Broadcasters’ multiscreen services fend off OTT rivals

Joseph O'Halloran | 25-09-2012

The importance of sport to pay-TV broadcasters as they slug it out with over the top rivals has been manifestly demonstrated in new research by multiscreen solutions provider QuickPlay Media.

The survey of UK mobile subscribers between the ages of 18-44 fundamentally revealed that mobile video viewing is now commonplace – with the proportion of respondents consuming television or video on a smartphone or tablet increasing to from just over half (51%) to nearly two thirds in just over a year .

When considering which mobile TV services consumers prefer to use, there was a strong preference for trusted broadcast brands as the BBC iPlayer or 4oD. By stark contrast, and despite a lot of recent marketing, over the top (OTT) services such as that offered by Netflix and LOVEFiLM were selected by only 13% as being their preferred mobile television service provider.

Moreover the survey showed that live sports content, which really only traditional broadcasters can transit cost effectively, is at the heart of driving sustained increase in mobile video viewing. Indeed it also discovered that more than half (52%) of mobile video users watched at least one Olympic event on either a smartphone or tablet and that of those who have watched a major sporting event on a mobile device, 84% reported that they have increased their mobile video consumption since viewing that event. A third reported consuming significantly more mobile video than before.

QuickPlay attributes growth to the continued increase in adoption of video friendly devices and in particular tablets: a trend what is more shows no sign of slowing down. “These survey results are consistent with what we are seeing in our customer base: Live TV is becoming a primary driver of demand for multiscreen services,” said Wayne Purboo, CEO of QuickPlay Media. “The 2012 Olympics shattered records for mobile video viewing, and this is driving longer term consumer demand across a plethora of mobile devices. To capitalise on this demand service providers are looking for cost effective solutions that enable them to scale multiscreen services rapidly while maintaining security and quality of the consumer viewing experience. As a result we are seeing more and more companies looking to managed services as a solution to scale at speed.”

The survey also revealed other viewing habits such as the fact that half of respondents selected live TV – encompassing live programmes, sports and events – as the most frequently watched type of mobile video content while two-fifths preferred to view video on demand (VOD) content. Consumers still watched the majority of mobile video at home with 37% reporting it as the primary location for viewing, followed by quarter citing in between activities and a fifth preferring viewing while commuting.