TV tribes drive service provider success
November 15, 2017
A survey of consumer behaviour has revealed five types of ‘Television Tribe’, each with very different patterns in the way they consume and pay for content. The study, Television Tribes, from content protection and multiscreen television solutions provider NAGRA, in partnership with TV industry research firm Ampere Analysis, highlights the new reality of pay-TV consumer viewing types and outlines how operators can unlock new revenue opportunities by catering to their complex needs with relevant content, experiences and technology.
The study, which surveyed consumers across ten advanced countries globally, identifies five unique ‘Television Tribes’:
- Content Connoisseurs – a young, affluent and tech-savvy early adopter group who want everything on demand and are willing to pay for it. They are also the most likely to churn.
- Broadcast Bingers – a low-spending group best entertained when binge watching box sets.
- Digitally Detached – an older generation, harder to reach and least likely to spend money on pay-TV content.
- TV Traditionalists – a middle-aged group of linear TV consumers most interested in the big screen, and particularly in sports
- Super Spenders – linear TV experts with money to spend to have full bundle access to content
The research focuses on the Content Connoisseurs, the most valuable and fastest-growing consumer type, but also the most demanding, making up 24 percent of the global market. They are the biggest spenders, love their content and consume significantly more from SVoD sources than the average household. They want to assemble their own à la carte TV bundles and expect high-quality experiences across devices.
Nearly 80 per cent of Content Connoisseurs cite online video platforms as their main source of TV and film content. They also predict their household will stop watching linear TV completely within five years, but their love of content makes them the most likely Tribe to subscribe to pay-TV services.
TV Traditionalists are the second most valuable Tribe for pay-TV operators. Representing 18 per cent of market share, they are often overlooked in the multi-device and OTT era. This group is willing to pay for core TV services, including access to live sports and movies. They are also less likely to churn than any other Tribe, with only 9 per cent saying they switched within the last six months.
The study goes further to identify key actions operators can undertake to help defend their position in a fast-changing environment, including: stacking the right services for each market segment, leveraging IP and cloud technology to launch new on-demand services quickly and cost-effectively, delivering a class-leading multiscreen user experience by embracing data analytics to improve customer insight and personalisation. Securing premium content across all screens and fighting online piracy also take on a new dimension in a more demanding always-connected market environment.
“As the distinction between conventional pay-TV and OTT services blurs, understanding these TV tribes, which ones are the most valuable, and keeping them happy with compelling content, experiences and technology, is the first step for operators to unlock new opportunities and remain relevant in a new pay-TV era,” said Ivan Verbesselt, SVP Group Marketing, NAGRA. “A one-size-fits-all strategy will not maximise value. Meeting the needs of distinct segments of consumers is the key to attracting and retaining subscribers, and growing revenue. The successful operators of the future will be those who accelerate their transition to IP to gain more flexibility and meet evolving and diverse content consumption needs, enabling tech-savvy consumers to create their own next-generation bundle of TV and on-demand services.”
“The future is not about running from changes in the pay-TV market, but embracing them,” added Guy Bisson, Research Director, Ampere Analysis. “Successful operators realise that the world of paid content has moved beyond the simplicity of relying only on sports and Hollywood movies to drive subscription and into a business environment characterised by shades of grey. To succeed, operators must understand the very different demands of today’s consumers and continue to give them what they want by embracing the opportunities offered by streaming services and content.”