Hi there StreamTV Insiders, we’re taking things overseas and coming to you this week from the beautiful city of Lisbon in Portugal for the StreamTV Show’s first-ever European edition.
With more than 215 speakers slated and over 900 attendees expected, it’s going to be an insights-packed event across three days of programming and networking with conversations spanning content, technology and advertising from top leaders in the European streaming and TV industry.
As things get ready to kick off, we’re here to give you a little preview of topics we expect to hear about and sessions you won’t want to miss on Day 1.
TV, entertainment and the way viewers engage with media are undergoing shifts globally, but as Streaming Made Easy’s Marion Ranchet said in this aptly titled column on StreamTV Insider – “Europe is not America, your strategy shouldn’t be either.”
Still, there are likely to be common themes and topics that we see in the U.S., but we’re looking forward to hearing streaming TV perspectives through a European lens.
And one challenging factor seen in the U.S. that’s also likely to come up in various forms throughout the week is the issue of fragmentation.
Ahead of the show, StreamTV Insider spoke with Tobi Pfalzgraff from European TVOS player Titan OS, who noted fragmented audiences, content, services and devices are a challenge globally – but suggested it’s even more pronounced in Europe, where various players must also contend with different languages, regulations and country-specific nuances in the markets they serve.
Tim Werner, CEO of German-based Mainstream Media that has extended from traditional pay TV into the FAST space, is giving a keynote Tuesday and also zeroed in on the fragmentation issue as it pertains to monetization in the linear free streaming market.
“One of the biggest obstacles is fragmentation, both technically and commercially. Inconsistent data, measurement standards and buying mechanisms make it harder to scale efficiently,” Werner told us.
Read on for a few key topics and sessions we’re watching out for Monday.
TVOS and the entry to TV viewing
The TVOS space is competitive, particularly in Europe - and as the entry point to TV viewing, several are vying to be in an ownership position.
As Ranchet noted in this column, at least 83% of Europeans still watch video in their living room – suggesting that while behaviors or consumption may shift, TV time isn’t going away anytime soon. And what consumers see when they first start their TV session, and who decides, could become a more important battleground.
A panel on the battle for Europe’s OS CTV screens will delve into the topic with speakers from Rakuten TV, Whale TV, Wurl, BBC iPlayer and Google.
As smart TV home screens are increasingly the first stop for consumers’ TV entertainment, a TVREV-led workshop session will discuss the importance and competition of TV gatekeepers, featuring executives from VIDAA, Xperi and Roku.
That’s part of Monday’s kick-off with the half-day pre-show TVREV workshop, Shift Happens: How To Win In Streaming's New World Order hosted by co-founder and analyst Alan Wolk, where he’ll also be talking about how to survive the death of the monoculture, his concept of Feudal Media and panel sessions with plenty more.
For a glimpse at where the TVOS is headed, Guy Edri, CEO of V gives a keynote Day 1 on the Future of TV.
User engagement, the viewer journey and telcos evolving role
And in a fragmented world, understanding the consumer and viewer journey and discovery is key. And we’re interested to hear how and where European providers are finding success at capturing attention and engaging users, and which pathways and models are showing or helping to drive results.
As mentioned, with the smart TV interface often the first touchpoint for CTV consumption, we’re excited for Ranchet to help kick off Day 1 with a half-day pre-show workshop Who Owns the First Click in the Living Room? filled with sessions focused on dynamics of those working to power the entry point to TV viewing.
She’ll present data from RTL Ad Alliance’s Living Room report, the largest annual study of European viewing behavior – and dig in and explain differences between Europe and American audiences and how strategies should take that into account.
That fragmentation factor we spoke of earlier might be particularly important to leading telcos in Europe, at a time when they both compete and partner alongside global streaming services and platforms.
With that in mind, be sure to catch Wolk’s session on how telcos are winning in a fragmented streaming world, where we’ll hear from executives at Deutsche Telekom, NOS Inovação and Vodafone.
In the afternoon, Mayor of Lisbon Carlos Moedas will start the event with opening remarks, followed by a can’t-miss keynote by media cartographer Evan Shapiro.
Social video platforms, creators and fostering fandoms
Like we’ve seen in the U.S., YouTube and the rise of creators are also factors in Europe – where the video platform is growing its prowess but also stands to serve as a partner to legacy providers, including pay TV and free-to-air broadcasters across the globe.
Shapiro will be on stage moderating a conversation between YouTube VP Pedro Pina, TF1 and Gaspard G to highlight a case study on how the partners are transforming news on YouTube with a creator mindset.
Check out our StreamTV Europe Spotlight Q&A with Pina here, where he explains how and why broadcasters like TF1 are partnering with YouTube.
Alongside the rise of creators, it looks like several IP owners, content providers and platforms are working to tap into and find ways to foster fandoms and communities on social video around the content they own or serve to maximize impact, help with discovery, extend the conversation and boost engagement.
A great example of that is unscripted reality show franchise and global hit Love Island. At the show ITV Studios President of Global Partnerships Ruth Berry will be alongside ITVS’ Will Scougal and Zoo 55’s Martin Trickey to discuss the franchise and success at growing fandoms and cultural relevance in a case study on digital primetime audiences.
In an interview ahead of the show, StreamTV Insider asked Berry about social video and the role of platforms like YouTube as a competitor versus partner for Europe’s traditional broadcasters like ITV.
She acknowledged it’s a question that comes up often, as several different players are grappling with what their relationship with YouTube should be.
Some still worry about cannibalization of viewership or advertising, but others, such as ITVS and its Zoo55 unit, are “finding incremental audiences” on YouTube, she said. And where Berry is in the “pro partnership” corner when it comes to the Google-owned video platform.
“If you’ve got fans so passionate about your show, you need to create content and the environment for them to be in,” she said, adding that thinking about how to leverage platforms like YouTube to talk to those audiences is key. “For us it’s been really positive.”
And with ITVS having 200 owned-and-operated social channels (most of which sit on YouTube), “it’s a monetization model that we didn’t have before and we manage it very carefully,” Berry said, noting that now studio not only licenses in a business-to-business environment but also publishes in a business-to-consumer space.
As the IP owner, “it’s great, we can work out which environment we think the content be bested suited to and best monetized in.”
Eye on sports and building loyalty with younger generations
Another thing we’re keeping an eye on during the show is the long-standing power of sports (and where fandoms and utilizing social also come into play).
Here it’s not just about who owns the rights but shifting fan behaviors and how to engage new and younger generations to make the most of sports rights and content and to grow the leagues and teams. And how to build loyal fandoms that help fuel the monetization fly wheel.
Spain-based soccer (or football) league LaLiga is using TikTok, where Jaume Pons told Stream TV Insider that the shift in consumer habits – where younger audiences are now first discovering the league and content via social and short-form videos – “has fundamentally reshaped our strategy.”
“TikTok is not just a distribution channel, it’s an entry point into the LALIGA ecosystem. It allows us to connect with audiences in a native, emotional, and culturally relevant way, especially with Gen Z,” Pons said.
On the sports front Ranchet’s also got a session Monday all about who’s winning the fan and how, with speakers from Mainstreaming, Orange Spain, YouTube and DAZN Portugal.
FAST taking shape in Europe
When it comes to Europe, another key topic could be the importance and evolution of free or ad-supported streaming, as consumers in Europe are already accustomed to free over-the-air content. And where the FAST market, alongside other ad-supported offerings, while younger than the U.S., is starting to take a more solidified shape.
Check out our earlier Q&A with TV5MONDE’s Patrice Courtabon, where the French provider is seeing traction with FAST.
“What’s interesting is that FAST platforms are increasingly positioning themselves as an alternative to traditional linear TV operators, with stronger content lineups and more localized offerings,” Courtabon said. “In some markets, they are even carrying broadcast channels within their lineups.”
Day 1 programming wraps with a leader’s roundtable focused on Ad-supported Streaming 2.0, with perspective from Samsung TV Plus, Virgin Media, Everyone TV, ITV and Euronews.
If you’re attending be sure to catch the Titan OS Streaming Summit and Secret Garden Soirée after hours party hosted by Bedrock Monday night.
Enjoy and stay tuned as we cover StreamTV Europe from here in Lisbon throughout the show.