By Brad Altfest
Imagine until now, the broadcast and OTT viewing experience has been one way, one to many – the lean-back experience, as we call it. And how many lean-back experiences can we really have? At this point, key players in the industry are struggling to play catch up to having their own OTT channels. But the reality is that there’s so much more that is technically possible than is being technically exploited industry-wide. The ongoing pandemic has only accelerated the trend toward trying something new of when, where and how we can watch.
At Agora’s RTE2021 conference, I moderated a conversation with video player software provider NexStreaming CEO Carlos Lucas; live video solution provider TVU Networks SVP, Solutions Jared Timmins; and streaming media business VisualOn CEO Yang Cai.
“UGC as infrastructure” is a whole new content channel
Timmins, whose team came up with that term and pointed out we’re in an unprecedented and fascinating time for video streaming, explained it means taking advantage of the ubiquity of cloud- or fog-enabled devices that can capture high-quality video. “COVID pushed the tech curve in broadcast out by 18-24 months,” Timmins explained, which was “devastating” to businesses who weren’t ready to move production to the cloud. Those who could make the shift are now able to put talent and cameras (which can even be smartphones) anywhere, geographically, and use it to build out bi-directional, truly personal, truly immersive experiences.
Content/experiences need to be tailored to individual and context
With UGC folded in with PGC, content is truly proliferating, and that creates rich opportunities to understand the user based on the content and added features they’ve chosen. The personalization you can get from that data has monetizable applications in e-shopping, marketing and more. It allows for tailoring experiences to the context – i.e., a watch party – and not just the individual.
Cloud tech will lighten the production lift and provide better UX than broadcast
As production moves to the cloud, broadcasters are freed from the traditional studio and can create video anywhere. Timmins predicts that, because of the low cost of creating quality video without professional cameras, “commodity tech will overtake what’s been very specialized in broadcast in the next five years, and we’ll see broadcast production in the cloud look and feel operationally and technically more like a game engine.”
Now that users can stream video anywhere, it’s time to get a move on interactivity.
Lucas gave the example of how streaming via gaming consoles means a user can watch a human soccer game while also playing a virtual soccer game. We’re able to sync video and audio streams from multiple cameras at a sporting event or concert, which opens up opportunities for interactive features, including social interaction. Cai pointed out that the social aspect allows OTT providers to gain user insights to understand how their content is performing and how users want to interact with it. And, there are marketing opportunities in those insights.
The multi-screen experience at home turns the viewer into a participant
To create meaningful second-screen applications, you need video, audio and other data sources to sync across all devices. We’ve seen this happen in watch parties, or even in sports bars, observed Cai, which enables real-time communication between users. This is where OTT and broadcast converge, he said, adding that there’s an opportunity here for service providers to maximize ROI.
Users are happy to pay extra for interactive features
Users today expect to be able to communicate around video, and now it’s time to look beyond that. Timmins observed viewers will pay for “VIP-type features,” like a view of a “high-five cam” as a football team runs out onto the field, or a personalized message from a player sent to a fan at a tailgate party. Lucas further gave the example of a gaming company that monetized not just by selling in-game features, but also video files that combined video playback and user-generated graphics.
Our panelists agreed that because so many of these interactive features will need ample network bandwidth to be scalable, 5G will crack open the real opportunities in OTT. The center of the OTT experience is shifting from the professional studio and the wall-mounted TV to mobile devices on both ends. Partnerships between providers, creators and tech companies will be critical going forward. It’s time to seize the opportunity to create new ecosystems and facilitate customization, personalization, innovation and, of course, monetization.
Brad Altfest is the Director of Business Development, Media and Entertainment at Agora. He penned this Media Information Bureau article exclusively for the Radio + Television Business Report.
