C4 exec: ‘BVoD great opportunity for advertisers in VoD age’
November 21, 2024
By Colin Mann
Following his participation on a panel at the British Screen Forum in London on ‘Where Next For VoD’, Ewan Douglas, Head of Nations/Regions Sales at UK commercial PSB Channel 4 has shared some thoughts on the opportunities for advertisers and broadcasters in the streaming age, admitting he has never been more optimistic about the vital role of broadcaster VoD (BVoD) in this age of fragmentation.
“BVoD is a unique and compelling opportunity for advertisers in sea of global streaming choice,” he asserted.” It uniquely offers brands rapid mass market reach around watercooler TV moments.”
According to Douglas, BVoD and British-originated public service broadcasting content stands out. “The success of Channel 4 shows such as Merseyside Detectives, MAFS and GBBO underlines what PSBs uniquely offer streamers: content which reflects Britain and impacts the national conversation,” Douglas noted.
“At Channel 4 – and the PSBs in general – we innovate through technology but with purpose. We will enrich viewing experiences through data and UI enhancements, but we are equally clear that we need to retain our voice as a trusted curator. Key to us is responsible curation and a trusted tone of voice,” he affirmed.
“Our heritage and reach means we have that sought-after quality: discoverability. For example, social is a big part of our strategy, and it brings more digital natives into our ecosystem. Views are up 300 per cent plus across 2024 year on year for full episodes of our shows on YouTube,” he reported. “We never stand still. We’re busy working on a major project to transform Channel 4’s streaming platform through technology in the next year or so that is going to deliver a step-change in the user experience for viewers and advertisers.”
“We’ve always been about partnerships, whether that’s our work with the creative sector or with advertisers. In streaming, our approach is to partner with best-in-class platforms which means viewers can find us wherever they are – through smart TVs, through pay-TV platforms or mobile. Only last week, we announced we are the first UK broadcaster to launch an app on Apple’s new Vision Pro headset,” he concluded.