Advanced Television

Ooyala: “Royal Wedding, FA Cup last hurrah for traditional broadcasters”

May 18, 2018

This weekend’s Royal Wedding and FA Cup Final may well be the last hurrah for traditional broadcasters, as OTT streaming services become increasingly popular amongst audiences.

Commenting on the trend towards OTT, Jim O’Neill, Principal Industry Analyst, Ooyala, says, “How we tune-in has changed considerably since William and Kate tied the knot in 2011, and users have become much more critical of what it is their services have to offer. Live, linear OTT viewing is expected to surpass traditional broadcast TV viewing – as per the Unisphere Research forecast – by 2020, and the UK is unlikely to see two events of such magnitude overlap again before that date.”

“Consumer frustration – particularly with the number of streaming services available to viewers – is driving improvements in the overall OTT experience: from streamlined authentication, to better content curation, personalisation, and easier search and discovery. Near-instant start-up, consistent video stream quality and uninterrupted delivery – without any buffering – will be critical to end-user experience and to preventing audiences switching over when it comes to events like the Royal Wedding and FA Cup Final. The “Millennial Flu” means that most people already struggle to watch content for hours at a time so, if broadcasters fail at any of those Quality of Experience factors, they should expect their customers to look to alternatives – namely, those OTT providers that can provide a more seamless viewing experience.”

“While streaming platforms were initially only popular with the younger generation – those stats are starting to change. According to Ooyala’s latest Video Index Report, three quarters of Baby Boomers now watch online video on their smart phones, and OTT platforms are already striving to optimise the “TV anywhere” experience by experimenting with mobile-specific or vertical video formats that will attract a large audience,” concluded O’Neill.

While OTT providers continue to pioneer the media industry when it comes to new technologies, traditional broadcasters can expect to be left behind and live events – such as those on May 19th – can expect to move over to online platforms to improve the viewing experience for Royalists and football fans alike.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, OTT