The content landscape has changed dramatically as a result of the global pandemic.
Speaking at ANGA COM’s online International Content Summit, Nicole Agudo Berbel, chief distribution officer of ProSiebenSat.1, said that while it was really true that everyone was watching TV, how this was actually taking place varied dramatically according to age. “We have lots of young target groups watching our channels and the young target groups give you figures that show they’re using the smartphone, they spend more than 50 minutes on the smartphone, but 112 minutes still apply to the TV screen.”
Agudo Berbel said ProSieben was using the information to run 360 degree campaigns to help combine the two platforms.
The German broadcaster has also been taking advantage of the demand for local content, developing new shows for its most popular personalities.
Discovery’s Susanne Aigner agreed, adding that premium content was crucial for the competitive positioning of platforms. “It has a massive impact on production and the market of audiovisual content providers in general and is leading to some far reaching changes and upheavals here, especially in the consolidations that we’re currently experiencing”.
Aigner also dismissed the argument that there was competition between linear and digital. “It’s a coexistence of linear usage and digital usage. So we’re providing offers for different customers in different situations, in different usage situations. And when you look at the how things are being used by different target groups and the cohorts, you will see that that the tiniest number, tiniest number are the ones that are using linear exclusively. I think it’s like 15% between 20 and 29 year olds that are saying I’m not using linear at all anymore”.
David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer, Virgin Media, told online delegates that the move away from linear had accelerated during the UK lockdown, while at the same time viewing time was increasing.
“They’re watching those new services. So from our point of view, it’s finding that audiences that I think is the key challenging content. That audience, as we’ve heard from the previous speakers, particularly the younger audience, when we do research up to half of the subs, 35 year olds in the UK do not connect on a regular basis with the national networks, preferring instead to do it with YouTube.
Bouchier said this meant that more viewers were watching user generated content.
