August/September 2016 Virtual reality A look inside the future of immersive entertainment pOFC DTVE AugSep16.indd 1 30/08/2016 21:19 pXX RSCC DTVE AugSep16.indd 1 16/08/2016 15:40 Digital TV Europe August/September 2016 Contents August/September 2016 16. Virtually real Virtual Reality is tipped to become a big business in the coming years. But how much potential does this technology hold for TV companies and to what extent should they be investing in this Virtual reality space? Andy McDonald reports. A look inside the future of immersive entertainment pOFC DTVE AugSep16.indd 1 30/08/2016 21:19 24. Moving media The exponential demand for video over mobile means 4G networks will eventually buckle. For 5G to provide the answer, does broadcast capability need to be built into the specification? Adrian Pennington reports. 24 30. TV on target Does TV need to deliver targeted advertising to survive, or does its ability to deliver reach protect it from the threat of internet video? Stuart Thomson reports. 36. Content Innovation Awards 2016: the preview 30 Following last year’s successful event, the 2016 Content Innovation Awards returns to Cannes’ Carlton Hotel in October. Digital TV Europe sets the scene. 37. IBC 2016: the preview This year’s IBC exhibition will take place at Amsterdam’s RAI from September 9-13. Digital TV Europe takes a look at some this year’s highlight technologies. 37 Regulars 2 This month 4 News digest 44 Technology 50 People 52 Final analysis Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.net 1 p01 Contents DTVE AugSep16v2st.indd 1 30/08/2016 21:20 This month > Editor’s note Digital TV Europe August/September 2016 Issue no 327 A rounded view Published By: KNect365 TMT Maple House 149 Tottenham Court Road reality and 360° video are all the rage at the moment, London W1T 7AD with mobile operators, games companies and – not to Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5000 Virtual be forgotten – TV operators and companies vying to get a piece of the action. Fax: +44 (0) 20 7017 4953 To what extent is VR and 360° TV something that media companies Website: www.digitaltveurope.net should be investing in and why? While it is too early to make accurate pre- dictions about consumer uptake of the technology, content companies and Editor Stuart Thomson service providers are experimenting with virtual coverage of live events and Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5314 investigating the potential of the technology in a number of areas. Email: [email protected] Whether VR for applications other than gaming will win mass-market acceptance – and whether pay TV operators, content providers, consumer electronics manufacturers or mobile Deputy Editor Andy McDonald operators will be best-placed to benefit – remains to be seen. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5293 In this issue of Digital TV Europe will look at what content providers and others are doing in Email: [email protected] the space and investigate whether they see a significant application for them in the future. We also look at how VR’s supporting technology is evolving. Mobile telecom operators are among those taking a keen interest in VR, reflecting the fact Contributing Editor that mobile devices are increasingly used to consume video, including live video outside the Stewart Clarke home. The development of new mobile technologies including LTE Broadcast and ultimately the development of 5G networks could enable the wider use of cellular networks for live and Contributors on-demand video delivery, but what are the key requirements to deliver live broadcasts over Kate Bulkley, Andy Fry, Adrian Pennington, existing mobile networks and what are the costs and benefits of using the technology? In this Adam Thomas, Anna Tobin, Jesse Whittock issue we assess the mobile video ecosystem and look at how video delivery is having an impact on and shaping the next generation of mobile technology. Correspondents With traditional TV increasingly perceived to be under threat from a multiplicity of sources, France: Julien Alliot; Germany: Dieter broadcasters are beginning to take a keener interest in ways to safeguard their core revenue Brockmeyer; Italy: Branislav Pekic stream – advertising. In this edition of Digital TV Europe we also look at the opportunity for free- to-air broadcasters to take advantage of the data available to them to protect the future of their Sales Director Patricia Arescy business – and potentially make additional revenue – thanks to targeted advertising. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5320 Elsewhere in this issue, we look at some of the key technologies that will be on display at this Email: [email protected] month’s IBC exhibition in Amsterdam, and look forward to the industry highlight of the year, the Content Innovation Awards in Cannes, France on October 16. l Art Director Matthew Humberstone Printing Wyndeham Grange, West Sussex To subscribe to this magazine or our daily email newsletter please visit digitaltveurope.net/registerhere © 2016 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved Stuart Thomson, Editor Reproduction without permission is prohibited [email protected] Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.net 2 p02 Ed Note DTVE AugSep16v3am.indd 2 30/08/2016 19:41 The Intelsat Globalized Network Deliver anytime, anywhere, any-screen viewing. Move your programming from linear to digital, multi-screen consumption. The Intelsat Globalized Network is the fi rst and only network that can cost-eff ectively transform your legacy networks and simplify operations by combining satellite, terrestrial technologies and managed media services. The future of media is here. Embrace the digital future today. Find out how at IBC 2016, stand 1.C71. www.intelsat.com/media/8/ 7676-DTV-Europe_Media.inddp03 Intelsat DTVE AugSep16.indd 1 1 8/17/201625/08/2016 1:27:41 12:09 PM News > digest Digital TV Europe August/September 2016 News digest > 4 Mediaset slams Vivendi account > 6 Vice: Global media headed for chaos > 10 Liberty Global’s content play > 14 Canal+ cost-cutting > 15 Netflix’s global growth Mediaset: Vivendi account of aborted deal ‘without foundation’ By Stuart Thomson > Vivendi: fully shared with Vivendi. It said Mediaset alleged that Viven- Mediaset’s that the contract was clear and di’s dealing with the European Mediaset has rejected Vivendi’s attacks were did not include any clause that Commission had been initiated position on the pair’s aborted “detrimental would allow Vivendi to unilater- without sharing any informa- April 8 agreement, that would to its interest ally change the terms and con- tion with it, “in clear violation of have seen the French media and image”. ditions following subsequent the provisions of the contract”. giant take control of the Italian due diligence. It denied that the Mediaset is suing Vivendi broadcaster’s struggling pay TV pair were still involved in discus- for e50 million a month start- arm, in the strongest terms yet. De Puyfontaine said that sions when Vivendi pulled out ing from June 25, the date the The Italian media group said the April 8 agreement – which and asserted that “everything French company said it did not Vivendi’s account of the events would ultimately have seen Viv- had been discussed”. intend to honour the contract. leading up to, and following on endi take 100% control of Medi- To reinforce this point, the Mediaset also said it risked from its decision not to go ahead aset Premium, and Vivendi and company said that there was losing e1.5 billion if Vivendi with, the April 8 deal contained Mediaset exchange 3.5% stakes “never any will on the part of ultimately failed to respect the “information without founda- in each other’s companies – Mediaset to renegotiate in any terms of the original deal. tion” and that it needed to lay had been based on “financial way the terms of the contract”. Mediaset’s parent Fininvest out the facts. assumptions” by Mediaset that It further said that the report has filed its own separate claim Mediaset’s comments follow Vivendi has subsequently sub- provided by Deloitte was “sub- in Milan, asking for an order to a statement by Vivendi that gave jected to a due diligence report jective and biased”. be served on Vivendi to force it its account of events, reiterated by Deloitte after it questioned De Puyfontaine raised ques- to “fully comply” with the April during an analyst call following them. He said the “due dili- tions about the European Com- agreement and also claiming its half-year results (see story, gence review”, which found that mission’s regulatory process compensation of “at least” e570 p.14) by the media giant’s CEO, the figures provided by Media- and its impact on the deal. He million for “the serious damag- Arnaud de Puyfontaine. De Puy- set about Mediaset Premium’s said that the EC would not ac- es already caused”. The figure fontaine asserted that Mediaset prospects were not realistic, had cept a formal filing while the relates to the decrease in the and parent company Fininvest been “agreed contractually”. pair were still “discussing their value of Mediaset’s shares since had “proceeded to launch media Mediaset, on the contrary, differences”, and that EC ap- Vivendi pulled out of the agree- attacks detrimental to Vivendi’s asserted that the April 8 deal proval may not have been grant- ment, and “the fact that their interest and image” while the was based on information that ed in any case before the Sep- value would have increased had two parties were trying “to re- was true and assumptions that tember 30 deadline after which the contract been executed and negotiate the terms of the agree- were realistic, based on data the contract between Vivendi the undeniable harm caused to ment” in June.