1. To begin with, how do you see the landscape of OTT developing globally? What specific trends do you see that will shape the future?

The overarching trend is that traditional tv and movie content rights owners are moving to digital distribution, over the top (OTT) if you like.

So with that, there are macro trends that are taking place: 

• COVID forced traditional global media companies like Disney, Warner, and ViacomCBS to accelerate their move to digital distribution (OTT).
• This elevates the value of content rights globally and drives M&A activity to create organizations big enough to compete with Netflix, Amazon, and other global leaders.
• Global players are courting local market TV production companies and rights owners for their content libraries and production capabilities.
• The traditional broadcast TV model is threatened as advertisers pursue more addressable media.
• Disruption has spawned fascinating niche OTT offerings focused on:
  • Hobbies
  • Amateur sports
  • Spiritual themes
  • Subcultures etc.

This is only the beginning of innovation around the digital consumption of TV content.

2. During the pandemic, what are the most important recent developments in your field of business (Brightcove for instance), and what developments should the market be aware of that they aren’t already?

We’re seeing three things:

• Obsession with bandwidth efficiency – Remote work and home confinement meant heightened demand for expensive network capacity. We preserved it with Context-Aware Encoding (CAE) and Delivery Rules. It’s critical to national infrastructure.
• Content ROI – Scheduled set-it-and forget-it presentation, loops, live/recorded mix, ads (Cloud Playout).
• The continued growth of social and shared viewing experiences

3. Can audio/video streaming companies in Asia work out a sustainable business model to begin to earn a profit?

Absolutely!

Key considerations:

• Contain operating costs. Shop for affordable platform technology; don’t get too ambitious with costly apps at the outset.
• Maximize content profitability. Don’t pay too much for content. Keep capital on hand to survive until you're profitable.
• Negotiate rights based on what your viewers consume, not what’s sitting in your library.
• Hybridize your revenue. Try selling advertising, brand sponsorships, and a premium subscription layer.
• Market aggressively. Get passionate about your content. Create a buzz about something like your favorite cheesy horror movies or nostalgia films. Get superfans talking about you on social media.

4.What in your opinion are the most pressing challenges that inhibit the OTT industry in Asia? What can be done to overcome them?

One challenge is actually starting to fade: Consumers are now equipped to consume your content. (Five years ago, they lacked internet access, money for fees, credit cards and smartphones). Content democratization and access to content is better than ever.

Now, many Asians have good devices and money to pay for content.

Now the challenges are:

• Marketing to capture viewer interest/wallet,
• Cost-effective content creation and monetization,
• And continued engagement/retention.

5.Tell us more about the session that Brightcove is going to host at the show. What do attendees stand to gain from it?

In the Brightcove hosted session, attendees will gain:

• Concrete advice for succeeding in OTT
• Best practices from our 15 years of experience in video technology
• Surprising marketing tactics with video
• Illuminating success stories

I look forward to seeing you there!

Either way, we have tons of free content on our website at Brightcove.com. And see our own OTT channel, called PLAY TV.

You can also catch the complete interview here: