Fox International Channels (FIC) has found that the big drivers for factual content have been challenged in on demand, according to Caleb Weinstein, executive VP, affiliate distribution, Europe and Africa.
Speaking in a one-on-one interview with Toby Russell, CEO, 3Vision, he added that the question was how do you create such a driver – something that the BBC, for instance, had achieved.
Weinstein spoke of the big changes that have taken place in the industry in the last few years, both for viewers and operators. When asked how the latter are adjusting to this new world they found themselves in, he referred to a conversation with the head of a major European cable company, who said “if you didn’t make money in the last 10 years you’re an absolute fool”.
Weinstein pointed out that there are 2,000 operators in Europe, some quickly leveraging Netflix, others doing different things. Customers may now drop a tier in order to receive Netflix.
He added that “there is now someone else bringing water to the table sometimes from Netflix, sometimes from a telco”.
Commenting on specific shows, Weinstein mentioned The Walking Dead on a number of occasions and said it was both highly regarded and known as a Fox production.
