Advanced Television

DEG Europe goes International

January 31, 2020

By Colin Mann

The Digital Entertainment Group Europe (DEGE), the global industry association focused on the home entertainment sector, has rebranded itself as the Digital Entertainment Group International (DEGI) with immediate effect.

The move reflects the trade body’s increasingly global outlook as it drives regional transactional activity while also meeting the evolution and opportunity presented by subscription streaming and global direct to consumer services.

The DEGI’s existing membership includes Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Paramount Home Entertainment, Technicolor and Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group, with Google also recently joining as the organisation’s first transactional retail member.

Speaking about the strategic decision behind the rebrand, Nicola Pearcey, President UK & EMEA Strategy and Ops at Lionsgate and DEGI co-chair, said the decision had been made to underline the fact that the organisation continues to provide robust support to its existing membership, especially when it comes to sharing best practice for the implementation of digital marketing activations. “In addition, as the home entertainment category evolves to respond to and reflect an ever-advancing degree of consumer choice, the DEGI is increasingly providing related support to local trade organisations as well as bridging perceived gaps in territories where trade associations are absent.”

“The role of the DEGI in a changing market is crucial,” asserted Liz Bales, CEO at the DEGI. “In the last 12 months, the DEGE has helped to drive the development of digital growth initiatives in a range of territories, with the US, Nordics, Australia and Asia all building on the delivery and learnings gained through the UK activation of ambitious promotions like ‘Mega Movie Week’. This showcases an organisational ability to effectively share experience in a compliance-appropriate manner – at a time when the video category is facing the practical effects of the diversification of consumer choice, and when some local markets lack the support of a trade association, the DEGI can act as a vital bridge in an increasingly global market.”

“The US market is the starting point for much of the change that is percolating into global markets, with direct to consumer services such as Disney+ launching within our borders first,” noted Amy Jo Smith, President and CEO of the DEGI’s sister organisation, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. “One of our key priorities is to help members identify opportunity in that change and so our recently formed D2C Alliance and its International Expansion Committee will both lend support to and benefit from the global stance being taken by the DEGI. We look forward to working with DEGI to help drive actionable market insights and industry best practices.”

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