Ex-Freesat CEO: FTA rebrand needed
November 11, 2020
By Colin Mann
Seasoned broadcast executive Emma Scott, former CEO of UK free-to-air digital satellite platform Freesat and previously responsible for the launch of DTT service Freeview, has suggested that there is an opportunity for a rebrand of such services in the era of multiple streaming services. The UK has connected platforms Freeview Play and YouView in addition to the linear operations.
Participating in a Panel session, Outside-in – perspectives on PSB, at online event Outside the box 2020, discussing the role of PSB in a changing media landscape, Scott suggested that there was only room for “one big brand” if there was a move back to a streaming, linear business. “I think you need simplicity for consumers. Not everyone is going to want a streaming platform. Some will want equipment. I think it is bit confusing at the moment,” she said, adding that it was “all done for the right reasons originally, but I think there is an opportunity to simplify and to have a single, uniting brand which you want to get behind. Netflix has done very, very well with its brand and I think there is a brilliant opportunity to grasp that again in the UK.”