What changes have you seen in the industry in the two years since you took over the reins at Endemol?
One of the most striking things in the last two years has been the speed at which audiences have been adopting new technologies. The growth and impact of digital video, social media and online players such as Netflix has been particularly significant - and all are engaging audiences in new ways.
This has created both challenges and opportunities for content creators. For our part, Endemol has always focused on delivering output that can play across multiple platforms so we are in a strong position and we have built on that by launching global initiatives such as Endemol Beyond, our premium network of digital video channels.
Having said that, the big challenge remaining for everyone is how best to monetise the new ways people are consuming content. The profits are there but in most cases are very small in comparison to the traditional TV model.
And that's something else that I think has changed in the last couple of years we're hearing less talk of the demise of traditional television. Its strength as a mass medium remains and that doesn't look set to change for the foreseeable future.
How important would you say social media has become to the development of television programming in general?
Social media has the potential to be incredibly effective both as a tool for marketing content and also as something that is integral to the content itself. A great deal of its power lies in the fact that it is wholly open and democratic and that comes with its own obvious challenges, which content creators have to embrace.
But the fact remains that social media offers fantastic opportunities for innovation and is increasingly becoming an integral part of the entertainment mix. That said, it's still in relatively early days and I think most would agree we have yet to see its full potential for content creators and distributors.
What are the difficulties inherent in making truly transmedia programming?
On the one hand the basic principles of great content are the same whatever platform it sits on. For instance, drama, jeopardy and great storytelling will always win fans whether it's via TV, a computer or a mobile device and today people are just as likely to watch a drama series on their iPad whilst on the move as they are at home on TV.
On the other hand, there are challenges and opportunities that can vary according to the type of content you are making. In the case of a live event, for example, building audience engagement on a platform such as Twitter can be invaluable and there are a number of ways you can achieve that. Then for something like a gameshow format you may want to create different types of original content that are tailored to each specific platform.
Take The Money Drop' for example: for this format Endemol developed a second screen play-along game that taps directly into the tension and jeopardy onscreen by allowing viewers to take part alongside the contestants, in realtime via their computer. That has been incredibly successful with over 30 million games played worldwide to date. Then for mobile our teams developed apps that draw on the key game play elements of the format and allows fans to engage anytime, anywhere and they have been doing so in their millions.
More recently, our creatives around the world have developed a number of very successful formats that use social media and apps to allow the audience to directly influence the outcome of what they are watching on screen, in realtime.
So, I would say that on the whole the key is to identify which elements of a format will play to the strengths of each different platform and tailor the content accordingly.
What genres of programming have proven to be most successful for you? Has that changed over the years or is it a constant?
Today Endemol's business covers all scripted and non-scripted entertainment genres. But there has been a significant shift over the last five years or so. During that time we have achieved over 75% growth in scripted programming, which now represents roughly a quarter of our global business. Few would dispute that drama and comedy has entered a new golden age, so it is crucial that we continue to build on our own success story in this area.
Alongside that, our non-scripted business continues to thrive. Last year alone we produced 179 Endemol created formats for broadcasters worldwide - of which 88 were brand new and on air for the first time. Furthermore these formats are originating from many different corners of the globe - the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Italy, Germany and Spain to name a few before being adapted for other markets around the world.
It's also worth noting that after 15 years, one of our longest established and most successful formats, Big Brother', is still a worldwide hit and a number one show in many of the biggest markets, including the US. 24 series aired in 68 countries in 2013 and this year is looking no different.
You're speaking at the session The Impact of New Players' at the Leaders' Summit this year. Briefly, what would you say has that impact been to date?
The impact of new players such as Netflix has been one of the most talked about topics in the industry over the last year or so. Their investment in series such as House of Cards' and Orange is the New Black' has provided a new platform for some of the best content on the market and a new way of watching (or binge viewing') on different devices.
What will be interesting now is to see how they continue to build on that and how the more traditional players innovate and evolve.
How do you think this will all shake out? Is there room for both traditional broadcast and OTT in the world's living rooms, or do
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What changes have you seen in the industry in the two years since you took over the reins at Endemol?
