With Econify’s deep expertise in OTT development, last week’s Connected TV Summit was the perfect opportunity to connect with industry leaders and share ideas. This highly regarded event brings together over 700 senior executives from around the world, making it a must-attend for anyone in the space. The summit features a diverse lineup of speakers, including Pay-TV operators, broadcasters, streamers, media agencies, technology companies like Econify, as well as analysts, consultants, and investors.
So what were our takeaways?
Super Aggregators
Pay-TV operators have shifted from competing against streaming services to partnering with them, reinforcing their value to consumers as content aggregators. Operators like Sky (UK) now offer packages that include Netflix, Disney+, and Discovery+, while Comcast’s XFinity service grants access to over 250 OTT services, including Netflix, Hulu, and Peacock. However, some operators raised concerns about striking a balance between content diversity and user simplicity, cautioning that an excess of services can overwhelm consumers.
Bundling
With a growing number of subscription VOD services available, household spending rationalization was inevitable, especially in the face of rising living costs. While the average US household subscribes to 4.8 streaming services, the UK average is 2.2. This is where bundled services become a compelling offer—helping to attract new customers and improve retention rates. As Richard Broughton, executive director and co-founder at Ampere Analysis, noted, half of new subscribers last year were actually returning customers who had previously churned.
AVoD (Ad-supported Video on Demand) Growth
As SVoD subscriber numbers plateaued, major streaming services have strategically pivoted to include AVoD models, ensuring continued growth. According to Statista, AVoD users are projected to reach 53% this year, climbing to 61% by 2029. This trend brings increased technical demands, such as Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) to improve ad delivery and user experience. As more advertising is included in VoD streaming services, so the need for enhanced measurement tools to ensure advertisers achieve optimal reach and impact.
Vanilla User Experiences
For viewers opening their preferred VOD service, the interface has become strikingly similar across platforms: a large hero title dominating two-thirds of the screen, followed by numerous scrollable content tiles. With this uniformity, the industry is exploring how to enhance the user experience to stand out. Ideas such as live statistics, betting odds, and interactive features were floated as possible avenues for platforms to differentiate themselves and elevate the viewing experience.
The Rise of Sports Events
Live sports continue to be a powerful tool for customer acquisition and retention. Netflix's recent experiments have proven this, with events like the Tyson vs. Paul fight attracting over 108 million viewers and the Christmas Day streaming of two NFL games driving subscription boosts. With streaming services increasingly investing in sports rights, the space is set to expand further. While sports streaming does bring technical challenges, as seen with ITVX's experience, these hurdles are being addressed by skilled engineering teams.
The Connected TV summit underscored the rapid evolution of the media and streaming landscape, with operators adapting to shifting viewer behaviors and sports becoming an increasingly important growth driver. As the industry continues to innovate, it is fair to say that success will hinge on blending great content with seamless user experiences and robust technical foundations. That has always been the case. But it continues to evolve. Businesses that effectively integrate these elements will undoubtedly succeed. In any case, it is hard to do all the speakers and content justice in a short blog post. Needless to say, we will be visiting again next year.
If you are looking for a partner who can help build a streaming app, or if you have an OTT app and need some technical support and guidance, get in touch below.
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