How to broadcast your message in the crowded VoD industry

The past decade has seen a seismic shift across the broadcast industry. Content-hungry viewers have moved from traditional linear TV viewing to accessing more personalised OTT options. They are also now benefitting from the vast libraries of content these platforms often hold, and the option to consume it when and where is most convenient.

Video on-demand (VoD) behemoths Netflix and Amazon once dominated this landscape almost exclusively, yet in recent years we’ve seen smaller and more niche players creep in. These providers can offer more targeted or premium content, fragmenting the industry and stiffening competition. And that’s before you even consider the role traditional broadcasters have to play.

These developments to the VoD landscape have impacted comms and marketing strategies too, bringing both opportunities and challenges for those involved. New entrants with novel technologies may once have found it easy to gain favour in a sector that’s keen to highlight market competition. But the sheer growth in the number of companies operating in the VoD space in recent years  mean it’s now much harder to get media attention.

The VoD ecosystem of today encompasses a cross-section of players including companies specialising in players and streaming devices, distribution workflow platforms, content protection, recommendations engines, regulation and privacy protection, ad targeting and delivery, and data gathering and analytics.

So how do those in the industry get the visibility needed to access new commercial opportunities? From a PR perspective, these questions will no doubt form a key part of discussion during TV Connect next week, with debate continued across the pond at NAB next month.

Ahead of these two notable milestones in the broadcast calendar, Babel PR conducted in-depth analysis into how the media is covering the VoD industry. The report looks at three sectors; SVoD (those services based on a subscription business model), TVoD (transactional) and AVoD (advertising-supported), and how companies operating in the VoD space can get the best return on their PR spend.

It builds on what we already know when it comes to vendor comms strategies in the broadcast space, and highlights the immediate actions they should take to make the most of what the current media landscape offers. You’ll also find tips from Babel’s ex-broadcast journalist when it comes to pitching the media and how to best get your story across.

Our latest sector report is now freely available. You can download it here.