Pierre Hergaut’s Post

📺 **Battle for the Living Room**   The race to dominate the smart TV operating system (TV OS) market is heating up, with major players like Roku, Google, Amazon, Samsung, and LG vying to enhance user experience and capitalize on new business opportunities through data and advertising. Despite this fierce competition, a key question emerges: do consumers actually care about which OS their TV uses? 📊 **Market Potential**   At the StreamTV Show in Denver, experts discussed the benefits of owning a TV OS, such as controlling user data and enhancing ad revenue. Analyst Alan Wolk noted that around 40% of smart TVs globally lack a dedicated TV OS, presenting a significant market opportunity. Even small gains in market share can translate to substantial financial rewards, making the competition highly lucrative. 💡 **Consumer Preferences**   Panelists at the event debated whether consumers prioritize the TV OS in their purchasing decisions. Google’s Rob Caruso argued that factors like size and price still dominate, with the OS being a secondary consideration. However, Vizio's Katherine Pond and LG's Matt Durgin highlighted that content availability and user experience offered by the TV OS could influence consumer choices, particularly for those seeking quality and value. 🎬 **Content and User Experience**   Ultimately, while the current focus for consumers might not be on the specific TV OS, the content and seamless user experience provided by these systems are crucial. Companies like Vizio and Samsung emphasize the importance of offering desired content and a smooth interface, hoping that improvements in these areas will eventually drive consumer preferences toward specific TV OS platforms. #TV #TVOS #Streaming #SmartTV

📺 New research highlights a significant shift in video content consumption, with Instagram surpassing Netflix and TikTok to become the second most popular video service in the US, while YouTube remains the global leader. 📱 Instagram’s video features resonate strongly with younger demographics, contributing to its rapid growth, especially in the US and Spain, where Instagram Reels is now the third most popular service. 📈 The rise of Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels, like Tubi and Roku, indicates a major shift towards ad-supported content, with FAST revenues projected to reach $12 billion by 2028. #Tv #streaming #FAST #video

📈 Streamflation Alert: Subscription prices are rising again! In 2024, platforms are boosting prices for the second time in two years. Streaming services like Peacock, Max, and Spotify are increasing costs, often coinciding with major events or new content launches. 💡 Why the price hikes? Streaming platforms are adding more content and employing strategic moves to drive users towards ad-supported tiers, which generate higher revenue. For example, Peacock raised prices right before the Paris Olympics, and Max did so ahead of the new season of House of the Dragon. Bundling services are also on the rise, with companies like Disney and Verizon offering attractive package deals to reduce subscriber churn and enhance value. 📊 What's next? Analysts believe these price hikes are just the beginning, expecting more increases by the end of the year. The goal is to boost margins and gently push consumers towards ads and bundles, supporting the company's larger financial objectives. #TV #svod #streaming #bundle https://lnkd.in/e8-uYitV

📺 Apple will introduce a new version of its streaming television operating system, tvOS 18, later this year, featuring character-driven data and a dialogue enhancer. 🎬 The new feature, InSight, allows streamers to see timely updates about actors, characters, and music offered through Apple TV Plus content, integrating directly with other Apple services like Apple Music. 🗣️ Enhanced Dialogue will utilize machine learning and computational audio to deliver greater vocal clarity over music, action, and background noise on various devices including Apple TV 4K, HomePod, iPhones, and iPads. 🌍 Other features in tvOS 18 include smarter subtitles, updated screen savers, a revamped Apple Fitness Plus app, better integration with smart home devices, support for 21:9 aspect ratio videos on projectors, and improvements to FaceTime and Continuity Camera for video conferencing. #svod #ai #apple #tv https://lnkd.in/eAgubRGC

*The United States alone continues to see growth in Single IP channels, increasing from approximately 320 in the previous year to over 430, currently. *Single IP channels offer a clear value proposition by simplifying content discovery and ensuring audience expectations regarding programming type. *...scripted and unscripted television series currently hold the strongest momentum within the Single IP space. *Single IP channels serve as a valuable entry point for major content owners outside the US. Compared to thematic and curated channels, the relative ease of setting up and programming single-source options allows these players to explore the FAST market. *The scheduling of Single IP channels is a relatively straightforward affair, however repeat rates vary and the underlying available volume of source material is likely to impact levels of repeats and the methodology of channel owners. *As the pace of new user growth slows, innovative programming strategies will assume greater importance to maintain audience engagement. This may necessitate the rotation of Single IP channels as certain shows begin to tire. #OTT #FAST #IP #TV

*Les abonnements à des offres culturelles payantes s’ancrent dans les budgets des ménages. *A côté du loyer, de la facture d’électricité, des assurances, des abonnements téléphoniques et Internet, les Français citent désormais spontanément au moins un, si ce n’est deux ou trois abonnements à des plates-formes de vidéo à la demande ou de musique en ligne.  *"On constate [...] que ces abonnements ne sont pas une valeur d’arbitrage. Il y a une forte résilience de ces offres, qui structurent désormais le budget loisir des foyers français de façon très ancrée, au même niveau que les dépenses de téléphonie ou d’Internet ». *« Dans ce contexte défavorable, le nombre d’abonnements et de types de service détenus se stabilise, l’attachement aux marques ne faiblit pas ». *Cela souligne seulement un changement des usages, et la montée de ces plates-formes dans la part du budget consacrée aux loisirs. #svod #tv #ott #spotify #music https://lnkd.in/et98CdWS

*More than half of Netflix's content budget is now allocated to original and acquired content sourced outside of North America. *With 70% of Netflix subscribers located outside North America, producing and licensing local content remains crucial for fostering organic subscriber growth and minimising churn. *Europe’s big five markets, particularly the UK and Spain, attract substantial investment. Beyond Europe, South Korea, Japan and China emerge as top international markets for Netflix's content spending. *Netflix’s own audience data indicating that non-English titles contribute to ~30% of viewing. *International content spending represents a risky but rewarding proposition. Netflix's international production capabilities are a key differentiator in the streaming market. *This advantage is not without its challenges, however, with international consumers expecting a steady supply of freshly curated, localised content. #content #tv #streaming #international #vod #svod https://lnkd.in/ejuHfVM3

"Bundling, even with would-be competitors, is not a new idea and is a tactic multiple streamers have explored as they look, in part, to grow subscriber value and reduce churn and marketing expenses." "Who is best served to deliver streaming bundles is still somewhat a point of debate in the ecosystem, where WBD sees benefits in cutting out the middleman in some cases." "Zaslav acknowledged positive results from the Verizon-offered Max-Netflix bundle, saying it’s “doing much better than expected” and provides another example of “more strength together,” with the strategy behind bundles driven by the need for change in consumer experience in a very crowded streaming space. With Disney and WBD working together, he noted the companies get all of the data, can work directly with consumers and enhance that experience, as it’s already doing for Max." "A key theme emphasized throughout the call, is WBD’s belief that amid a crowded and fragmented streaming and TV viewing ecosystem where viewers are burdened by numerous options and rising prices, consumers will follow great content." #svod #ott #video #streaming #tv #bundle #content