"On TV and Video" is a column exploring opportunities and challenges in advanced TV and video.
Today’s column is written by Mike Bloxham, senior vice president of global media and entertainment at Magid.
With all the talk of the streaming wars and the arrival of services from the leviathans of the media business, it’s easy to assume that the next era of streaming will basically be defined by the increase in supply.
But while the entrance of Disney, AT&T/Warner Media, Comcast/NBC and Apple, among others, will undoubtedly be significant and potentially game-changing, it seems to me that we are already witnessing a shift in the streaming landscape that will characterize a more profound change than simply “more content, more choice.”
To date, the central premise of the streaming business has boiled down to, “We have great content that you can watch when you want, here’s the price, and here’s how you sign up.” All well and good, but as the streaming video landscape evolves, great content has begun to seem like oxygen: Vital for survival, but largely taken for granted. Who signs on to a service they don’t think has enough great content?
Content is a critical but expensive and volatile basis for maintaining a consistent – and winning – point of difference. Even the most successful shows have a shelf life.
Going forward, the marketing of streaming services will be routinely more sophisticated. And to address the very real issues of subscriber acquisition and churn, the propositions will be about much more than the content on your screen.
It’s what I call Streaming 2.0. And we’re already seeing it come to life.
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