Sharon Kong’s Post

Great to see Ben Keen showcasing valuable insights gleaned from our global, harmonised SVOD viewership data. 23 years ago, when I started Digital i the industry-standard Overnight's ratings reports weren't delivered until 11am or later the next day and required manual intervention and unfulfilling repetitive work. Now, the industry boasts always-on dashboards, first-thing in the morning data availability and automated reporting. 4 and a half years ago, when Digital i launched SoDA in the UK to shine light on the ever-increasing viewing to Netflix, we encountered challenge after challenge: ❓ Would we be able to expand other countries while maintaining industry-standard best practices in weighting & panel management? ❓ Would we be able to increase coverage to other platforms while keeping strict quotas to enable cross-platform analysis? ❓ How would we manage the enormous content libraries with conflicting metadata and unique identifiers? Today, we've proven that this is possible. But we don't plan on slowing down. Feel free to reach out if you want to know more about our story and our exciting plans on the horizon.

Global Streamers: The Battle for Eyeballs - Ben Keen, Board Advisor, Digital i DEGI: The Digital Entertainment Group International at Omdia Netflix has highest average daily viewing minutes. Netflix has almost a third of its viewers as heavy viewers—much higher than others. Streaming walled gardens are breaking down. And licensing to other platforms is no longer off limits. Netflix accelerator effect. When hits Netflix, massive views. Pivot to ads. Premium and ad tier are higher viewers than basic. Ad-tier is lower socioeconomic. Those who can afford, pay. Ad tier high for family and young singles. See more family stuff on ad tier views.

The new Showmax facelift is absolutely amazing! Not only have they introduced a new logo, but they have also upgraded their subscriptions, surpassing their rival Netflix as the biggest streaming platform in Africa. It’s giving African Giant varbzz. 😅 If you're planning to refresh your brand - use this ultimate 3-step formula for crafting a message that truly resonates with your audience. With the power of effective communication, take your business to the next level and leave your competitors behind! #Branding #StrategicPlanning #SocialMediaMarketing

Not to boast clairvoyance or anything, but anyone reading the tea leaves of the industry could see this coming. Studios are migrating ads to streaming and jockeying for limited attention and event-ized viewing. Nothing pulls attention more quickly than a live broadcast. But even moreso, nothing endears quicker than passive viewership. Netflix’s recommendation algorithm did this, but people love “having [x] on”. It answers both the event and passive question, gives advertising its value back, and aids viewer retention. Everything old is new again. Especially “old that worked.” https://lnkd.in/gGHds8ZB

Streaming Giants Face Crackdown: UK Media Bill To Bring Tighter Regulations👮♀ 📺 The UK plans to pass a Media Bill in 2024, imposing stricter regulations on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. The aim is to ensure that all content platforms meet the same standards as TV broadcasters. Non-compliance may result in fines of up to £250,000 ($308,000) or a ban. This is the first major update to UK legislation in this area in 20 years. Once passed through Parliament, full compliance is expected by 2026. #UKMediaBill #StreamingRegulations https://lnkd.in/gXmVdth8

📈 Streamers will spend more than $42 billion on content in 2023 according to Ampere Analysis. Here are the key figures. 👇 💡 $42 Billion Spend: Global streaming platforms are ramping up their investments. This year, they're pouring $42 billion into content, marking a 7% rise. 💡 King of Genres: Crime/Thrillers: A whopping 90% of this budget goes to scripted content. Of this, $12 billion is reserved for crime/thrillers. Netflix and Prime Video are diversifying, but Apple TV+ is heavily into crime/thrillers, and Disney+ leans towards sci-fi/fantasy. 💡 Rise of Unscripted: There's a growing trend towards reality and entertainment content. Streamers are earmarking $4.9 billion for unscripted shows—a 22% boost. Dating shows, talk shows, and game formats are in hot demand. 💡 Acquisition is Key: Content acquisition isn't slowing down. Streamers are set to spend $14.8 billion on it this year, especially on crime, romance, and drama. 💡 Evolution of Giants: While Netflix remains the top spender at $15 billion, its rivals aren't far behind. Disney+, Paramount+, and Apple TV+ are plotting major budget expansions. #StreamingNews #ContentTrends #FilmIndustry #Streaming #TV

"Pay attention to pop culture to make sure you are not popping your budget on inefficent investments in streaming TV" is a line from a 2022 Shoptalk discussion I was part of with the always insightful Andrew Lipsman that I was reminded of on the WSJ article on Streaming Services. The rationale at that time from the statement was which seems to be supported in this 2024 article is: Brands really have to keep on top of which streaming services are getting the eyeballs. Pay attention to the popular series as people are not as loyal all the time to a particular service (understand Netflix is dominant), but bounce to where ever the most popular shows are. Similar to old Sopranos and HBO sign ups in the past. Article Highlights: One in four people who cancel a premium streaming service typically resubscribes to that service within four months, and one in three does so within seven months. Half do so within two years. Goldenberg also cancels sports add-ons to his YouTube TV subscription when events are over. More than one-third of new U.S. Netflix customers in November opted for the ad tier, compared with 11% a year earlier, when the ad-supported version was introduced. Streamers say ad-supported plans are a win-win for them and price-sensitive customers, bringing in revenue from monthly subscriptions as well as ad sales. Streamers will have to become more sophisticated about when they try to win back customers, he said. For example, they might target ads and marketing efforts at people who tend to watch at a certain time of year. Ad-supported plans offer streaming services a way to attract new customers and win back those who have canceled their subscriptions and want to pay less. Among the U.S. customers who joined Disney+ for the first time in November or converted from a trial, nearly 60% opted for the ad-supported tier. That figure was bolstered by Black Friday promotion and is up from 25% in December 2022, when the ad tier was launched.  #shoptalk #streamingtv #audiences #budgets

Netflix tinkers viewership data to please advertisers, live sports flop As promised, Netflix has released the second edition of its watch time engagement report, covering the back half of 2023. This continued transparency trend is enabled by the streamer’s shift towards advertising and its desire to woo stakeholders in that space, amid a lackluster start since the launch of the ad-supported tier in November 2022. First, on a purely organizational standpoint, Netflix has listened to some of the criticism on its first ‘What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report’, now separating movies from series and adding the runtime of each title, along with a views figure, which shows the total amount of hours viewed divided by runtime. #video #streaming #ads

Ad-supported tiers offer #streamers a new way to attract price-conscious customers (i.e., crack down on account sharing) and win back those who may have canceled their subscriptions – and the back-to-the-future dual revenue stream of subscription + advertising is saving the streaming industry from its growth-at-all-costs excesses. In fact, nearly 60% of U.S. customers who signed up for Disney+ in November opted for the ad-supported tier. Over one-third of new US Netflix customers in November opted for the ad tier, compared with 11% a year earlier, when the ad-supported version was introduced, reports Sarah Krouse in The Wall Street Journal this week. Because advertising accounts for a notable portion of streamers’ bottom lines, platforms and their ad partners will have a greater incentive for accurate measurement that empowers them to understand which ads, platforms, and programs are generating meaningful business results. https://lnkd.in/eDBk87pB 

🚀 Explore the Latest in #OTTVideo and #Broadcasting Trends 📺 Keep up to date with the latest broadcasting trends and developments with our May industry roundup! 📺 Streaming Giants Invest Heavily into Marketing: Find out how the biggest streaming platforms are ramping up their marketing game to bring in a fresh audience with LiveMint. 🇬🇧 Broadcasters Push for Media Bill: With the general election approaching in July, UK Broadcasting CEOs have urged the government to pass media bill updates ahead of Parliament dissolving according to Advanced Television. 🤝 Disney and Warner Offer Joint Streaming Services Package: Stay in the know with business expansions as Digital TV Europe share news that Disney and Warner Bros Discovery aim to bundle together Disney+. Hulu and Max for US customers. 💻 Netflix Plans Ad Tech Platform Launch: It’s been reported by Broadband TV News that Netflix announced it will launch an in-house advertising technology platform by the end of 2025. 📈 Global Video Streaming Market Boom: According to Grand View Research, Inc, improvements to video quality are driving massive growth in the video streaming market. It’s predicted that the market will grow at a CAGR of 21.5% from 2024 to 2030. Read more on the stories that are shaping our market here: https://bit.ly/3V51SJv #Streaming #VideoOnDemand #DigitalMedia #ContentStreaming #DigitalEntertainment