London Calling: Streaming Media Europe Preview
How do you feel streaming media and online (or mobile) video fit into these areas of focus and emphasis?
Given our broadcasting background the video world is at the very core of what we’re about, and so online video is a massively important part of our future. Where it’s really important for us already today is in reaching brand-new audiences—part of our mission is to target audiences who might not see our content on traditional outlets and delivering video online or on mobile is the only way to reach these populations.
Clearly new forms of video delivery have been at the heart of our syndication efforts, whether short-form content on YouTube or full-length programming on iTunes. Similarly, online content is central to our international ambitions. We have channels in territories across the world, but online, streaming content is still an important way of getting our content out there.
How involved is BBC Worldwide with mobile efforts?
We’ve been actively involved with mobile for some time now and have content deals in place with a number of operators in the U.K. and overseas—people like O2 and 3 to name a couple. It’s definitely an area we see growing in the future, but I think we all need to recognise that, in revenue terms, mobile video is still at a very early stage. There is undeniable potential however, with mobile internet specifically.
How does BBC Worldwide factor in revenue generation (monetisation) either for its partners or itself in these syndication deals?
Revenue generation is what we’re about. Our role is to generate profits that go back to the BBC, so if there’s no compelling commercial logic for a deal then it just won’t go ahead.
We’re flexible on how monetisation occurs—for example, pay per view has been dominant on mobile for a while now, but in online environments ad-funded viewing tends to work better for short-form content. It’s all about what gives the best consumer experience and, in the end, the best returns.
What does BBC Worldwide see as the future of monetising (or building a sustainable future for) online or mobile video?
In the longer term media outlets seem to tend towards an ad-funded model, with profitable pockets of pay customers, as we’ve all seen from the satellite television world. However, at the moment we’re in a hybrid content economy with a general mix oscillating between pay-per-view and free-to-air ad-funded content. For the foreseeable future I would expect that mix to stay in place.