It is impossible to talk about streaming without first understanding a bit about broadcasting.

Broadcasting as a term can be defined as the delivery of content “from one to many”. In the past, this was done with a signal that was sent from a mast to a receiver (or a TV), and it was pretty straightforward. There were standards for both the distribution and the reception of the signal.

Now thanks to the internet, the television multiscreen landscape is unpredictable. The TV industry is continuing to wonder what is next on the horizon, which is not surprising given the successes of content companies like HBO and Netflix.

What we do know is that it is still and will always be about the content.  Viewers are eager for quality content, and they are prepared to pay for it.  Global pay TV revenues reached $245 billion in 2013, and are set to reach a record $281 billion by 2017 according to Statista – so we are in a growth phase, just when everyone started saying “I never watch TV anymore.”

The internet and related technologies have changed the model forever. Now, when we talk about TV , we are talking about delivering content to smartphones, tablets, computers, etc. – indeed, any kind of screen that can receive and display video data. The Football Association of Norway has a term for this kind of football broadcasting: “from grass to glass”.

The distribution method has changed, too. Traditional forms of delivery to TV sets still exist (satellite, cable and digital terrestrial TV), but the internet has effectively thrown open the doors, allowing anyone with a camera to film and publish video content and allow it to be seen by the public.

According to Braxton Jarratt of Clearleap, the change in distribution technology is putting traditional broadcasters at risk.  “TV providers need be able to deliver content to complex device ecosystems that are in a constant state of flux. But the huge range of set-top boxes and operating system versions across fixed and mobile devices, games consoles, smart TV platforms and new hybrids like Roku and Chromecast, create complex compatibility hurdles.”

And that’s just the beginning of the pain.  The main challenge is that digital technology  is not part of a broadcaster’s DNA and therefore they don’t necessarily know how to solve their technology problems.

Braxton Jarratt continues:  “Though difficult, the need for companies to build and retain the skill sets required to maintain a profitable and consistent multiscreen platforms is a necessity. As content providers have no desire to be software developers, they are looking to partner with companies that enable them to concentrate on what it is they do best — providing great content.”

As content spans borders, languages and cultural nuances, new delivery systems need to be technically adept, and flexible enough to manage content flows that meet evolving consumer demands.  Without it consumers will go elsewhere and the history of the internet suggest that more likely than not that “elsewhere” will be illegal sites where content is pirated until such time as the incumbent rights holders wake up and realise that the consumer is in charge.

The content From Grass to Glass – how connected screens are changing the broadcast world appeared first on Hot Air Media.

When Felix Baumgartner jumped from the Red Bull Stratos space capsule on 14 October 2014 he broke a lot of records. He was the first person to break the sound barrier while in free fall (or without the use of an engine.)  He broke the world record for the highest balloon flight and he broke the record for the highest jump.

But perhaps the most interesting fact for those in the TV streaming business was that he broke the record for the most live streams with more than 9.5 million people watching concurrently.

And of course, the event was watched worldwide. There were no issues regarding borders, rights or time zones – or any of a number of other traditional issues that face broadcasters. Indeed, anyone in the world with an internet connection could watch the event.

But there was one big issue: the engineers did not know if there was enough server capacity for 9.5 million people to watch the same event at the same time. It had never been done before online.

When it comes to live streaming, each viewer (or each device) has to make a unique connection to the streaming site – with bigger audiences meaning bigger servers and bigger pipes to push the streams onto the internet. By comparison, broadcast is multicast – or in layman terms, you only need to push out one signal and theoretically everyone can receive it.

For broadcasters, audiences of 10 million happen every week in large markets like the US or the UK.  And on a larger scale, events like the UEFA Champions League final is watched on television by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Broadcast technology is not restricted by the size of the audience, and the broadcast signal does not need to be bigger in order to be viewed by more people. Instead, once the signal has been transmitted, it can be accessed by an infinite number of people.  If live streaming is ever going to compete with broadcast, then it’s going to need to solve for this fundamental technical issue.

The content How the Red Bull Stratos jump pushed the boundaries for TV and live streaming appeared first on Hot Air Media.

When setting objectives regarding streaming, it is important that they be in line with the overall digital goals and objectives of the national association.

Objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound). In other words, they should be achievable. Before you start streaming, you need to know how your streaming objectives will fit in with the digital goals of your business.

Objectives for streaming might include some of the following:

• to provide a platform for matches that are not broadcast on TV;
• to increase digital engagement;
• to develop premium online video content and distribute it to mobile devices;
• to deliver tailored content identified through a CRM programme;
• to increase your fan base by using video in the context of CRM;
• to drive CRM data capture through the use of video content;
• to promote forthcoming matches and events;
• to increase sales of merchandise and develop an online store;
• to sell pay-per-view matches;
• to promote special events and increase sponsorship opportunities;
• to distribute content on media partners’ websites.

Once you have your objectives nailed down, being able to live stream content will open up a flood of discussion points.  Here are some of the discussion points you’ll end up debating:

• Do you own the online streaming rights? If not, is there a broadcaster involved who is not activating them?
• At what level are rights not being sold to the broadcaster, and could those products be streamed?
• Are all the rights in your organisation being activated? While some sports sell their premier rights, often grass roots, women’s and junior rights for streaming remain unsold.
• Would a broadcaster be amenable to working with the national association to produce more matches that only appeared online?
• Are clubs streaming matches live on their websites or producing VOD content?
• Is video on demand (highlights, clips, press conferences, etc.) being created and posted?
• What are other sports in your country doing?
• Do you have the resources and skills to review the marketing strategy and goals and evaluate the market opportunity?
• Can your website stream video on demand? Do you need a new website?
• Do you have a channel with YouTube or another aggregator?
• If you are streaming VOD, what is the response? Are people watching it?
• Is there someone in the association with the skill set to operate a camera and upload the video?
• What kind of response (both quantitative and qualitative) are you getting to existing video?

The best part about streaming sports content is that once you start, it is hard not to do more.

The content Objectives for any sports organisation looking to live stream content appeared first on Hot Air Media.

We all love talking about TV.  Always have, always will.  It is a great social pastime.  And when consumers like something enough to talk about it, you can bet that marketers won’t be far away, dreaming up ads and trying to figure out how to interrupt your thoughts just long enough to get you to talk about their products too.

That is why Twitter’s goal is to be the first choice for your second-screen.

A recent study by Social TV Lab suggests that combining Twitter and TV results in strong gains in brand awareness.  According to the study, TV and Twitter increases viewer retention, drives greater viewer engagement and results in improved ad recall. Here are some of the main findings of the Social TV Lab survey:

1. Twitter + TV = Increased Brand Awareness vs. TV Alone. For brands that used Twitter alongside their TV advertising, the study found on average a 6.9% increase in awareness for exposed audiences and significant increases for exposed and engaged audiences across awareness, intent and favourability measures.
2. Twitter Amplification = Sales Lift. For the brands that measured sales impact, sales increased 4% on average in households exposed to ads on Twitter and TV vs. just TV ads alone.
3. The Twitter / TV Multitasker is Here – and TV Ad Recall is High for them. Only one quarter of tweeting occurs during the ad break, and it was highest during reality shows (27%). This supports existing Twitter research that found viewers who are actively engaging in social media while viewing TV are genuinely paying attention to both screens as TV show tune away is less and ad recall was higher for TV Twitter multitasks. Social TV Labs results found that television ad recall was also 13% higher among Twitter users versus non-multitaskers.
4. Real-Time TV Content Engagement is on Twitter. Tweeting about events/shows is higher (20%) than “general browsing” about a specific event/show (15%.) In addition, most tweeting happens when something in show/game/ad is worthy of a tweet (70%).

According to Katie Lampe of Twitter, Social TV is here and it’s here to stay – and the winners will be those who figure out how to leverage and capitalize on the opportunities.

How broadcasters and content owners set themselves up to respond effectively to current events and make the most of marketing in the moment will separate the winners from the losers and the only way to be on the winning side is engaging with Twitter.  The statistics speak for themselves…

The content According to Twitter – Twitter is winning the Social TV Wars appeared first on Hot Air Media.

The total over-the-top (OTT) video revenue in Europe was up 51 percent in 2013 reaching $3.2 billion and is expected to grow a further 43 percent this year. 

Strategy Analytics predicts that the majority of this new growth will occur within the online subscription VOD (SVOD) and ad-supported video business models, lifting the market above $9.45 billion by year-end 2018.

The growth of OTT video suggests that the audience is shifting towards streaming rather than actual ownership of downloads or home videos on DVD and Blu-ray discs.

The success or failure of OTT video services is heavily dependent upon the quality of their content library. According to the Strategy Analytics assessment, the expansion of global players like Netflix across Europe has been slowed due to complex content rights negotiations

Broadband internet access and faster speeds, the proliferation of connected devices, and easy extensive online video catalogs are the key drivers in driving adoption of OTT video consumption.

Key findings from the Strategy Analytics market study include:

• Led by Netflix, SVOD revenues to experience strong growth. SVOD revenues grew by 133 percent last year and are expected to double again in 2014.
• Ad-supported video makes up over 60 percent of total OTT video revenue in Central & Eastern Europe, but will represent less than 50 percent of Western Europe OTT video revenue by year-end 2014.
• Average OTT video spend per broadband user in Western Europe is about four times that of those in Central & Eastern European.
• From a user perspective, the European online video market is reaching maturity but from a consumption, and even more importantly, monetization perspective OTT video is just beginning to grow

The content Video revenue on the internet is set to explode. Here are the latest numbers from Europe. appeared first on Hot Air Media.

Learning from the Irish Technology Leadership Group

Philippe Brodeur spoke at the  ITLG Silicon Valley Global Technology Forum in Limerick on January 28th 2014.

The event featured inspirational speeches from industry leaders and panel discussions on the topics like Online TV, The Future of Digital Content Distribution and Innovation in Entertainment.

The event was opened by President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins,

You can view the video on aertv.ie by clicking here or on the image below.

The content VIDEO: Philippe speaking at the ITLG Silicon Valley Global Technology Forum appeared first on Hot Air Media.

(If you can’t view the video, click here for part 1 and here for part 2)

The content VIDEO: Digital Marketing School speaks to Philippe Brodeur appeared first on Hot Air Media.

The content Irish Marketing Journal – “Don’t Buy An Ad – Buy the Whole TV Channel” appeared first on Hot Air Media.