If you were to cook up a video service for subscribers today what ingredients would you need?, asks Niko Waesche, Global Industry Head, Media and Entertainment at GfK.
The recipe for success would surely include a significant measure of exclusive content, mixed with a generous combination of subscriber and other data sets, served with full control over brand, content and delivery. And of course, appetising presentation would also be crucial, regardless of screen size.
We've inherited a rather different offering, and the industry previously horizontally split into studios creating content, and operators and networks curating and distributing it is now gravitating towards a vertically integrated end-to-end model, inspired by Netflix and Amazon Prime. At the IBC Conference in Amsterdam on Saturday 10 September 2016, a panel of industry leaders and experts will discuss how they see the future of video emerging.
Is the Future of Video Vertically Integrated?', part of the Business Transformation conference stream, will take place at 13:30. A group of industry leaders and influencers, moderated by Niko, will discuss the future of subscriber video on demand and the direction the industry will take in the future. To launch the discussion, Niko will present insights from GfK s Viewscape study which aggregates unique data about SVOD use in fourteen countries.
Getting the Right Recipe
The overwhelming reason that users sign up to Netflix is for its original content. In the GfK SVOD content consumption tracker, we have seen the importance of exclusive content grow, mirroring Netflix's increasing investment in producing its own programming. Netflix-owned titles make up half of the top ten titles viewed on the service, and include drama like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, as well as factual series such as Making a Murderer.
Amazon too is investing more in content creation, though it's not yet the principal reason to subscribe. This is already changing, however, and we expect massive publicity and advertising around the launch of its original content series, such as the multi-million pound UK investment in The Grand Tour.
Flexibility and ease of access enabled by end-to-end control of content, platform and subscribers - are also key elements that underpin the attractiveness and value of SVOD services. Our tracking shows that, far from being watched on the move and on mobile devices, the majority of content is viewed at home and on a TV screen.
This is where the vertical integration of some services pays dividends, as they also control the method of delivery. More than half (54%) of viewing events for Now TV are watched on a TV screen using another device, and two thirds of these are through the Now TV box. The Amazon Fire device also drives most of the connected viewing for Amazon. The fact that Amazon can control the distribution of its app across connected devices, including its own branded product, adds more value for users.
Finally, ease of use is crucial, too. Viewscape, a new global viewing study, shows that Netflix rates higher on satisfaction metrics than almost every other digital video provider in the UK, with the exception of BBC's iPlayer.
For decades the industry has prospered with horizontally segmented industry models. If this indeed is the only blueprint, then it has huge implications for licensed content owners, broadcasters, networks, cable operators even (smart) television manufacturers.
Many players that have previously been part of the existing industry models are contemplating launching end-to-end vertical SVOD services. Going direct is a global trend. It is true for broadcasters (Globo's AVOD launch in Brazil November 2015), media owners (Turner's FilmStruck, TYVO by Do u Media Group for Turkish drama) and cable operators (Sky's Now TV). With everyone trying to go direct, will all these different services actually reach their respective targeted audiences or will there have to be consolidation?
The industry - to some extent - has answers here. Smart TV manufacturers like Samsung are vying to become OTT hubs that help manage different light' subscriptions. Even more interesting is Amazon's move to offer its new Streaming Partner's Program, which bundles video subscription services la carte.
The result could be a few powerful hubs with a menu of light' subscriptions available. The key question for the future landscape is which players will be able to offer a hub, and which will have to become subsidiary services to the hub?
This unmissable session will deliver insights from a panel of senior industry leaders and influencers including Christian Brent from Fox, Francesco Venturini of Accenture, Martin Guillaume from Ericsson and Efe Cakarel of MUBI.
Find out what they will have to say about the future of SVOD in the IBC conference session Is the Future of Video Vertically Integrated?' on Saturday 10 September at 13.30 - 14.45.
Registration for the conference is now open with early bird rates still available at IBC.org/register
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...
06/05/2026
New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool
NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...
06/05/2026
Popular mixing & routing software overhauled
Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...
06/05/2026
New SOS Video Feature
Focusrites ISA C8X is a milestone product that brings together the companys analogue heritage and their expertise in digital audio. Yo...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
06 May 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & ...
06/05/2026
UKTV has secured the exclusive rights to the early back catalogue of iconic Australian drama series Neighbours, following a landmark content deal with Fremantle...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversa...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy
Sky in the UK & Ireland to remain the home of Formula 1 until ...
06/05/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign launches nationwide, supported by new...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
If you were to cook up a video service for subscribers today what ingredients would you need?, asks Niko Waesche, Global Industry Head, Media and Entertainment at GfK.
