Aggregation and monetization at the heart of Nextv Series Europe 9th edition

The 9th edition of Nextv Series Europe closed Dataxis’ cycle of European conferences for 2023 in London last week. 200 business executives gathered at the Royal College of Physicians for a 2-day cycle of panel discussions during which operators, broadcasters, streamers, content owners and tech vendors discussed hot topics of the regional media and entertainment industry. Super aggregation as the answer to content fragmentation across the European media landscape Fragmentation across the European media and entertainment landscape explains the fierce competition in local markets and the multitude of actors that are operating platforms and distributing content across the region. Historically, European media groups were structured on a country level, based on local cultural specificities and national languages. Thus, rather few consolidation has happened in the TV broadcast industry, and only a few selected actors operate across borders like RTL and MediaForEurope. On the pay TV distribution side, several telcos operate services on a regional level but the competition remains fierce and each market counts at least 3 tier-1 actors, up to 5 or more in the most dynamic markets. In this context, finding a differentiating market position is key for both content owners and TV platforms. One keyword often came back across the conference’s panels: “aggregation”. Virtually all European telcos have started aggregating streaming platforms in the last decade, and the rise in collaborations between them and a growing number of apps and streaming services prompts a thorough examination of how this model benefits both parties. As David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, put it: operators have a relationship with end customers through their connectivity services, through long-term and often multi-year contracts; they have a relationship with the big screen in the household and they also are ensuring the relationship with content providers. Nicola Goff, Head of TV Partner Propositions at Sky, also emphasized the importance of bundling to drive better customer retention and improve churn profiles.  A return of pay-TV bundles is being set forth by TV operators integrating an ever-growing number of partnering apps and streaming services. Being among the latest entrants in the European streaming landscape, Paramount+ is a prime example of how streamers can leverage local partnerships to rapidly gain reach by benefiting from well-established telcos’ footprint. Antonella Dominici, SVP of Streaming South Europe, Middle East & Africa at Paramount, highlighted the challenges of entering an already saturated market, leading them to focus on delivering high-quality TV shows with their partners.  Integration of partners still poses significant technical challenges, especially as operators and TV platforms aim at giving the best possible experience to end users in their ecosystem. Enabling metadata integration is key to supporting advanced features like content discovery and...