2 Nov, Wednesday Summary
Excitement over potential for growth and truly great innovation was the theme running throughout the day, beginning with Jeff Shell, President of NBC Universal International, who was confident not only that pay TV would continue to grow in the region, but also that the subscription business model of pay TV would be just as valid in a world of multiple devices as it is to the wold of a box in the living room.
In a panel discussion on what all these screens mean for advertisers, it was clear that the challenge for brands in an always-on world is to be truly engaging – a real opportunity for them, and their agencies, to do great work. “This is the most exciting time in our industry for a long time,” said Keith Smith, President-International, TBWA Worldwide. “The plethora of media channels gives us the opportunity to deliver great storytelling.”
Andy Lack, CEO of Bloomberg Media Group, told the audience that tablet devices were going to “blow a hole” right through other devices and be a real game-changer for TV. The company’s just-launched service for tablets, he said, showed the future of video in a digital world.
As consumers increasingly demand content everywhere and anytime, the industry is combining technologies to get the best solutions for all the devices people are now using to watch video, delegates heard. Olivier Barberot, Chairman & CEO, Globecast Worldwide, said consistency of experience across platforms was vital. “The key to success is going to be seeing multiple screens as part of a single experience.”
The hugely complicated and expensive task of digitising the Indian market – a $50 billion exercise -was the subject of one of the morning panels; it was clear that setting a deadline for the switching off of analogue services was just the beginning of the process.
Leading players in the Japanese telco and TV market – and some of the most influential international players in Japan – detailed the opportunities for deepening of pay TV penetration in a market that’s not only open for business but is hungry for international content and collaboration with international partners and investors. American Idol finalist and singer-songwriter David Archuleta dedicated a song to Japan’s recovery from disaster earlier in the year, and had the audience clapping with better than usual rhythm.
A reminder of the entrepreneurial spirit that drove Asia’s pay TV industry in its early days two decades ago came in the afternoon, putting into sharp focus just how much has changed in a relatively short time. There was also no-holds-barred assessment of the challenges the industry faces in a “social empire” in which empowered, talented and demanding consumers are rewriting the rules of business.
Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA and Global Leader, Entertainment & Media Practice with PwC, said the industry had evolved significantly in the past year, and was returning to a more adventurous, pioneering mindset. “Imagine the risks that people like Richard Li (who this afternoon received this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award) took in building this industry,” he said. “We now truly believe in collaboration; there’s no longer so much fear of the unknown,” he said.