Big Data: what
can it deliver
for TV?
IP means Big Data is now part of the
broadcast landscape. What is it, how is it collected,
how can it be managed and how will it deliver
monetisation? Advanced Television brought together
five top practitioners to debate the key questions.
What kind of data can connected
devices deliver to an operator?
“It depends on the software running on the
device,” explains Filip Remškar, CEO and cofounder Beenius. “With our platform, that was
designed always with the recommendation of
content in mind, it harvests data to give the
operator a greater knowledge of the usage of
the end customers; how, when and why they
use it. We gather this data to provide a better
view on how to bundle the channels and
offers, and secondly to make sure the
subscriber has a better experience which
means more engagement and more loyalty.
Certainly operators currently don’t realise the
power of the data...”
“The
way data
is
collected
and the
use made
of it is
“Operators currently changing
all the
don’t realise the
time,”
power of the data.”
comments
Filip Remškar,
Elle Todd,
Beenius
partner
with
Olswang LLP. “Only a few years ago the
attitude was ‘let’s collect as much as possible
and not give it to anyone else because it might
be valuable some day but we don’t really know
what to do with it’. Now, some of the major
platforms have really stepped up and are
showing what can be done but I think it is still
a learning process and there’s a lot of
nervousness about collection, storage and
regulation – certainly there is still a lot of
potential improvement.”
“With broadcast linear TV you had simple
data – time based and ratings. But in the
online space it is all about data,” says Volker
household was viewing. We can recommend
different content to different people in the
household on different devices through the
same STB. We are doing this through
providing personalised dashboards.”
“I think most providers have realised that
recommendation is really important,” agrees
Ballueder, VP sales and activation EMEA for
Todd. “Discoverability and curation are key
4CInsights. “It’s about measurement and
and different models for collecting the data
pinning it down to the individual user. It is
and using it will work their way through.”
about which data points do
“There is evidence this
you want to use in which
recommendation and
context: user base, audience,
personalisation does make
engagement, time, etcetera.”
subscribers happier and
“It is a really exciting time,
stickier,” claims Ballueder.
we have possibilities to do
“People are moving away
things we haven’t had
from the main screen during
“Some players still
before,” enthuses Daniel
ad breaks, or during any
lack basic abilities to content their not engaged
Toole, executive partner,
media and entertainment,
with they are on their second
house and manage
IBM, “but the collection of
data.” Daniel Toole, screen.”
data is very variable, some
“This area is moving on
IBM
players still need to put in
fast,” declares Toole. “Even
place basic abilities to house and manage data,
services that have just launched – that have
to build a data capability. Then it’s about
certainly leapfrogged previous versions – we
effective management; how do you turn
would say, from work we are doing, are at
information into insight.”
least two generations behind what will be
“What I try to do is look at what is the
available two or three years from now. It will
value of the data. From the point of view of a
be about not just recommendation but
TV viewer experience or a content owner, they
predicting and serving what I want to watch,
are looking for personalisation and
so it might feel like a linear TV channel even
simplification,” notes Brian Morris, VP and
though it isn’t. To make it work will require
GM TATA Global Media and Entertainment
the industry to leverage vast investment to
Services. “The data needs to be used in a way
create the techniques that intuit what you
that guides them to the kind of content they
want.”
want and potentially the
“Certainly we are in an
advertising they want. The
advanced stage of evolution
kind of data that will guide us
now,” says Morris, “but for
are historic buying habits,
the content it is all about
social media, geo location
being able to access the
and key words.”
content they want to
“The most important data
consume and ease of access
for us to collect is
to it. At home we have to
“In the online space
personalisation data from
decide to go out of Netflix
it is all about data.”
second screen apps,” says
and into BT and then
Volker Ballueder,
Remškar. “That’s where we
wherever else and then
harvest the personalised data 4CInsights
typically there are different
and we know what he’s
devices in the home using yet
watching, when, and what are the preferences.
more search engines and other access points
Through the STB or TV, we capture what’s
to content. I believe the unification of all this
screened at what time, etc, and who in the
is going to take some time to happen and the