Interviews with Industry Leaders: Amir Peled, Swisscom
20/07/2019
As part of the programme, we are publishing a series of interviews with leading TV industry executives from around the world to explore their views, perspectives and experiences of innovation. In this interview, Amir Peled, Head of OTT Services for Swisscom, shares his views on the key trends in the OTT market and the role of telcos in next generation OTT aggregation.
What are the key trends shaping the OTT video market today?
Firstly, the fragmentation of content is a major trend, with major players like Disney moving off Netflix to develop their own OTT offerings. As services proliferate, consumers are finding the service landscape increasingly confusing and many are paying too much for too many subscriptions. As a result, the value chain is eroding - but telcos can help by becoming the super aggregators' that bring all the content back together.
Secondly, we're seeing that some of the big OTT players are slowly but surely moving off Apple and Google app stores, because they're dissatisfied with the significant commissions taken by these providers. OTT services are starting to look for direct integration with TV service providers and distribution platforms instead. Even though telcos like Swisscom may charge substantial fees for some of our payment services compared to traditional payment methods like credit cards, we're still significantly cheaper than the major app stores.
Finally, OTT services are starting to recognise that they can strategically leverage telcos' core assets, including customers, billing relationships and networks, and benefit in terms of customer acquisition, monetisation, and network optimisation.
How can content aggregation add value to telcos?
Bundling allows telcos to offer consumers different kinds of content, all as part of a single monthly bill. I can foresee a world where the more subscription services consumers take, the bigger discount they will get. It would be a no-brainer for consumers to buy OTT services via telcos, because taking each service directly could be 10-15% more expensive. Telcos like Swisscom could leverage their various retail channels, such as shops, newsletters and customer outreach programmes, to push these new OTT service bundles any time they touch a residential customer.
However, it will be a significant challenge to persuade OTT service providers to offer their video content on an individual basis. For example, a consumer might only want one or two series from Amazon Prime out of the whole catalogue, and I believe it will be important to have the flexibility to give consumers the content they want. Maybe in a few years' time a Swisscom customer will be able to buy one TV series from Amazon, one show from Netflix and a sports package from ESPN. Historically it has been very difficult to convince major OTT players to make their content available in this way, but telcos are becoming increasingly aligned and collaborative when it comes to OTT services. Once we have an agreement with OTT service providers, any technical challenges can be overcome.
What are the technical priorities for OTT offerings today to improve service quality?
OTT service providers need to understand that integrating with pay-TV operators' networks is very important, to ensure high-quality service and to incentivise pay-TV providers to promote the OTT services that they carry. OTT services typically use a wide range of content delivery networks and caches, but we don't like putting our brand behind services, for which we do not control the network and cannot guarantee the best possible quality that our customers demand. For example, Netflix are deeply integrated with us, allowing them to offer video quality that is superior even to linear TV. Meanwhile, some content providers (like Sky and DAZN for example) are only now beginning their technical and network integrations with us, which will improve the quality of service we can jointly offer our consumers. We encourage all major OTT services to work together with their service provider partners and to not forget the network, as it is a key factor for success. A sub-optimal streaming experience is in no ones interest. However, network access, to provide best-in-class customer experience, costs money. OTT services need to, and are starting to, understand this. In our experience, this is money well spent and keeps customers happy, preventing churn. These integrations are important for developing win-win partnerships between OTT services and service providers.
What are the major challenges facing the industry and how are you addressing them?
One of the big challenges in our industry is fraud - ranging from friendly fraud', such as sharing Netflix login details with your family, to organised professional fraud, such as content piracy. In addition to various security features on our platforms like PIN codes on mobiles and set-top boxes, we can help OTT service providers tackle this challenge because we have the capability to do things like match IP addresses to mobiles.
What would you say are going to be the most important trends shaping the pay-TV industry over the next five years?
Gaming and sports will be the major growth stories over the next five years. We envisage a world where you could blend someone's Instagram story from a football stadium with a live stream in a way that combines the professional match footage with specific points of view from the live audience. Taking the in-stadium experience to the viewer at home - thats where we see the future of sports.
LINK: | https://dtv.nagra.com/interviews-industry-leaders-amir-peled-swisscom... |
See more stories from nagra |
More from Nagra Media Uk Ltd
19/04/2024
2024 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF KUDELSKI SA
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland - April 19, 2024 - The Annual General Meeting of Kudelski SA (SIX:KUD.S) was held...
13/04/2024
STRENGTHEN YOUR CONTENT PROTECTION STRATEGY BEYOND DRM: A HOLISTIC APPROACH
In todays digital age, where the consumption of media content has shifted towards streaming platforms, the importance of safeguarding digital assets against pir...
10/04/2024
NAGRA at NAB 2024: Safeguarding premium content value from production to consumption, uncovering deep fakes, and more.
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - April 9, 2024 - NAGR...
27/03/2024
2023 Annual Report Publication
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA, March 27 2024 - The Kudelski Group has published its 2023...
15/03/2024
Navigating the Future: Humanizing AI and Connecting Everything - Insights from MWC 2024
This year's annual telecoms jamboree in Barcelona attracted a record breakin...
22/02/2024
2023 ANNUAL RESULTS
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix (AZ), USA - February 22nd, 2024 - The Kudelski Group (SIX: KUD.S), th...
06/02/2024
NAGRA SPORT AND THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION (EBU) PARTNER TO LAUNCH EUROVISION SPORT
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland - February 6...
19/01/2024
'ALL ON' IN LAS VEGAS: KICKING OFF 2024 AT CES
As new year celebrations faded, it was time to head for Las Vegas. Providing an interesting juxtaposition of tourists enjoying the delights of the strip, inter...
19/01/2024
FUTURE OF THE SMART HOME: WHY PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY ARE KEY
The CONNECTIONS Summit is an annual event hosted by international research firm Parks Associates at CES in Las Vegas, focusing on new trends, emerging technolog...
07/01/2024
The Kudelski Group at CES 2024: Secure Your Lifestyle, Connect Your World
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - January 7, 2024 - At CES 2024, the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S), the world leader in digital security,...
09/10/2023
APOS 2023: A Blueprint for APAC's Media & Entertainment Industry
This year's 2023 APOS conference did not disappoint! As the defining voice for the Asia Pacific Media, Telecom and Entertainment industry, it hit all the ex...
28/09/2023
Despite the Storm Clouds, IBC 2023 Had Energy, Direction and Pace
There seemed to be much trepidation ahead of this year's IBC. Would the Schiphol fiasco and train strike that blighted the escape from the RAI in 2022 be a...
26/09/2023
VDM, a Groupe Transatlantic company, selects NAGRA to deliver the highest level of security through mediaspot, its next gen distribution platform
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix, (AZ), USA - September 26, 2023 -...
20/09/2023
NAGRA Receives Industry Recognition for Content Protection Innovation at IBC 2023
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix USA - Sept. 20, 2023 - NAGRA, a ...
15/09/2023
NAGRA Launches Multi-DRM Service on AWS Marketplace
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - September 15, 2023 - NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and one of the worlds leading indep...
14/09/2023
Sony's Ci Media Cloud Enhances Service Offering with NAGRA, Securing Content Throughout Review and Collaboration Workflows
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - September 14, 2023 -...
14/09/2023
Dubbing Brothers Secure New Post-Production Distribution Service with NAGRA
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - September 14, 2023 - NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the worlds leading independent ...
13/09/2023
4iG secures NAGRA to launch new multi-network, super-aggregated entertainment service to rapidly transform Hungarian market
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - Sept. 13, 2023 - NAG...
12/09/2023
NAGRA Enhances Content Protection for Adobe's Frame.io
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - September 12, 2023 - NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the worlds leading independent ...
08/09/2023
Chaos on the Court: Navigating Disruption in the Media and Entertainment Industry
The media industry, often regarded as one of the most dynamic and innovative sec...
06/09/2023
NAGRA and Eluvio Deliver Industry-First Decentralized, Secure, and Just-in-Time Solution for Premium Video Distribution with Forensic Watermarking
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Berkeley (CA), USA - September 6, 2023 -...
29/08/2023
NAGRA and 2G Digital Post Enable Secure Auto AI-based Content Fulfilment and Localization Service for Content Owners
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA - August 29, 2023 - NA...
26/08/2023
The Enemy Within - The Impact of CDN Piracy
Recently, when watching a linear commercial channel in the UK, an advert implored me to look at the latest offering from a leading multi-service provider. Toda...
25/08/2023
La nueva Economa de la Televisin de Pago: Una industria en cambio y la necesidad de desbloquear nuevo capital
A medida que las Telcos de todo el mundo atraviesan diferentes fases de transfor...
24/08/2023
2023 HALF YEAR RESULTS
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Highlights: Total Group revenues and OOI increased to USD 339.9 million, from USD 333.4 million in the first half 2...
24/08/2023
Finacity Facilitates USD 50 million Receivables Securitization for Kudelski S.A.
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, Phoenix (AZ), USA, and Stamford (CT), USA- August 24, 2023 - Finacity Corporatio...
22/08/2023
NAGRA Leads Industry to Navigate the Disruption' at IBC 2023
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix, (AZ), USA - August 22, 2023 - NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the worlds leading independent pr...
08/08/2023
Protecting Content Across the Production and Post-Production Multiverse
Unbelievably, the summer vacation season is already nearing an end here in the United States. School is back in session already, which means early morning drop...
02/08/2023
Tiv Srl Extends Service Lineup to Bring Customers NAGRA Secured DAZN Sports Content
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix, (AZ), USA - August 2, 2023 - NAG...
20/07/2023
AI: The Next Big M&E Creative Adventure Or A Fast-Approaching Security Headache?
Summer evenings in London are rarely without some form of red carpet event that draws both the crowds and the press - such as the recent premiere of Oppenheimer...
18/07/2023
Telefonica Global Accelerates Fight Against Piracy to Protect Content Investments
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix, (AZ), USA - July 18, 2023 - NAGR...
19/06/2023
Claro Colombia Leverages Direct-To-TV Solution to Expand Claro tv+ Service Reach and Lower Subscriber Acquisition Costs
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix, (AZ), USA - June 19, 2023 - NAGR...
15/06/2023
New Economics of Pay-TV: An Industry In Change And the Need to Unlock New Capital
As Telcos worldwide go through different phases of digital transformation, one o...
15/06/2023
New Economics of Pay-TV: Why Fit-for-Purpose Security is Essential for Streaming Services.
When the first cardless solution was introduced to the market over a decade ago,...
14/06/2023
Dentro de la mente de un pirata - Parte 1: Por qu dedicarse a la piratera?
Hace poco me tom una cerveza en el Llandoger Trow de Bristol. Cuenta la leyenda que el pub fue la fuente de inspiraci n de Robert Louis Stevenson para crear al...
14/06/2023
Dentro de la mente de un pirata - Parte 2: Cmo funciona el ecosistema pirata
Si le ste la primera parte de esta serie de blogs, sabr que NAGRA entrevist recientemente a un pirata para conocer de primera mano las motivaciones, m todos y...
14/06/2023
Dentro de la mente de un pirata - Parte 3: Consejos para el sector de los M&E
Si ya has le do los otros dos blogs de esta serie, estar s totalmente al d a. Si no, puedes ponerte al d a sobre las motivaciones humanas de un pirata y una inm...
08/06/2023
ANGA COM: Full of bustle, pace and an industry intent on solving challenges
The one thing that is constant in this market is change. Literally nothing stands still which is why our space is an exciting one to be in right now. Recogniz...
06/06/2023
Kudelski Group Expands Quantum Security Solutions to Address Advanced and Evolving Threat Landscape
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix (AZ), USA - June 6, 2023 - The Ku...
05/06/2023
Focus on Piracy: How Keeping Pirates at Bay Can Safeguard Growth
As my colleague Tim Pearson recently wrote in his blog series about Inside the Mind of a Pirate', high-traffic live events have always been a target for pi...
24/05/2023
Chopin Launches Advanced Streaming Service to Meet Consumer Demand and Increase Subscriber Base
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix (AZ), USA - May 24, 2023 - NAGRA...
23/05/2023
Tele Columbus to Launch Next-Gen Hybrid Android TV Service
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, Phoenix (AZ), USA - May 23, 2023 - NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the worlds leading independent provider o...
15/05/2023
FOCUS ON PIRACY: INSIDE THE MIND OF A PIRATE - PART 1: WHY GET INVOLVED IN PIRACY?
I recently had a pint at the Llandoger Trow in Bristol. Legend says that the pu...
15/05/2023
FOCUS ON PIRACY: INSIDE THE MIND OF A PIRATE - PART 2: HOW THE PIRATE ECOSYSTEM WORKS
If you've read the first part in this blog series, you'll be aware that ...
15/05/2023
FOCUS ON PIRACY: INSIDE THE MIND OF A PIRATE - PART 3: ADVICE FOR THE M&E INDUSTRY
If you've read the other two blogs in this series, you'll be fully up to...
15/05/2023
FOCUS ON PIRACY: INSIDE THE MIND OF A PIRATE - WHY GET INVOLVED IN PIRACY?
I recently had a pint at the Llandoger Trow in Bristol. Legend says that the pub provided Robert Louis Stevenson with the inspiration for the Admiral Benbow in...
15/05/2023
FOCUS ON PIRACY: INSIDE THE MIND OF A PIRATE - HOW THE PIRATE ECOSYSTEM WORKS
If you've read the first part in this blog series, you'll be aware that NAGRA recently interviewed a pirate to gain first-hand insight into the motivati...
15/05/2023
FOCUS ON PIRACY: INSIDE THE MIND OF A PIRATE - ADVICE FOR THE M&E INDUSTRY
If you've read the other two blogs in this series, you'll be fully up to speed. If not, you can catch up on the human motivations of a pirate and a dee...
20/04/2023
2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF KUDELSKI SA
Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland - April 20, 2023 - The Annual General Meeting of Kudelski SA (SIX:KUD.S) was held today at the company's headquarters in ...