EXPLORE CHAPTERS
1.
Support More Devices
Supporting additional devices and platforms is one of the most effective ways to reach new audiences and expand your revenue potential.
Today’s viewers stream on many different screens, so meet your audience where they are. The most popular streaming devices are smart TVs, connected TVs, and mobile phones. Together they account for more than 80% of viewing time globally, according to Conviva's 2022 State of Streaming report. But there’s no one-size-fits-all multi-device strategy. Here are two critical factors to address when extending device support for your streaming service.
Regional differences in device use
Device preferences vary the world over. In North America, Europe, and LATAM, smart and connected TVs dominate viewing time. In Asia the majority of streaming occurs on mobile devices. The popularity of device makers (e.g., Roku or Samsung) also varies regionally.
As you evaluate opportunities to expand audience reach, be sure to consider regional differences in device use and how they map to your plans for geographic growth.
Superb performance on all screens
Pay careful attention to quality of experience (QoE) metrics by device type. Audiences demand an awesome streaming experience regardless of how they watch your content.
Viewer context and video accessibility are also important considerations. For example, a family watching on a big screen TV expects high-resolution video and crystal clear sound, while a commuter streaming on a mobile device might appreciate closed captioning or an audio-only track.
[Note: This is a summary of a case study on the Brightcove website. The quote is from the transcript of “The Economics of Content and OTT” from the Play 21 conference.]
Streaming Success Story:
TN Marketing Reaches More Audiences on More Devices
The Need
TN Marketing, a global streaming service for hobbyists, wanted to expand its reach and relevance by supporting more devices and platforms.
The Answer
The company used Brightcove Beacon™ to develop 10+ apps for Roku and Amazon Fire TV, providing a big screen experience for long-form content.
The Results
- 30-60% growth in number of users viewing brand channels
- 20-50% growth in visitors to Roku and Amazon Fire TV brand channels
2.
Enter New Markets
Another path to revenue growth is expansion into new geographic markets. With the right streaming technology, global scale is within reach for media companies of all sizes. Still, international growth does present new challenges. Below are some key considerations when pursuing monetization opportunities outside your home market.
Content
Break into new territories by localizing your content, including all associated metadata and imagery. Adding subtitles and offering multiple language tracks are other ways to appeal to global audiences.
Payment Options
Preferred payment methods vary by region—from bank transfers in Asia to gift cards and wireless accounts in LATAM. Supporting all relevant payment methods and currencies streamlines the purchase of SVOD and TVOD offerings.
Advertising
Ad engagement differs across markets, so determining the optimal ad load for local audiences is crucial. In addition, you’ll want to align with the partners (SSPs, DSPs, and video ad marketplaces) that can connect you with advertisers in the region.
Viewer Experience
Rapid, reliable scalability is a must for capitalizing on growing worldwide demand for streaming services. Attracting ad or subscription dollars requires a high quality streaming experience, whether your audience is in New York or New Delhi.
Insights
Be sure to segment streaming insights (audience, engagement, QoE, etc.) by geographic market. This will allow you to make optimal programming and monetization decisions for each region.
Privacy
It’s important to understand and comply with local privacy laws and regulations. Key areas to be aware of include children’s privacy and the use and protection of personal information.
Rights
Take steps to secure and control content delivery in order to protect your IP and comply with licensing terms. Geo-based delivery controls can help you maximize the monetization potential of content while avoiding costly penalties.
SEO BEST PRACTICES
Metadata is a great way to optimize SEO and improve content visibility to relevant audiences as you navigate your video streaming strategy. Brightcove’s platform enables you to apply and maintain metadata across your video library so that you can help to ensure your video content is having the right impact on the right audiences.
1. Make sure tags are concise and distinct to properly summarize the video
2. Manage translations, subtitles and multiple description sets for deeper engagement
3. Ensure consistency and reinforce relevant metadata
4. Have a hierarchy to your video’s metadata - key into authorship
5. Avoid duplicate meta descriptions throughout your video
6. Incorporate into ad strategy to enhance targeting for improved performance for publishers and buyers
Of course, it’s important not to overlook opportunities to increase revenue in your home market. There’s always room to improve video performance, targeting, and monetization. In fact, your home market can serve as a testbed for trialing new optimization strategies before rolling them out to other regions.
Context Aware Encoding: Save as You Scale
Keep expansion costs in check with context aware encoding (CAE). CAE optimizes the video encoding process based on the source asset, target endpoint, and content delivery network. With CAE, you can save as much as 50% on bandwidth costs and see a 25% or greater reduction in compute, while delivering a high-quality streaming experience to more devices and geographic markets.
3.
Launch a FAST Channel
Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels are a high-growth, reach-expanding, revenue-generating opportunity for media companies.
FAST channels offer audiences a linear, TV-like viewing experience created from an existing catalog of VOD assets (with live events occasionally thrown in). The format appeals to viewers who just want to sink into the couch, grab the remote, and enjoy what’s on.
There are many advantages to launching a FAST channel:
- FAST is on the fast track driven by cord-cutting, subscription fatigue, the proliferation of connected TVs, and an attractive price point: free!
- Existing content can drive new revenue when packaged into FAST channels based on a single franchise or niche genre, like horror, comedy, or crime.
- FAST channels monetize a global audience when distributed through popular platforms such as Samsung TV Plus, and Pluto TV.
- Advertisers are flocking to FAST as a way to build brand affinity with highly targeted audiences, driving up CPMs and ad revenue.
FAST FACTS
Partnering for FAST Success
Building an engaging FAST channel requires more than just a back catalog of great content. You’ll also need a technology platform that connects with your video library to turn on-demand assets into linear viewing experiences.
A playout solution built to create, distribute, and monetize 24/7 linear channels can help you:
Program and schedule content for your FAST channel
Insert strategic ad breaks into your content
Deliver the channel to leading FAST and vMVPD platforms
Improve programming and ad monetization with performance analytics
In addition, although many FAST platforms handle ad insertions themselves, having a relationship with an ad monetization service can help you maximize ad revenue.
Driving Distribution Success with Actionable Insights
A multi-pronged distribution strategy demands actionable data for decision-making.
As you grow, you’ll reach more viewers in more markets on a range of devices and platforms. So, it’s critical that you have the ability to monitor and optimize your performance across multiple dimensions.
It’s all about providing a great experience to the right audience on the right device with the right content. And if your performance falls short, determining why, then making data-informed improvements to sustain your growth.
Key Insights
- Quality of experience to deliver a first-rate streaming experience
- Video engagement to increase return on content investment
- Audience to maximize subscriber / viewer lifetime value
- Advertising to optimize ad monetization
4.
From Reach To Revenue
Whatever your business model, you can reach and monetize new viewers by:
Adding support for the most-watched streaming devices
Expanding into new, high-growth geographic markets
Launching linear channels on FAST, vMVPD and other syndication platforms
The best streaming solutions simplify and maximize content distribution. Avoid leaving money on the table with a tech stack that delivers a flawless experience on any device or syndication platform, anywhere in the world.
You’ll reach more people in more places. And by growing your audience, you’ll grow your business.
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