenue streams

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p39 ABox42 DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 31/08/2018 09:53 Technology focus > User experience Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

For its pay TV partners, Magine uses the same framework for IPTV boxes and mobiles.

how many slogans are deployed or however much is written about a service, users will make their judgement based on what they see of it way before they read and digest any text.” If you get the user experience wrong, churn will rise and the poor customer service will become a talking point – not just through word of mouth, but through social media where it could easily go viral. Bundling OTT content with regular linear content can also be used as a selling point by marketeers, who can demonstrate to the user the benefits of having a comparable seamless media experience for out Dawes at TiVo, and some are even letting all your content accessible from one central set-top-boxes and TV-everywhere devices in customers use their own devices. point. Crucially, linear TV operators need to be parallel,” says Tranvik at Magine “Magine Pro’s “Many operators have recently or are going flexible so that marketeers can implement new experience from our pay TV operator partners is through deployments of 4K television so they user-experience strategies quickly. that the best insurance for the future is to build have the opportunity to roll out new hardware “Newer user experience and content everything in the same framework for both SKUs,” he says, referring to Stock Keeping management platforms make it possible for IPTV boxes – with Android TV – and mobile Units – the serial numbers that uniquely small teams of schedulers and marketers to devices. Then you have the ability to maintain identify a product. “Some have chosen to test, adapt, and evolve the front-end without feature parity on different devices and platforms remain with a more expensive box, but many needing to involve the engineering department and rollout of features would be cross device and are looking to take on the OTT players at their at all,” says Downey at Massive. platform, meaning all features will look and feel own game and either deploy cheaper hardware “It’s a way to redesign the UX, introduce the same, regardless if it is a set-top-box or other using new platforms like Android TV or new content layouts, rebrand the service, and devices.” moving to a model where the customer can even completely flip the business model in If legacy boxes are up to date enough to work bring their own device.” response to changing demands. Marketers with cloud-based software, they will also be in a Get the user experience right and viewers will can also use platforms like this to push better position to compete with other operators, be automatically loyal to their box and the TV promotional up-sell campaigns to specific says Smith-Chaigneau at Nagra. operator’s service and one thing that viewers audience segments without needing to update “Many of today’s services are delivered in like about their box is its record function. the service via the set-top box or connected the cloud and are server-side bound. We have “The ability to record live TV has sat with device,” he says. “Underpinning all of this is a taken the PVR out of the STB and moved to traditional set-top-boxes and this functionality need to tap into usage data from subscribers. nPVR. Other advanced services, such as catch- continues to resonate with users. Users want to This supercharges personalisation efforts, up, start-over and playback trick-modes are all record more programmes at once and to watch making it possible to roll out real-time UX now server-side based. The embedded software them back on any device, says Sutherland alterations based on what the audience wants specialists once worked hard to ensure that low- at Freesat. “Amazon’s Frank DVR could to see. It’s an approach that can also be used for power set-tops with little memory were able to potentially present a threat to this, though identifying a segment of users that are likely to function well. They created efficient software to details on the exact experience are limited at churn and tailoring promotions to prevent this, allow for service overhead in the devices, but it this stage. And let’s not forget the household or increasing customer loyalty through more was always a challenge for resources. However, without super-fast internet. This may sound a targeted content offerings.” the heavy-lifting that a set-top used to have to bit conservative, but all we need to do is wait for do is no longer the case, which makes many the internet to go down or find ourselves in an legacy in-the-field boxes able to be used for area with limited internet access or speed and What now for legacy more advanced services.” we quickly realise the value of live TV,” she says. boxes? Investing in advanced operator-controlled “Yes, the reliability of broadband is increasing, set-top-boxes should give operators more but we’d be kidding ourselves if we said it was Many established TV operators have numerous control over their Quality of Service and Quality as reliable as satellite. This is simply something legacy set-top-boxes deployed across their of Experience and increase the longevity of OTT players cannot offer at this stage.” subscriber bases that don’t have the capabilities the box, so it could pay off in the long term. Control the signal, provide the right content of more advanced devices – a handicap in this Combined with a more complex remote and make it easy to access anytime anywhere competitive market. control, a managed STB will provide much and ‘traditional’ TV providers should always “Tech development moves fast and it’s not more functionality than a simple OTT device. be able to trump OTT. If they slip up on any easy to stay competitive with old installed bases Some operators are using the introduction one of these they will find their viewers looking of legacy set-top-boxes. And, it is hard to create of 4K to upgrade their whole service, points elsewhere. l

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p36-37, 40 UXP DTVE AugSep18v4am.indd 40 04/09/2018 18:36 Q&A: Charles Dawes, TiVo

Charles Dawes, senior director, international marketing at TiVo, talks about voice control, Android TV and the importance of metadata for content discovery.

What features and functionality does TiVo’s Experience 4 and its Next- management and control tools for provisioning, diagnostics and analytics. Generation platform bring to the market and how do these address the The TiVo service is pre-integrated with VOD, DRM systems, OSS/BSS back- evolving needs of pay TV operators? oce and Network DVR systems and provides common APIs across clients, Experience 4 is the latest iteration of the award-winning TiVo user experience thereby making it easy for pay TV operators to manage the key aspects of that is used by millions of customers around the globe. In fact, this version their ecosystem and ensure that their deployment of Android is kept up-to- has recently been honoured by ITVT as the Most Innovative User Interface date as Google releases feature and security updates. for 2018. Along with natural conversational voice control and hyper- personalisation for faster content discovery, it provides the uni ed customer How much growth are you seeing in the use of voice as an interaction experience that today’s pay-TV subscriber is looking for, bringing together mechanism and how is TiVo’s voice discovery solution evolving? their key entertainment sources from broadcast, DVR, VOD and OTT As we had always believed, voice is becoming a large part of the daily life together in one consistent interface that is simple, elegant and a pleasure to of consumers in many markets. At TiVo, we have continued to develop use. It is powered by TiVo’s Next-Generation Platform, a exible, diversi ed our roadmap, adding new languages, including German, Italian and portfolio of products supported by a cloud-based, scalable backend that Portuguese, this year alone to support customer launches and needs. In allows the operator to make the transition from a legacy broadcast model TiVo’s most recent Quarterly Survey(1), it has seen respondents report that to a hybrid model and on to a full IPTV deployment. they use a true conversational voice interface such as TiVo’s over 24 percent more than more basic systems. It has also seen customers such as Sky make What is the appeal of Android TV as an operating system for pay TV voice control a standard part of their premium Sky Q platform in 2.7 million operators and how signi cant a presence do you believe Android will homes across the UK(2), signalling an opportunity for rapid growth. have in the market? Google has been continuously listening to operators and, with Android How is the generation and use of metadata evolving in order to deliver TV’s Operator Tier, it has addressed concerns around security and control. better content discovery? Android TV is highly attractive to operators for a number of reasons. In Metadata continues to be the fuel of the content discovery engine and, addition to being able to address a wide range of devices that consumers as we see increasing adoption of systems that utilise voice as an input, can access content on, the OTT ecosystem available through Google we are seeing a continued demand for ever richer information about Play brings together thousands of apps that operators can instantly entertainment content. A good metaphor for this is an iceberg. There is tie into. These, together with a more cost-eective set of hardware and a small, but important, amount of information above the waterline that developments from Google to make Android TV Operator Tier more in is seen by the end user, however there is a much larger set of information tune with the user experience ownership requirements of many operators, that is not seen by the customer but is crucial for the advanced search means that Android will, in TiVo’s view, form a key platform in the pay TV and recommendation systems in use today. Much of this information is ecosystem for many years. now created by using Machine Learning and Arti cial Intelligence based systems like TiVo’s entertainment technology graph as the scale of the How can technology companies such as TiVo add value to the Android task can be too much for human editors to undertake in a cost-eective TV ecosystem? model. TiVo is a leading supplier in this area, uniquely combining human TiVo can bring its expertise, continuous innovation and rich heritage of expertise (i.e, on nuance) and machine speed and automation to provide providing comprehensive pay TV solutions to help operators deploy this information to its customers at the scale they need to power their future-proof systems that utilise Android TV as the operating system on entertainment systems. their set-top box. As content choices grow, so does the need for a superior, dierentiated and consistent user experience owing across all client (1) TiVo Quarterly Pay TV Survey – Q4, 2017 platforms. TiVo’s cloud based, agile service provides built-in metadata across (2) Sky Q4 17/18 Results Press Release content, industry-leading search and recommendations including spot-on predictions across content sources and clients, as well as end-to-end service Visit TiVo at IBC – Hall 5 Stand A31

pXX TiVo Q&A AugSep18.indd 1 29/08/2018 11:41 Viewpoint > Andrew McDonald Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

Facebook Watch faces stiff competition. On the one hand, there is the high-end and highly bingeable fare found on Netflix. On the other, YouTube is already home to a new generation of social superstars and is also investing in content for its YouTube Premium service. Facebook Watch goes global

rolled out its Watch platform globally at Facebook the end of August, stepping up its efforts in an increasingly competitive online video space. But how hard will it be for the social media giant to compete against its FAANG peers like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon? Since Facebook launched Watch in the US a year ago, it has stressed that the platform is as much about interacting with friends and fans as it is about discovering video content. “Over the past year, we’ve made the experience more social – like mak- ing it easier to see which videos your friends have liked or shared, cre- ating shows that have audience participation at their core, and opening Watch to videos from Pages,” said Facebook’s head of video, Fidji Simo. This is part of Facebook’s broader efforts keep users engaged. In Jan- uary the social network announced a “major change” to its news feed, placing more focus on personal connections and de-prioritising posts from businesses, brands and the media. On the entertainment front, Facebook hired the former head of Buzz- Speaking on the company’s first quarter earnings call in April, CEO Feed Studio, Matthew Henick, in March to lead global video content strat- Mark Zuckerberg explained that the move was a deliberate effort to steer egy and planning. The company said this week that it is also expanding users away from “passive consumption to encouraging meaningful in- its ‘ad breaks’ programme so that more partners can make money from teractions” – even when watching video. their videos. This year the company has launched interactive video features like While this will be tempting to content creators interested in using the Watch Party, which lets users view videos with their friends. Meanwhile, Watch platform, whether it will be enough to tempt them away from You- Facebook Watch’s aim has always been to provide a space for users to Tube, where many careers have been made, is yet to be seen. The same connect with people that have similar interests. question hovers over IGTV, Facebook-owned Instagram’s long-form, ver- Last year Facebook CFO David Whener said on a company earnings tical video service that went live in June. call that Facebook is “investing aggressively” in video content to support “Every month, more than 50 million people in the US come to watch its Watch tab, while Zuckerberg elaborated that this spend will go towards videos for at least a minute in Watch – and total time spent watching ‘lighthouse content’ that is “centred around things that people want to videos in Watch has increased by 14-times since the start of 2018,” said talk and connect around, that give people sense of pride and bring people Simo of Facebook. together.” However an independent study released by The Diffusion Group in Among the already popular Watch content that Facebook highlighted August claimed that Facebook Watch “continues to face significant chal- for the global rollout was: Jada Pinkett Smith talk show,Red Table Talk; lenges regarding feature awareness and use,” with 50% of polled US beauty mogul Huda Kattan’s behind-the-scenes showHuda Boss; and live Facebook users having never heard of Facebook Watch and a further 24% Major League Baseball games. saying they had heard of it but never used it. Sport is a key focus area for Facebook and has ready-made fandom that Facebook Watch faces stiff competition. On the one hand, there is the it can tap into. Earlier this year it appointed Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton high-end and highly bingeable fare found on Netflix. On the other, You- to help secure live sports rights and in August it landed free-to-air rights Tube is already home to a new generation of social superstars and is also for UEFA Champions League live matches across Spanish-speaking ter- investing in content for its YouTube Premium service, which it launched ritories in Latin America from 2018-2021. in 17 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia in June. However, sports is an area where other online giants are also starting to What Facebook does have on its side is enormous scale and considera- play, with Amazon recently taking some Premier League and US Open ble resource. The social network currently has 2.23 billion monthly active Tennis Championships rights, and YouTube doing a US deal with the users and in its most recent quarter generated revenue of US$13.2 billion Los Angeles Football Club to broadcast the team’s locally televised match- ( 11.4 billion) and net income of US$5.1 billion. If anyone can make a go es via YouTube TV. of a new social video platform, it’s Facebook. l

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p42 Viewpoint DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 42 04/09/2018 19:31 Q&A: Hermann Riedl, WIND Hellas & Patrick Vos, Zappware

WIND Hellas Chief Strategy and Digital transformation Ocer Hermann Riedl and Zappware CEO Patrick Vos talk about the development of WIND’s innovative new hybrid IP and DTT, Android TV-based TV service

What was WIND Hellas aiming to achieve by developing its TV service? What bene ts did Android TV provide for WIND? HR WIND is one of the biggest xed-line operators in the Greek market HR The UI embodies our proposition of combining all free-to-air channels and had so far been the only one without a pay TV service. We needed a with Netix, YouTube and Google Movies, all as one experience. WIND service that would dierentiate us. We saw that providing an advanced VISION customers have all the Android apps available at the touch of user experience and meaningful integration with OTT TV services a button. We didn’t even need do our own transactional VOD oering. presented a key opportunity. Zappware proposed the best solution to On Android TV users have Google Play movies without need to provide meet these needs within a very aggressive timeline. We knew that the minimum guarantees but with the advantage of carrier billing. It is an opportunity would not last forever. We launched WIND VISION with advanced service with features that we would never have developed on the latest digital TV features such as catch-up TV and multiscreen, and our own. I have access to the best SVOD service in the world and TVOD were also the rst to integrate Netix. We are the rst Greek operator to as well. On the other hand we also have unique content with Greek have Android TV with a huge wealth of functionality for our customers channels that are not oered by any of the pure OTT players, and pay including voice search, Chromecast integration, Bluetooth and a gaming TV channels, all delivered via one EPG. The overall technology solution console, and tons of apps, all at zero cost to us. It is a world apart from what was provided end-to-end by Zappware – and the outcome is excellent. the legacy platforms have to oer. What did providing an end-to-end solution mean for Zappware? What were the key challenges in delivering the service? PV It was very advantageous for us because we could make the best PV Most Android deployments are pure OTT services. This service is a vendor selection to meet a very aggressive timeline. Normally we hybrid DVB-T and OTT oering. What WIND understood from day one is provide the complete UX from device to billing, but in this case we the need for the aggregation of content and functionality across devices, provided all the logistics of video delivery end-to-end. That gave us the all based on a single, seamless UX. Viewers want to be able to see all opportunity to manage the whole ecosystem and that deliver a great content on HDMI1. In implementing this we provided our back oce UX. We chose Android TV from day one and moved the back oce into running on Amazon Web Services, and our new Nexx4.0 user interface the cloud based on AWS with micro-services to add new modules. In running on Android TV on a hybrid set-top box. We got the green light to this fast evolving market, if you need to add features to the UX, you need go ahead with the project last March and the rst boxes for user trial and a dynamic back oce. Basing this in the cloud provided scalability and testing were available in January, so that means we had nine months from ease of operation and deployment of new features. The result is a very scratch to test and build a headend, dishes, the back-oce in the cloud nice product as it stands, but the foundation is also there to keep up with and set-top boxes ahead of a full trial in January leading to a commercial fast-evolving trends in the future. Taking on this responsibility was also a launch at the end of April. journey that brought additional value to our proposition in the market. HR We had some changes during the project. We didn’t know initially if we would launch with Netix. We acquired sports rights that come with What has the service been received in the Greek market? special conditions in terms of rights management and concurrency in the HR WIND VISION is the talk of the town in Greece at the moment. As CDN. We deployed lots of new technologies. Only 10 or 11 operators have WIND was the coming in as the number four player in the pay TV market, launched Android TV in Europe before us, and even fewer have deployed people had not expected something like the experience we provide, a hybrid solution. The ABR unicast system is very future-proof and safe but including Netix and an iconic set-top box design, with WiFi as an option not many people have delivered ABR unicast live streams to the set-top and everything else. We organized a huge launch event and showed box. Our WiFi deployment is very successful. More than half our boxes we were producing something that would disrupt the market. WIND are being connected to WiFi and it works. That is the power of a unicast VISION has made a big impact and has been a game-changer for our solution. We are really using the latest technology to make an impact. whole brand. IBC 2018 > Preview Digital TV Europe August/September 2018 IBC 2018: the preview This year’s IBC exhibition will take place at Amsterdam’s RAI from September 15-19. Digital TV Europe takes a look at some this year’s technologies.

Broadpeak’s solution enables for the personalisation of ads Accedo Broadpeak subscribers to launch multiple during live OTT, live-to-VOD and STAND 14.E10 STAND 5.B78 recordings on various channels time-shift TV services. It supports simultaneously without any con- HLS, for delivery to Apple devices, straint on the available bandwidth and MPEG-DASH for Android or the number of tuners on the devices – making Edgeware reception device, the company one of the first to support live says. With Cloud PVR, service server-side, OTT ad insertion to providers can deliver start-over the operating system, according and catch-up TV, as well as impul- to the company. Ad Enabler uses sive recording, using a shared or frame-accurate segmentation to WHAT’S NEW? private copy model. The recorded pinpoint moments within TV pro- Accedo Service Management Solu- WHAT’S NEW? content can be processed on the gramming. Edgeware’s ad stitching tion; Accedo Data-Driven Video nanoCDN Multicast ABR Solution; fly to be viewed on any device solution detects these markers Solution Cloud PVR type. At IBC, Broadpeak will also and through an integration with introduce new features of its na- Yospace and a VAST-compatible WHAT DO THEY DO? WHAT DO THEY DO? noCDN solution for satellite, which ad decision server, fetches the The Accedo Service Management Broadpeak says its nanoCDN allows operators to deliver a true personalised ad and stitches it Solution, comprises a set of de- Multicast ABR Solution boosts OTT experience while preserving into the content stream. The TV fined packages addressing specific QoE, minimises bandwidth, and the quality of traditional satellite programming and the ad is then needs, such as platform refresh, decreases latency. At IBC, the distribution. The company will also streamed from Edgeware’s TV service migration, and service company will demonstrate its demonstrate its origin packager server to viewers. Deploying this launch, all supported with a global nanoCDN multicast ABR solution, complemented with video delivery server-side solution creates ad SLA. The Accedo Data-Driven Vid- which makes live HTTP video analytics, which enables content insertion for a more personalised eo Solution enables video service delivery to any device scalable providers to deliver secure live, viewing experience for audiences. providers to present viewers with by turning broadband gateways, time-shift TV, and VOD services to Also on the stand, Edgeware’s TV a personalised video experience cable modems, Wi-Fi routers, and any device. Watermarker will show content through the analysis of their pref- STBs into active components distributors how they can protect erences and viewing habits. The of an operator’s content deliv- CONTACT their programming. TV Water- solution is powered by the Accedo ery infrastructure. Leveraging www.broadpeak.tv marker uses a bitstream-based On video experience platform and home networks, operators can solution which can be used on- the business analytics solution manage the consumption peaks the-fly by Edgeware’s TV servers from technology partner Jump. of live multiscreen services for Edgeware as they stream content. The Accedo and Jump have launched millions of simultaneous viewers STAND 14.F20 demonstration will show how the the first set of Data-Driven Video using only a few Mbps from their solution encodes a visual code into Solution packages, focusing on network. Broadpeak will demon- the programme’s image which is issues such as customer churn strate innovative new features for unique to each viewer and much and content performance. Accedo nanoCDN, such as Common Media harder for pirates to identify or is also demonstrating a proof File Format (CMAF) and chunked change than other manifest-based of concept to improve the VOD transfer encoding support to fur- solutions. If a stream is illegally on-the-go user experience. The ther decrease latency for OTT live redistributed by an unauthorised new video UI has been designed streaming. Following a record year WHAT’S NEW? source, TV Watermarker can iden- for one-handed use, suitable for of deployments worldwide, includ- OTT ad personalisation; forensic tify the pirate within 15 seconds. viewing content on the train or in ing several tier-one operators, the watermarking These technology demos are part other on-the-go scenarios. Cloud PVR from Broadpeak will be of the beyond broadcast experi- a key highlight at IBC. Providing WHAT DO THEY DO? ence that Edgeware is presenting CONTACT operators with a solution for de- Edgeware will be presenting its at IBC. With more people than www.accedo.tv livering time-shifted TV services, Ad Enabler solution which allows ever choosing non-broadcast ser-

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p44,46,48 IBC Preview DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 44 04/09/2018 20:08 Sponsored content

The role of pay TV as the traditional aggregator of content is under pressure and there is plenty of evidence of the inevitable re-aggregation of content under dierent banners; Apple, Amazon, Netix et al. However, consumer habits are changing and, enriched by the diversity of fragmented oerings, disaggregation may yet have a signicant impact, says Joe Foster, CEO and co-founder of Easel TV. Why social media may be OTT’s best friend

n June 2012, not long after we started building what we saw as YouTube to YourTube white-labelled online cloud TV and entertainment services; better known these days simply as OTT services, I was sat in our o ces YouTube channels can spring up overnight. They are global and, through with Tom Rogers, the then CEO of TiVo. social media, attract big audiences. They oer free global hosting of HD ITom was fascinated at the All3Media direct-to-consumer service we video, good analytics, advertising and subscription tools. had just released to the market on Samsung smart TVs in the US and Perhaps YouTube – and Netix, Apple and Amazon – will become the UK. We had also just done Spotify on TiVo in both the US and for Tom’s holistic unied UI channel aggregator of the future. But I don’t Virgin Media in the UK. think so – at least not as it stands. Whilst the latter seek to corner Tom got what we were doing, but at the time he wasn’t convinced. OTT mainstream viewing, YouTube targets OTT’s long-tail, but has His point was that consumers ultimately decide because they are the its limitations. YouTube (Facebook, Twitter) are not a natural home arbiter of business case success and would not condone regression; as for long-form content. They also have content protection, brand he saw it a then independent British TV production house going direct- ownership and positioning issues, and what earning potential there to-market broke with benets of one simple holistic journey within a is drains o into Google’s coers. There is too much loss of control of common UI. data, brand dilution, and too much revenue being demanded. Too The All3Media app involved content fragmentation in both the much of the ownership of product and consumer is being lost. service oering and user journey. In his view, it introduced the It makes more sense to use YouTube and social media platforms painful concept of searching for apps for individual pieces of content. as generators of audience, leading to OTT destinations that convert Furthermore, it seemed logical that the economies of scale would them to customers where income can be derived in multiple ways dictate that packaged bundles would remain better value than without restriction – subscription, in-app purchases, advertising individual subscriptions or app purchases. and sponsorship. Within these destinations, the proposition can be But now, cord-cutting has already challenged the bundle, and social developed via the operator’s own brand journey, with rich menus, media means content discovery and app adoption is no barrier; the collections, and playlists driven by their own editorial and scheduling world has changed. objectives.

Generation Z and the trouble with packages. Successful disaggregation

You can’t argue with Tom’s rst point – the consumer is indeed the My view of the consumer as arbitrator of entertainment success is that arbiter of business case success. But the problem with packages is that they will also pick and choose what they want to pay for – sports fans, while they give you what you want, they also give you a lot of what you people with a lifestyle compulsion, those interested in food, fashion, don’t want. festivals, and so on. And if the content owners, from studios and The current Virgin Media-UKTV dispute is perhaps a case in point. production houses down to individual celebrities and chefs, can make Where once broadcast – free or pay – was the only source of content, more money and create brand communities, then disaggregation and whether you wanted it or not, now we have OTT. fragmentation may win out. UKTV Play is not only a fully branded standalone source of all 10 However, disaggregated services aren’t just about building a UKTV channels’ content, it oers the consumer the benet of anytime website or an app. That’s a long way from creating an OTT service that viewing, box-set binging, watching shows before they are broadcast is administered via cloud systems that allow full editorial, scheduling and personalisation through a playlist of ‘my shows’ and sharing your and publishing of the OTT channel across all devices, taking payment, experience on social media. And it’s free on a multitude of devices. inserting video and banner adverts, registering users, presenting TV packages matter when entertainment is based on channel brand, detailed analytics spanning top grossing sales and individual consumer but not when it is based on content; e.g. lm, series, lifestyle, etc. views, and reconciling wholesale billing of acquired content. Generation Z get this. They share content, not channels. They adopt And of all the facets of a good OTT service, the most imperative is apps via a click from a social media recommendation. They time-shift to enable the publishing and sharing of content on social platforms, common experiences through viral trending timelines that play to provide marketing tools for promoting the content as a destination on-demand formats. And most of all, they decide what is a success by and measure audience response to optimise marketing spend and collective adoption – they are they arbiters of sustainable business. enhance audience value in order to reduce churn.

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p45 Easel Opinion DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 03/09/2018 15:55 IBC 2018 > Preview Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

vices for reasons of convenience exchange between relevant par- simplified media management across their entire ecosystem, or higher-quality, content owners ties. Digital Media Hub has been capabilities, and integrated on-the- according to the company. Piksel and distributors need to deploy a developed in conjunction with a fly Digital Rights Management that says that Fuse Metadata Manager distribution workflow that enables number of rights holders with ser- it says simplifies the encryption puts metadata at the heart of the them to take advantage of inter- vices already having been used by and delivery of content in all popu- business to address issues caused net-delivered means to deliver them, according to the company. lar DRM formats. by legacy systems. By improving an experience that surpasses Globecast will also be showing integration of broadcast and linear traditional broadcast, according to its newly enhanced, fast set-up CONTACT workflows, reducing reliance on the company. content distribution solution over www.limelight.com manual process and avoiding du- public internet technology, GCXN. plication, businesses can better or- CONTACT In the latest version, Globecast ganise their back office to improve www.edgeware.com has expanded the flexibility of the Make.TV agility and deliver better services, service via additional customer STAND says the company. Updates to premise connectivity options. Cus- Fuse Metadata Manager include: Globecast tomers can use Globecast-supplied WHAT’S NEW? federation of multiple sources of STAND A.129 Net Insight technology, or they can A new version of Live Video Cloud, metadata to visualise metadata in now use OEM alternatives. In ad- a single place; improved search, dition, operators can now access WHAT DOES IT DO? validation and conformance; GCXN via the cloud using a virtual Make.TV says it will demon- increased quality and depth to internet transport application. strate its complete solution for unlock the potential of archived GXCN has also been updated with broadcasters and publishers of all content; Machine Learning (ML) new multi-acquisition capability, sizes to acquire, curate, route and capabilities to enrich metadata allowing customer connection via distribute hyper-local live video intelligently and at scale. This up- WHAT’S NEW? two ISPs concurrently, providing sources from anywhere in the date follows the recent announce- Globecast Digital Media Hub for an enhanced level of redundancy. world to any destination. Make. ment of the Piksel metadata sports and live events TV’s technology is used by news, ecosystem, bringing together a CONTACT sport, entertainment and eSports range of vendors across Europe WHAT DOES IT DO? www.globecast.com providers including Major League to deliver advanced recommen- Globecast is launching its new Baseball, ESL Gaming, Fox Sports, dations and content discovery Digital Media Hub suite of services NBC Universal, MTV/Viacom and functionalities to customers. for sports and live events. By Limelight Networks Warner Bros. The Live Video Cloud aggregating multiple virtual- STAND 5.B52 opens pathways for video to be CONTACT ised technologies into a single shared between content creators, www.piksel.com ecosystem, the Digital Media Hub WHAT’S NEW? producers, programmers and allows a live feed to be treated in Real-time streaming solution advertisers with scale, speed and multiple ways to create content relevance previously not possible. Verimatrix suitable for cross-platform use, in WHAT DOES IT DO? It makes it easy to get breaking STAND both real-time or for use at a later Limelight will carry out live news content quickly, handle date. The live feed can be used for demonstrations of its new We- remote production and deliver lo- WHAT’S NEW? linear playout or to stream to live bRTC-based real-time stream- calised content across broadcast, RightsConnex; StreamMark Live; platforms of the rights holder’s ing solution that lets content online and social media networks. Verspective Intelligence; Verspec- choice, including social media or providers deliver interactive live tive RT; Veriteem; Vtegrity websites. Using the same live feed, broadcast-quality streaming CONTACT content can be manually or auto- experiences from anywhere in the www.make.tv WHAT DO THEY DO? matically clipped, edited, metadata world, to anywhere in the world, Verimatrix will be showcasing its attached and shared, either short with less than one second of newly renamed RightsConnex or long-form. For example, latency, according to the company. Piksel workflow solution (formerly known highlights clips can be shared on Limelight says that its edge cloud STAND 5.C80 as Federated Rights Management) social media or packages created platform provides a combination for distributing OTT content for OTT platforms. All the clipped of global private infrastructure, WHAT’S NEW? between content owners and content is then made available via intelligent software, and support Fuse Metadata Manager updates video service providers. It is a a Marketplace Platform in multiple services to enable current and fu- secure, hierarchical distribution formats/different sizes – including ture workflows. The company will WHAT DOES IT DO? method that features a single at broadcast quality – and branded also highlight enhancements to its Piksel has announced updates to point of integration for operators using customers’ guidelines. online video platform, including a Fuse Metadata Manager to allow and content owners, according This platform facilitates content powerful new user interface and customers to leverage metadata to the company, that streamlines

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p44,46,48 IBC Preview DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 46 04/09/2018 20:08 Q&A: Matthew Wilkinson, Magine Pro

Matthew Wilkinson, general manager at Magine Pro, talks about opportunities and challenges facing new entrants in the OTT TV market.

How much opportunity is there for new entrants in the OTT TV consumer services in Scandinavia and Germany. We leverage our market and what are the key things that operators need to focus on experience and understanding of good UX/UI to build platforms that in order to succeed? fulll our B2B partner’s needs, and provide exceptional experiences for We now see consumers subscribing to three or more OTT services, their customers. and although they are the smallest, they are also one of the fastest We believe a user-friendly service that heroes content and aids growing segments in the market. For new OTT service entrants, it’s a discovery is key to attracting and retaining users. Our templated great opportunity to grab the number three or even four spot next to solutions can be independently curated and managed by our partners, the OTT streaming incumbents such as Net ix, HBO, and Hulu. giving them full control over what, where and how their content is Content is arguably the driving force behind this growth. Original featured. content, in particular, that’s not readily available elsewhere, is one of The user experience should also be seamless. Regardless of where the key reasons consumers sign up to more than one service. New OTT or what device they watch on, subscribers should be able to enjoy service entrants don’t necessarily need to produce original content high-quality streams without buering or downtime issues. And local to attract subscribers though. They could explore securing rights for payment solutions that enable users to pay fees easily are also essential local or regional content that is often overlooked or not being widely if you’re operating a global service, and especially in emerging markets. distributed. It’s also important they carefully consider their monetisation model What challenges do operators face in breaking into the OTT TV and whether it’s suitable for their content and target audience. To build market and what solutions are available? a sustainable OTT business, you need a clear strategy with prudent To avoid getting lost in the crowd, new OTT entrants need a clear expectations of consumer pricing acceptance and service uptake. dierentiator and value proposition. Trying to cater to all consumers can result in you catering to none. What are some examples of potential new OTT TV markets that are We are starting to see a rise in niche OTT services for this reason. Our currently underserved? partners PassionFlix and True Royalty, for example, oer niche content As viewers consume more and the move away from traditional viewing that appeals to a smaller subscriber base, which is more loyal and habits to OTT services, content owners have a golden opportunity to dedicated than the general consumer crowd. And as they are able to capture dark & niche markets. target a very specic audience, their marketing eorts are much more Consumers are being oered a barrage of generic services that eective. target mass audiences and oer broad programming type. However, Getting a new OTT service up and running takes time and can come there are niche segments that have appeal across global markets, at a considerable cost. At Magine Pro we help our partners overcome populations and cultures. Lower tier sports leagues like American these barriers and provide a proof-of-concept Pioneer solution, College Football, for example, typically have a wider and more loyal alongside a full end-to-end Premium service that is proven, cost- following, which are willing to pay a premium if it’s not carried by ecient and ensures a quick time to market. legacy broadcasters or media distributors. Content owners are also not limited to maximising the value of their What business models make the most sense for operators looking to content through distribution on traditional channels (local TV and build a sustainable service o ering? satellite etc). They can expand their footprint and explore untapped Subscription-Video-On-Demand (SVOD) remains one of the most markets by taking their content direct to consumer with their own OTT popular monetisation models for OTT services, as it ensures a steady service. A signicant dark market is local content for overseas expats recurring revenue and has a lock-in eect on users. At Magine Pro, we & diaspora, where access to content via transitional means is either also promote hybrid models that blend SVOD/TVOD and/or AVOD to illegal and of low quality, or just not available. ensure no money is left on the table. Monetising through Ads means OTT services can oer limited free What are the key features and functionality that OTT TV services content to users that are hesitant to pay a Subscription or Transaction need to succeed, from Magine’s own experience of operating fee upfront. Through upsell activities, these free users can convert to services? paying subscribers, increasing average revenue per user (ARPU) and Magine have over seven years experience operating direct-to- the customer lifetime value. IBC 2018 > Preview Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

security workflows with persistent is a distributed ledger technology addressable TV solution natively for integration on high-end 4K encryption, policy definition and that addresses security gaps in compatible with the various EU and legacy customer premise enforcement, and automates the blockchain technology. The com- specificities, such as, integrating equipment. Zenterio TV is pitched consumption reporting process. pany developed the open source privacy and security by design as an open alternative to Android Content providers can standardise technology to build internet of under GDPR. A demo at IBC will TV but is also compatible with distribution of valuable content things (IoT) applications that feature VO’s audience manage- Android TV, as it can be deliv- with little incremental effort, and require a dedicated blockchain ment capabilities, and in particular ered as an app. Zenterio will also bypass the friction and inefficien- that features public access to data, the ability to help operators demonstrate the various capabili- cies that exist in today’s work- yet securely manages contribu- monetise their TV data. VO is also ties of its Zenterio Cloud solution, flows. StreamMark is a server-side tions in order to prevent malicious bringing its next-generation suite including content aggregation, watermarking service for premium behaviour. Veriteem is a building of anti-piracy protection services business intelligence, and home over-the-top video services. block upon which the Verimatrix to IBC, which the company says is automation. With Zenterio Cloud, Hosted in the Verimatrix Secure Vtegrity IoT security solution can designed to empower operators operators can manage more Cloud, StreamMark is inherently be applied to secure the services to combat illegal streaming on the content, digitise their TV business, DRM-agnostic and is designed and associated revenue streams web and collect legally relevant and expand into home automation for adaptive bitrate streaming for the entire lifecycle of a device documentation to fight piracy. to improve ARPU, according to the (ABR) protocols such as HTTP Live and application. Verimatrix will company. Using Zenterio Cloud Streaming (HLS) and standard also be unveiling a new connected CONTACT for content aggregation and pres- MPEG-DASH. StreamMark is avail- content marketplace model where www.viacess-orca.com entation, operators gain the ability able as stand-alone watermarking content owners and service pro- to provide unified search across service, independent of CAS/ viders converge around a common all content, expand their content DRM systems. For the first time, cloud platform to efficiently and Zenterio portfolio, gather user behaviour Verimatrix will also be showcasing accountably exchange content. STAND 5.C53 analytics, and control content its StreamMark Live solution, presentation across screens. For which is a real-time watermark CONTACT business insights, Zenterio Cloud designed for fast extraction during www.verimatrix.com helps deliver higher ARPU through live events, such as sports. As the benchmarking, enabling operators latest enhancement to the Ver- to compare and improve user spective Analytics suite, Verspec- Viaccess Orca satisfaction and engagement over tive Intelligence provides a 360° STAND 1.A51 time, says the company. Pre-in- view across different network WHAT’S NEW? tegrated with home automation and device types to find patterns WHAT’S NEW? Zenterio TV systems, Zenterio Cloud enhances and anomalies that help service TVaaS the user experience with voice providers make more informed WHAT DOES IT DO? search. Finally, Zenterio will show- decisions about their audiences, WHAT DOES IT DO? Zenterio will introduce Zenterio case the advanced advertising content, consumption, and overall VO will showcase its end-to-end, TV, described by the company as tools developed by its subsidiary performance. Essentially, this is a cloud-based TV Platform as a a one-stop-shop TV entertainment company, AdScribe. AdScribe more precise method of seg- Service (TVaaS), which is based on experience platform comprised of works with Zenterio customers, menting the subscriber audience user interface from VO partners. client software, UI, and cloud com- other pay TV operators, and based on how they engage with TVaaS provides OTT and pay TV ponents. Offering pre-integrated, media companies to monetise the service enables operators to operators with a one-stop solution premium OTT content and apps, platforms through the introduc- better address potential problems to deliver multiscreen services including YouTube, Netflix, and tion of targeted advertising and and uncover upsell opportunities, across any network, according others, combined with support content promotion. AdScribe gives supported by off-the-shelf and to the company. The solution for DVB and IPTV, Zenterio TV its partners the capability to reach customisable reporting tools, includes: a service delivery plat- includes cloud-based tools that specific audience segments with says the company. Verspective form, the VO secure video player, are designed to make the client new advertising inventory to drive RT is a real-time device-level a multi-platform player integrated independent from the backend, new revenue streams and deliver analytics solution collects in-depth with major DRMs for premium allowing quick customisation and incremental ARPU, according to information about the subscriber VOD and live content to enable a optimisation of content layout, UI, Zenterio. AdScribe’s toolsets and experience and service perception compelling viewing experience, and content presentation, says technologies are widely deployed on both managed and unman- apps, advanced analytics dash- Zenterio. Operators can create a and ship pre-integrated with aged networks. Verspective RT boards, a search-analysis tool and tailor-made experience for viewers Zenterio TV and Zenterio Cloud, also supports real-time data advanced advertising functionality. using the platform’s content layout according to the company. export to third-party tools and VO and its partners, SoftAtHome and editorial content tools. As in-house systems. Recently made and Viznet, are also working an HTML and native application CONTACT available to the public, Veriteem together to offer an end-to-end platform, Zenterio TV is designed www.zenterio.com

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p44,46,48 IBC Preview DTVE AugSep18v3am.indd 48 04/09/2018 20:08 Q&A: Pablo Hesse, Teltoo

Pablo Hesse, CEO of Teltoo, talks about the rise of live-streaming and the challenges of delivering mass-audience events over the internet.

What major changes in consumption of TV do you believe will have breaking down the les, caching, delivery – all in real-time. It’s very the biggest impact on the business in the next couple of years? challenging. But, preparing to meet mass audience levels is even more We will see the biggest impact in live TV. Right now, it is the fastest complex. Live streaming is relatively new, and there is still little data, growing market segment, and it’s full of opportunities. Online TV so most companies over-provision their network, through multi-CDN started as a VOD format because it helped to break an old paradigm: strategies, to create enough capacity in case something unexpected TV schedules. The same way MP3 and playlists changed the way we happens. That strategy is not wrong, but shouldn’t we be able to stream listen to music, VOD and streaming changed the way we watched TV. It with the certainty that everything is going to work and scale when created a revolutionary way of consuming content. Today we see how needed? people watch VOD content on the go as if it was normal, when ve years ago that sounded crazy. Now that VOD is mature, the entire industry is What needs to be done to overcome these challenges? moving to an online TV experience that includes live content. We must think dierently. Go backwards and modify what has been Live content represents a bigger challenge than VOD, but also new used in the past. The internet was never designed to distribute video, so opportunities. We can now enjoy live events that were hard to watch why not stop, take a moment to think, and try dierent ways of doing before, and that allows us to satisfy an increasing consumer base all over things? We have been using standard technologies for a long time, but the world. Sporting events, music festivals, industry events, education... isn’t it time to move forward and embrace new ideas? It is challenging we can reproduce all those experiences live, everywhere – and that is to innovate in an industry where millions of viewers expect the highest why live TV will be the biggest revolution in the next few years. quality, but precisely because of that, we need to be ahead of the demand, instead of always trying to meet it. To what extent do you see live TV switching from broadcast to Most of the companies we have the pleasure to talk with now have streaming? innovation teams tasked with creating a new way of thinking and doing TV will become a complete streaming experience. We have already things. A new way of de ning what should be done. This is what we changed the way we consume content. The internet rede ned the rules, need in our industry to overcome these challenges. and now we want content immediately, everywhere and on all devices. Live content is one of the most demanded video formats, and it will be integrated into this new TV experience. What do you see as Teltoo’s role in this environment and what are the So, rather than thinking if that will happen or not, as industry leaders, key elements of your technology? we need to think how we are going to complete the move quickly Teltoo is a new way of distributing content. It challenges the current way while giving consumers a wonderful experience. Technology and of thinking, and uses technologies that are completely reliable and, even infrastructure are always running behind demand and trying to meet it. better, completely scalable. Teltoo maximizes the current infrastructure It’s time to get ahead and control this demand through innovative and that is in place, which means a bene t for all the stakeholders involved: scalable ways to give people the content they deserve in the way they consumers – better content; content owners – ecient delivery; and demand it. operators – network optimization. The key element of Teltoo is how it complements the other What are the key challenges in delivering live-streamed coverage of technologies used in the video streaming chain, and how it enhances the mass-audience sports events? whole viewer experience by reorganizing the way video is distributed. If you look at the live video streaming process chain there are several Teltoo provides full control, enormous exibility, and will soon become factors to take care of: capturing, encoding/transcoding, encryption, an essential element in the video streaming toolbox. Technology > in focus Digital TV Europe August/September 2018 Technology in focus Infrastructure equipment and product news for digital media distribution

In Brief Panasonic and Samsung deploy HDR10+ firmware

LG expands webOS be- Panasonic and Samsung are process has allowed partners, in- yond the TV among the first manufacturers to cluding content creators, television LG has announced plans to support HDR10+ after the com- and device manufacturers, to easily expand its webOS platform panies announced that they are incorporate HDR10+ technology,” beyond smart TVs, introducing deploying firmware for select 2018 a nominal administrative fee is said 20th Century Fox executive it to new industries for the TV models. applied. vice-president and managing first time. Announcing the HDR10+ Technologies an- “Panasonic is happy to an- director of the Fox Innovation Lab, news at IFA in Berlin, LG said it nounced the news ahead of IFA. nounce that through the deploy- Danny Kaye. has partnered with IT service The joint venture company – set ment of a firmware update, the “We’re encouraged by the provider Luxoft Holding to up by 20th Century Fox, Panasonic majority of our 2018 4K models interest of early adopters and an create the next generation Corporation and Samsung Elec- are now HDR10+ certified meaning expanded HDR10+ ecosystem that of webOS. With the move it tronics – is responsible for licensing that our viewers will be able to will improve the viewing experienc- is targeting the automotive, the technology and said that more enjoy content even closer to the es for all audiences.” robotics and smart home than 80 companies have already intentions of the filmmakers,” said HDR10+ is an upgraded version sectors. LG has deployed applied or completed the licence Toshiharu Tsutsui, director of Pana- of the HDR10 format that adds webOS in more than 60 million programme. sonic’s TV business division. dynamic metadata to each frame LG smart TVs and digital sign The application process is avail- Samsung Research America’s of video. The HDR10+ licensing displays to date. able to content companies, display vice-president of industry relations, programme and logo are designed manufacturers, Blu-ray makers, Bill Mandel, said: “We are thrilled to ensure that HDR10+ compliant Roku signs up JVC to TV set-top box manufacturers, and that the majority of our 2018 lineup products meet high standards licensing programme system-on-a-chip vendors. will be fully certified for HDR10+.” for picture quality within defined JVC will be the latest TV brand The licence is royalty-free but “A standardised licensing parameters. to use the Roku operating system, with high definition JVC Roku TVs due to launch in the Facebook acquires video start-up Vidpresso US later this year. Shenzhen MTC joined the Roku TV Facebook has acquired Utah-based with custom graphics, live polling focus on their content, and have it licensing program, agreeing to Vidpresso, an interactive live-video and other features. Its partners look great, without spending lots build smart TVs under the JVC start-up focused on Facebook Live include BuzzFeed, Turner Sports, of time or money to do so.” brand that use TV hardware streaming. TED and NBC. Vidpresso was founded in 2012 reference designs and the Roku While terms of the deal were “This gives us the best oppor- and has had, by Bennett’s own OS. not disclosed, the US tech press tunity to accelerate our vision and admission, “a lot of false starts described the deal as an ‘ac- offer a simple way for creators, along the way”. PlayStation VR sales reach qui-hire’ that will see Vidpresso’s publishers, and broadcasters to Before focusing on social media three million small team move over to the social use social media in live video at a broadcasts, the company first Sony Interactive Entertainment media giant. high-quality level,” said Bennett. offered tools to help synchronise has sold more than three million In a blog post, Vidpresso found- “We’ve always wanted to build presentations with slides, then PlayStation VR (PS VR) systems er Randall Bennett confirmed that tools for everyone to create inter- tools to help broadcasters put worldwide, according to official the company will be joining Face- active live video experiences. By social media on TV. company stats. Sony announced book effective immediately and joining Facebook we’ll be able to Bennett said that the company’s the milestone figure along with said that Vidpresso will continue offer our tools to a much broader initial mission was to make video the news that it has also sold to serve its existing customers. audience than just our A-list easier to author, easier to change, 21.9 million PS VR games and The company helps creators, publishing partners. Eventually, it and customised per person, and experiences. publishers, and broadcasters will allow us to put these tools in claimed “we still haven’t realised create “great live experiences” the hands of creators, so they can the full vision yet”.

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p50-53 DTVE Tech AugSep18v3am.indd 50 04/09/2018 18:57 Digital TV Europe Technology > in focus August/September 2018

TiVo rules out major acquisition in strategy review In Brief

TiVo has said it is not looking to value to our customers”. ProSiebenSat.1 revamps make a major acquisition as part “With respect to the product red button offering of its ongoing strategic review, business, it appears clear that ProSiebenSat.1 has rolled out and instead highlighted the value there is a real opportunity in the a new red button offering for of its product and IP licensing marketplace for a well-scaled smart TVs in Germany, based on businesses. next-generation video products the business to grow profitably the HbbTV standard. The new Speaking on the company’s business, with good growth po- in both existing and adjacent portal offers full TV episodes second quarter earnings call, in- tential that revolutionises how we markets.” and content, with the media terim president and CEO Raghav- watch TV and effectively enables For the quarter to June 30, library organised by topic into endra Rau said that “while we’re monetisation of the experience,” TiVo reported a 17% year-on-year playlists. Smart TV users can always open to strategic acquisi- said Rau. decrease in revenues at US$172.8 access entertainment from the tions that can deliver stockholder TiVo currently has an installed million ( 149 million). Adjust- ProSieben, Sat.1, Kabel Eins, value, we do not believe, at this base of around 22 million house- ed EBITDA was down 36% to Sixx, ProSieben Maxx, Sat.1 Gold, time, that utilising our capital for holds and Rau said the company US$51.9 million. and Kabel Eins Doku brands. a significant acquisition would be has a “great brand and platform” TiVo announced in February Viewers of ProSiebenSat.1 the best way to deliver value for to power next generation enter- that it had started to evaluate a services can also press the shareholders.” tainment experiences. “wide range of strategic alterna- red button to access an Instead Rau stressed the finan- “Further, with one of the tives” in an effort to achieve long- entertainment feed of digital cial operations of TiVo’s products leading portfolios of intellectual term value for shareholders. The news and entertainment and IP businesses and said that property in the linear TV and OTT firm said that “TiVo’s stock price information while watching TV, the company remains committed markets, TiVo also believes there is at a level that the company and with ‘dual consumption’ a focus to developing “compelling and are strategic opportunities for its board do not believe reflects of the new offering. relevant solutions that can deliver the IP business that will enable the true value of the business”.

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p50-53 DTVE Tech AugSep18v3am.indd 51 04/09/2018 18:57 Technology > in focus Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

In Brief Virgin Media introduces download on TV Go app

Altice Portugal renews Liberty Global-owned Virgin watched anywhere else in the licence with TiVo Media has introduced a new world offline within 48 hours. Pay TV service provider Altice download feature to its Virgin TV Other channels for which the Portugal has renewed its IP Go app. download capability is available licence with technology outfit Users of the app will have are Cartoon Network, Crime + TiVo. Altice Portugal’s Meo the ability to download about Investigation, Food Network, His- platform deployed Microsoft 2,000 episodes of catch-up and tory, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, Travel Mediaroom – subsequently on-demand box-sets from content Channel, Nat Geo and Syfy. on the box direct to their phones sold to Ericsson – to power providers including Fox, ABC Download capability is also or tablets with the Virgin TV Go its IPTV service. TiVo became and Comedy Central, as well as available for the Virgin TV Kids app.” involved in a legal dispute with Virgin TV’s collection of exclusive app. Aimed at children aged three Separately, Virgin Media in the Portuguese operator last box-sets such as Kingdom, Ash Vs to seven, this enables users to Ireland is due to launch its new year, alleging it had failed to pay Evil Dead, Magic City, Chaussée download shows such as Peppa Virgin Media Sport channel on certain licensing fees related to D’Amour, Good Behavior, Will Pig and Paw Patrol, as well as September 18. its interactive programme guide and Imposters. books and games. The channel, dubbed by the after Microsoft sold its TV unit. The download feature will ena- Both the Virgin TV Go and pay TV provider as ‘Ireland’s ble Virgin Media’s Full House and Virgin TV Kids apps are available new home of European football’ Arqiva taps AWS for virtu- VIP customers to watch shows on for iOS and Android. will broadcast Irish-produced alised services the go, following the update to David Bouchier, Virgin Media’s coverage of the UEFA Champions Arqiva has announced its the app. chief digital entertainment officer, League and UEFA Europa League. first suite of virtualised media Customers can download said: “Whether it’s bingeing Virgin Media Sport will be management services, covering shows over WiFi, 4G or 3G in the on a box set on the beach or available to all Virgin Media TV playout, OTT managed head- UK or countries in the EU. Any catching up on a comedy on a customers at no extra cost and end, and video-on-demand programme downloaded prior plane or train, our customers can is due to air more than 400 live processing. Arqiva is using to leaving the UK or EU can be download the best entertainment European matches this season. Amazon Web Services (AWS) to power the services, which are designed to let customers BBC R&D looks to AI to help programme makers quickly trial, adopt and integrate new services on a short- and UK public broadcaster the BBC’s content. Relevant clips retrieved long-term basis depending on research and development de- by AI can be used to enrich news market demands. partment (BBC R&D) is developing and factual programmes, for Artificial Intelligence to help pro- example. ITV partners with Accedo gramme makers and schedulers Cassian Harrison, channel edi- for AI artwork project unlock valuable resources from its tor at BBC Four, said: “AI and Ma- UK commercial broadcaster extensive library. channel’s previous schedules and chine Learning sit at the centre ITV has partnered with The news arrived ahead of programme attributes, and then of a huge ongoing debate. With technology outfit Accedo on a BBC 4.1 Artificial Intelligence TV ranked programmes it thought its brief to experiment, BBC Four project that will see the video bringing two nights of experiential were most relevant. is grasping the nettle by the hand user experience company programming including a series Doing this manually would be with this bold experiment to in- automatically generate targeted part-made by AI on September 4 impractical as it would take hun- vestigate just how AI might open cover artwork for ITV. The and 5. dreds of hours, but the AI gave up new creative opportunities. project follows on from an This line-up included new and BBC Four a more manageable In collaboration with the BBC’s Accedo prototype, which was classic programmes exploring AI, selection in a fraction of the time. world-beating R&D department, developed using the Amazon including Made by Machine: When This enabled researchers AI TV will explore the cutting Web Services cloud platform. AI met the archive, and The Joy of and schedulers to uncover edge of this new technology and Personalised thumbnails for AI, which is partly made by it. programmes they may never demonstrate just how AI and Ma- content will be tested on a focus AI was also used to help discov- have been able to find, and will chine Learning might inform and group of ITV viewers in a bid er a selection of hidden footage broadcast a selection that haven’t influence programme-making and to increase engagement and from the BBC’s vast archive to be been seen in years. scheduling, while also resurfacing stimulate consumption of ITV’s shown as part of BBC 4.1 AI TV. As the BBC becomes more some gems from the BBC Four content. The AI learnt what BBC audi- digitised, this is something BBC archive along the way. It’s telly ences might like, based on the R&D is developing for across its Jim, but not as we know it.”

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p50-53 DTVE Tech AugSep18v3am.indd 52 04/09/2018 18:57 Digital TV Europe Technology > in focus August/September 2018

Kudelski sells STB and CAM businesses to Neotion In Brief

Content security firm Kudelski for CAMs and will market and sell Kaltura launches targeted has agreed to sell its SmarDTV SmarDTV Global’s CAMs in their TV solution conditional access module (CAM) respective markets. Video technology provider and set-top box businesses to A month before the deal was Kaltura has launched a new Neotion for a cash consideration agreed, Kudelski announced it Targeted TV solution that uses of US$20 million ( 17 million). was opening a new Zurich office AI and machine learning to The businesses will be trans- to meet demand for cybersecu- extend the capabilities of its ferred to SmarDTV Global, a new rity services and solutions on Cloud TV platform. Kaltura entity set-up by Neotion, when “In this transaction, we are the German, Austrian and Swiss Targeted TV uses artificial the deal closes – which is expect- placing a lot of attention on pre- markets. The expanded staff intelligence to segment TV ed to be at the end of the month. serving our customers’ interests includes professionals in security audiences and offer tailored Kudelski retained its offices in and ensuring their full satisfac- consulting, engineering, sales experiences that are designed to La Ciotat, France and Steeton, tion over time.” and marketing. increase content usage reduce UK, and all patents. Additional Neotion CEO Lionel Boissier Since 2016, Kudelski Security churn. The offering is aimed at earn-out payments may be owed said: “Neotion is strongly com- has experienced solid growth in pay TV operators, telcos, media based on CAM and set-top box mitted to ensure the continuity this region, adding clients and companies and broadcasters sales volumes in the period up to and the further development of launching new managed security using the Kaltura TV Platform. the end of 2021. both SmarDTV Global’s CAM and services, including Managed “This transfer of assets to a set-top box businesses, including Endpoint Detection and Response HTC set to launch wireless well-established player is part of the further development of an and Managed Attacker Decep- adapter for Vive headset the Kudelski Group’s strategy to innovative product portfolio for tion, which are delivered from the HTC is due to launch the Vive focus on core activities in which the benefit of SmarDTV Global’s company’s Cyber Fusion Center Wireless Adapter in the US in it has or will reach critical mass customers.” in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, September, which will allow and profitability to fund on-going Kudelski’s operating entities, Switzerland. Kudelski Security’s users to experience Vive virtual growth initiatives,” said Kudel- Nagra and Conax, will continue expanded team in Zurich will pro- reality experiences without ski chairman and CEO, André to manage the commercial rela- vide German-speaking support in being tethered to a PC. The Kudelski. tionships with their customers proximity to clients in the region. adapter is compatible with both Vive and Vive Pro headsets, though Vive Pro owners will InterDigital acquires Technicolor patent licensing need an additional compatibility pack with a connection cable, Mobile technology research and some 3,000 worldwide video cod- as well as foam padding and an development company InterDigital ing patents and applications. attachment device. has completed its acquisition of The portfolio will also be Technicolor’s patent licensing supplemented by a jointly-funded Paywizard launches AI business. R&D collaboration, which will bring subscriber intelligenc InterDigital paid Technicolor together the efforts of hundreds Pay TV-focused billing and US$150 million ( 130 million) of engineers in InterDigital Labs customer relationship company in cash and under the terms of and Technicolor Research and strengthens our licensing efforts Paywizard has launched an the deal Technicolor will receive Innovation. Members of Techni- in the mobile field while opening artificial intelligence-driven 42.5% of future cash receipts, color’s licensing, legal and other new markets for InterDigital,” said subscriber intelligence platform after operating expenses, from support teams in offices in France, William Merritt, president and CEO called Paywizard Singula. InterDigital’s patent licensing in New Jersey, and other locations of InterDigital. Singula is designed to let the consumer electronics field. join InterDigital’s team of more “We’ve also been able to gauge pay TV operators and OTT There is no revenue sharing as- than 300 R&D and other staff in the tremendous capabilities of providers take a more data- sociated with licensing to the mo- eleven locations around the world. Technicolor’s Research and Inno- driven approach to customer bile industry, though InterDigital “During the months that have vation team, and the alignment engagement by givng operators will also grant back to Technicolor followed the initial announcement, between their research initiatives a view of subscribers at different a perpetual licence for patents we’ve had the opportunity to meet and our own in the video field.” stages of the customer journey acquired in the transaction. and appreciate the tremendous Technicolor announced in to identify a ‘next best action’ InterDigital has acquired ap- capabilities of Technicolor’s team March that it had agreed to sell to strengthen the customer proximately 18,000 patents across and gain additional insight into the the business to InterDigita for relationship. a range of technologies – including strength of the portfolio, which US$475 million.

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p50-53 DTVE Tech AugSep18v3am.indd 53 04/09/2018 18:57 People > Places Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

On the move

Netflix has hired executive officer, global direct- whose full title will be SVP and Ekdahl is due to take up his new an inclusion to-consumer. Faricy will oversee chief technology and product role on September 10, heading up strategy expert Discovery’s global digital and offer, was previously EVP and the unit that runs the Showmax to help eradicate direct-to-consumer businesses, chief technology officer for US pay and DStv Now internet TV services barriers based which includes Discovery’s GO TV TV outfit DISH Network. Liberty in Africa and developing new over- on race at Everywhere products, Motor Trend, Latin America said that Khemka the-top services for the MultiChoice the company. Eurosport Player, Discovery Kids, would lead its technology and group. He brings more than 19 Verna Myers has been named vice Dplay and its forthcoming PGA innovation team across the regions years of experience to the role, president of inclusion strategy. The Tour-branded OTT golf service. in which it operates. The new unit including a number of years spent news arrives after Netflix’s former Reporting directly to Discovery has been tasked with driving IT, at MTG, latterly as CEO of Viaplay. PR chief, Jonathan Friedland, president and CEO David Zaslav, product development and network was fired for making “insensitive” Faricy will work with Discovery platforms across the 40 countries Telemundo remarks in June. In the newly- Networks International president in which the company provides president, Luis created role, Myers will help and CEO JB Perrette on direct-to- services to about 2.7 million Silberwasser, create strategies that integrate consumer product rollouts across customers. is to depart cultural diversity, inclusion and international markets. He is due to the company equity into all aspects of Netflix’s take up his new post on September UK media after four years operations worldwide. For the 17, following a 12-year stint at and telecom with the US past two decades, through The Amazon, latterly as vice president regulator Ofcom Hispanic broadcaster. Silberwasser Verna Myers Company, she has for Amazon Marketplace. Before has named will stay with the company through consulted with a wide range of this he led Amazon’s music and Luisa Affuso to October 1 to help with the major corporations on how to help movies categories. as its new chief transition. During his tenure at eradicate barriers based on race, economist. Telemundo, Silberwasser helped ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation Viacom Affuso joins the regulator from change the programming strategy and other differences. Netflix International PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the positioning of the network. has also appointed Facebook’s Media Networks where she is a director in the He bet on new genres and formats, vice-president of communications, (VIMN) has economics group leading the and focused on meeting the Rachel Whetstone, as its new promoted competition economics team. evolving tastes and demands of the chief communications officer. Jesper Dahl She has advised on a number new Hispanic consumer. Before joining Facebook last to general of high-profile competition year, Whetstone was senior vice manager, vice-president for VIMN in policy matters, covering UK German cable operator Tele president of communications and the Nordics. Dahl, who first joined and international markets and Columbus – which now operates public policy at Uber for two years Viacom in 2005, is due to take up including cases relevant to under the PŸUR brand – has named from 2015. Prior to that she held his new role on October 1, reporting the sectors Ofcom regulates, Dietmar Pöltl as chief technology the same role at Google from 2010 to James Currell, president of VIMN according to the watchdog. Prior officer, following the decision of to 2015, having first joined the in the UK, Northern and Eastern to joining PwC, she consulted Ludwig Modra to leave the group. search giant in London in 2005. Europe. He replaces Andrea for organisations including the Pöltl comes to Tele Columbus from Finally, Netflix’s chief financial Sahlgren, who is leaving Viacom World Bank and European Bank of Germany’s largest cable operator, officer David Wells is to step down after 12 years to take a post at Reconstruction and Development, Vodafone Deutschland, where after helping the company choose Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT and worked as an academic at he has served as vice-president his successor. Wells joined Netflix in Group), MTG’s newly separated the University of Cambridge and of the service assurance centre 2004 and has served as CFO since entertainment and studios London Business School. She will with responsibility for mobile, 2010. He explained in a statement business. take up her post on October 8, fixed and cable networks since that in the future he would like to replacing current chief economist 2016. He was previously vice- focus on philanthropy and take Liberty Latin America, the cable Peter Culham, who is retiring. president of central network on a “big challenge” but is not yet and telecom operator that split and assurance management at clear on what the future will hold. off from Liberty Global and which Naspers has appointed the Kabel Deutschland, subsequently provides services across Latin managing director of Ericsson’s acquired by Vodafone. l Discovery has appointed Amazon America and the Caribbean, has Nuvu on-demand service, Niclas executive Peter Faricy to the named Vivek Khemka as its new Ekdahl, as the CEO of its recently Please email contributions to: newly created role of chief chief technology officer. Khemka, formed connected video unit. [email protected]

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p54 People DTVE AugSep18v3st.indd 54 04/09/2018 18:24 p55 Airbeem DTVE AugSep18.indd 1 30/08/2018 11:33 Final analysis > Kate Bulkley Digital TV Europe August/September 2018

“Getting the scale and mix of businesses right-sized is the key to the re- invention of the media and telco business in the age of global platforms. Part and parcel with this is understanding and using data better.”

The new media giants

currently in the middle of is called The Rise of the Phoenixes and is de- more savvy about leveraging data as well as We’re the latest round of media scribed by Netflix as a story of power, desire, finding new ways of attracting money, includ- consolidation. It’s a time when broadcasting lust and love among people from different ing more directly from sponsors and adver- and telco executives are sharpening their kingdoms in ancient China, “all with the de- tisers. pencils and figuring out how much they can sire of rising to become The Great Phoenix”. Meanwhile the digital giants are only get- spend to buy the companies they need to stay Sounds like a pretty good metaphor for the ting bigger and hungrier for original content in the media game. media business these days. and the growth area is content from outside There’s a lot of talk about synergy and how If the fightback by legacy media and telcos of the US. According to Ampere Analysis, scale is the best hope for legacy players like is all about synergy, then what exactly are we in 2016 some 23% of Netflix originals came Disney, Comcast and AT&T to take on – and talking about here? Two areas really stand from outside the US, while this year the fig- perhaps even topple – the tech giants. It’s all out. The first is winning or at least competing ure is set to be as high as 45%. Similarly, Am- because of consumption shifts with new tech- in the content arms race. If you own the IP, azon’s comparative number for non-US orig- nology, growing consumer choice and the you can exploit it across whatever platform inated commissions went from 3% in 2016 to move by Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix you want. The second is having a direct route a predicted 11% in 2018. and Google (the FAANGs) into video. All this to the consumer. As consumers move from Getting the scale and mix of businesses is not so new, but the pressure has increased. big bundles of channels to taking a collection right-sized is the key to the re-invention of the Commissioning original content looks like of apps, the power is with the brands that are media and telco business in the age of global an arms race, and it’s not just the FAANGs relevant and responsive to their customers. platforms. Part and parcel with this is under- that the traditional players are worried about. What is blaringly clear is that the tradition- standing and using data better. The FAANGs The latest group of aggressive digital giants al media model is under pressure. The days and the BATs are all born data-driven while is from China and they are also coming to eat of selling territory to territory and relying on legacy media companies and even telcos are the lunch of traditional media players and tel- the broadcasters in any one country to fund still learning about data. From commission- cos alike. The Chinese version of the Silicon a significant proportion of a series are hard- ing to better selling of advertising to better Valley giants are Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent er and harder to find. Broadcasters and local marketing, data is pivotal. (the BATs). Together this trio has search, vid- pay TV operators want more rights for longer At the end of the day, the consequences and eo, messaging and ecommerce pretty well periods, including catch-up VOD and boxset advantages of shared data could be transform- wrapped up in China. Now they are starting rights. Yet often they cannot compete with the ative. There is no question that playing in the to flex their muscles outside as well. For ex- global tech giants who are able to pay much media game is high stakes. Commissioning ample, search giant Baidu owns nearly 70% more for global rights in perpetuity. original content is an arms race not for the of the Chinese version of Netflix, video plat- Because of this, even some of the biggest faint hearted. Figuring out direct-to-consum- form iQIYI, which itself raised US$2.25 bil- producers are having to re-think how they er offers that resonate with customers is go- lion ( 1.94 billion) in an initial public share do business. Endemol Shine and Fremantle ing to be challenging. It’s about taking on the offering in the US this past March and is now have made their fortunes by coming up with advantages that the FAANGs and BATs have worth about US$20 billion. format shows like The Voice and Big Brother and leveraging them to create new and more Netflix’s service is not allowed into China that are re-tooled for different markets. But, robust business models. It’s about being one but on September 14 the video streaming with the growth of the FAANGs, this model of the Phoenixes. l giant will debut a 70-episode, Mandarin-lan- looks, at best, less lucrative. Indies big and guage series in many countries outside of small are having to spend more to attract the Kate Bulkley is a journalist specialising China. Co-produced with a group of Chi- right talent – both on screen and behind the in media and telecommunications. nese companies including iQIYI, the series camera – and they are also having to become tellkatenow@aol.com

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p56 Final Analysis DTVE AugSep18v3st.indd 56 04/09/2018 19:06 22-24 OCT.2018 SPORTELMONACO.COM #SPORTELMONACO

Meet the Elite

SPORTS MARKETING & MEDIA CONVENTION

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