8 NEWS & VIEWS
August 2016
Media consumption habits remain consistent in Singapore
SINGAPORE – While more consumers are accessing online content , media consumption habits have remained consistent in Singapore over the past few years , a series of surveys from the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore ( IMDA ) has found .
At 17.4 hours per week , watching channels from Mediacorp , Singapore ’ s terrestrial broadcaster , remains the top media activity in terms of time spent . This is followed closely by viewing media via websites and apps , which clocked in at 17.3 hours per week , according to the fourth edition of the Media Consumer Experience Study ( MCES ), which was conducted between October and December last year .
The 2,000 respondents also revealed that they generally still rely on traditional media to discover TV shows , and digital media for online content .
A vast majority ( 99.1 %) of respondents who watch Mediacorp TV do so at least monthly , while the subscription rate of pay-TV services in Singapore recorded a marginal decline to 68.2 % in 2015 , from 69.3 % in 2014 .
In terms of online viewing , more than half of consumers ( 54 %)
Asia offers huge market for mobile , digital video players
1 8
devices , especially on smartphones , is now a common practice in Asia- Pacific , as Chandèze described : “ Asia is a highly connected market in terms of smartphone penetration , and the uses of mobile video and mobile TV viewing are already developed , particularly in China and South Korea .
Video consumption on-the-go is prevalent as mobile and tablets are considered as convenient screens to watch TV and video .”
This , in turn , is creating a burgeoning marketplace , where new platforms and actors — such as HOOQ , Youku Tudou , owned by the Alibaba Group , not to mention Netflix — have emerged to vie for a slice of the pie . “ Overall , the Asian market represents a huge opportunity for mobile and digital video players , and is currently still polled in the inaugural Over-thetop ( OTT ) Video Consumer Study indicated that they have watched online videos , with the proportion spiking to 89 % for millennials aged 15-34 . Younger OTT viewers are spending a greater proportion of their viewing time on online videos , compared to traditional TV , IMDA reported .
Viewing time on Mediacorp platforms is continuing to grow , said Anil Nihalani , head , Connected Media , MediaCorp . “ Viewers are watching more content , spread over more platforms ,” he told APB . “ Viewers now want more control over their time , and they want the ability to watch on-demand when they are free , rather than being limited to appointment-based offerings .”
And although viewers are increasingly attracted to the ability to have on-demand access to their programmes of choice , Mediacorp is witnessing a growing trend of watching content on the TV screen .
“ Viewers want a better viewing experience on larger screens , and surveys have indicated that the larger the screen , the longer the viewer watches the content ,” Nihalani added .
structuring itself ,” added Chandèze .
What do operators need to do , then , in order to emerge from an increasingly crowded , and competitive marketplace ?
Provide differentiation in terms of content , and offer engaging content that cannot be found on traditional TV platforms , advised Cécile Bertrand , media consultant , Eurodata TV Worldwide . She added : “ Thematic specialisation can be key . Niche platforms focusing on a specific genre — horror , nature , reality TV — have been created recently , addressing specific audiences .”
Business models also need to be defined . Do operators adopt an advertising-video-on-demand ( AVoD ) model , where content can be offered free but with advertising ; a subscription-video-ondemand ( SVoD ) model exemplified by Netflix ; or a transactional-videoon-demand ( TVoD ) model , where
Users go for content & seamless experience
1 8 aggregated HbbTV service through FreeviewPlus delivers viewers more choices through multiple channels , VoD services , as well as search and discovery across all Australian FTA content .”
Most important , with HbbTV , the viewer is not leaving broadcast to go to a broadband service , Ross added .
Instead , viewers can
want to put everything into a single environment . The ultimate goal should be that the viewer doesn ’ t have to care about the context of time , just the context of content and experience .”
While acknowledging that there is a segment of audiences who favours the “ small ( mobile ) screen ” in consuming content , he emphasised that HbbTV serves as an effective delivery platform for Mediacorp to reach out to the segment of audiences who prefer the “ big ( TV ) screen ”.
He added : “ HbbTV helps to achieve greater seamlessness when the viewer wants to watch certain programmes , and allows them to access content across different platforms , at different times of the day .
“ It allows us to curate and customise content across every screen , and offers the interactivity and integration between linear and VoD , and the ability to access VoD content while the viewer is accessing a linear channel .
“ We want to come to a stage where viewers don ’ t think of these boundaries , and just concentrate on content consumption .”
Mediacorp is also not the first country in Asia-Pacific to have embraced HbbTV technology , with FreeviewPlus being launched in Australia and New Zealand respectively , in 2014 and 2015 .
By early 2017 , expect Freeview- Plus to be in 20 % of Australian homes , reported Elizabeth Ross , CEO of Freeview Australia . “ The ability to consume content ondemand , or a la carte , has been a driving force behind the take-up of HbbTV in Australia and around the world ,” Ross said . “ Offering an
Eurodata TV Worldwide ’ s Cécile Bertrand : Provide differentiation in terms of content , and offer engaging content that cannot be found on traditional TV platforms .
subscribers pay based on the content they choose ?
In Asia , the momentum , at least for the moment , appears to be slanted towards the AVoD model , suggested Bertrand , although it is early days to definitively declare which model , or approach , works best . “ With so many new initiatives , content and ideas , the global online video market is still at the test stage . The perfect model hasn ’ t been found yet !” she added .
Eurodata TV Worldwide also dismissed any notions that broadcasters will lose their relevance as enjoy both broadband content and broadbanddelivered services simultaneously . “ Consumers benefit from the services built on the HbbTV platform because they can move seamlessly from live broadcast to on-demand content and into other HbbTV applications through the simple use of coloured buttons on the remote .
As the digital switch over ( DSO ) continues to gain pace , particularly in Asia-Pacific , HbbTV offers a “ unique opportunity ” to build a global , digital interactive TV platform .
Specifically , it allows countries switching over to digital TV to create value-added services to compensate for the DSO investment costs , according to Regis Saint Girons , CEO of HTTV , and marketing chairman of the HbbTV Consortium .
Consumers , in turn , will gain access to more content and services , governments will be better equipped to minimise the digital divide between citizens , and broadcasters will be provided with the ability to enhance their TV programmes , measure their audiences , as well as to create new business opportunities such as interactive advertising and on-demand
the online video market continues to develop .
On the contrary , broadcasters still have a key role to play , said Chandèze , who elaborated : “ Broadcasters have already adapted to evolving TV viewing habits by developing their own catch-up and online VoD services . Some have also developed specific original content for these services .”
Mobile video , rather than being viewed as a replacement for , is more likely to play a complementary role to traditional TV , she added .
The key to retaining eyeballs , no matter which platform is used , will be content . “ As long as the content is qualitative and broadcasters are flexible to propose adapted formats , they will be part of a promising market , that inevitably , will be more and more fragmented ,” Chandèze concluded .
Mediacorp ’ s Anil Nihalani : “ Rather than have our viewers move between two worlds , we want to put everything into a single environment . The ultimate goal should be that the viewer doesn ’ t have to care about the context of time , just the context of content and experience .”
services , he added .
The HbbTV Consortium has also formed a special task force , which is currently working on improving interoperability by soliciting feedback from a wide range of industry sources on the key challenges facing HbbTV services .
Mediacorp ’ s launch of the Toggle Red Button service is a clear indication of the value of Integrated Broadcast and Broadband ( IBB ) services , lauded Dr Amal Punchihewa , director , Technology , Asia- Pacific Broadcasting Union ( ABU ).
Describing HbbTV as an IBB engine that enables a high level of interactivity and ability to offer and manage on-demand services , Dr Amal also noted the relative success of FreeviewPlus in both
Australia and New Zealand .
“ With strong local and other appealing content , FreeviewPlus has proven to be robust against new OTT entrants into their markets . Particularly , New Zealand public broadcaster TVNZ has observed improved viewership and audience , leading to increased market share .”
Operating HbbTV services alongside digital terrestial TV ( DTT ) and direct-to-home ( DTH ) platforms , HbbTV complements broadcast services through the offering of catch-up services . This , in turn , allows broadcasters to serve the changing viewing habits of today ’ s audiences , said Dr Amal .
While various markets may display different consumption patterns , and indeed different levels of access to technologies and bandwidth , the starting point for any broadcaster today is having the right content , emphasised Mediacorp ’ s Nihalani .
“ For us , the content that we produce is our differentiator . Once you have that , the next step is to take away the dimension of time — to have watch-it-first ( TIF ), live TV and catch-up all available on one platform , thus making the entire content offering seamless in Toggle ,” he explained .
“ The Toggle strategy is to be available across as wide a range of devices as possible ; this forms the concept of anytime , anywhere .”
Nihalani also reminded broadcasters to recognise the strength they possess to create localised content , the nature of which is powerful in any market . “ The key is content and the viewing experience . You need to have the right content and you need to be able to engage viewers around that basis , by giving them the right surround environment to consume that content ,” he concluded .