CEE consumers ready for mobile video
February 25, 2013
Mobile users in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are waiting for the right mobile video services to be deployed, according to a report by new media delivery specialists Vidiator. The report found that consumers are starting to explore the potential of smartphones and there is an appetite to pay for mobile video content.
CEE’s increasingly empowered and web-enabled mobile consumers, much like their counterparts in western markets, are showing signs of a potentially huge appetite for mobile video content. As a result operators, broadcasters and content providers are looking at how to make the most of this market opportunity, one that is currently being driven by consumer demand and one that presents new challenges and revenue opportunities.
Based on a survey of 1105 mobile phone owning consumers from five countries in CEE – Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, the report outlines consumers’ mobile usage habits, the current demand for mobile video services, content preferences, the potential video consumption use cases and the factors impacting consumers’ willingness to pay for mobile video services.
Key highlights include:
– Half of all respondents expressed a definitive interest in watching TV on their mobile phones. This figure was as high as 69 per cent in Romania
– Only 15 per cent of total respondents claimed to have no interest in watching TV services on their mobile phones
– Local news and weather was the most desirable genre of content in every region, with as many as 71 per cent of respondents in Poland expressing an interest in this type of content
– 69 per cent of respondents indicated a desire to consume mobile video services whilst traveling or going about their daily commute to work. This was the most popular scenario in all regions, particularly in Bulgaria
– More than a third of total respondents would be willing to pay for continuous engagement (e.g. a service that lets you stream live TV/movies on your mobile whilst out and about… then pick up from where you left off on the main living room TV)
– A relatively high number of respondents looking to use their mobile to watch TV in the bedroom, which has major implications for operators and highlights the opportunity for them to act as a gateway to content not only outside but also inside the home
– The vital link between providing a good user experience and consumers’ willingness to pay for services with quick load times with no buffering and guaranteed sound and picture quality identified as the most important factors in all regions
“Our new report shows that consumers in central and Eastern Europe are ready and waiting to pay for mobile video content,” said Tae Sung Park, CEO at Vidiator. “The smartphone revolution is clearly happening in the countries we surveyed and as a result people want access to more content on the move and on second screens in the home. Operators and content owners now need to step up and roll out these services at the right price point – working with an end-to-end solution provider who knows the challenges and how to effectively monetise their content.”