The key to a sound technology strategy is making the right purchasing decisions in the face of huge pressures, according to Rob Ambrose, Co-founder, Caretta Research, at the IBC Conference session ‘Building the Future of Tech’. “Market data shows there is still pressure in the way consumption habits are changing and how it’s feeding into advertising revenues,” added Ambrose.
Grace Boswood, Technology Director at Channel 4, said the broadcaster’s next focus is the redevelopment of its streaming platform, which generates close to 30% of its revenue, as well as increasing its presence on YouTube and Tik Tok.
“We have to be on platforms where our consumers are,” said Boswood. “We don’t have all the answers yet but if we don’t meet our target and double our social views, our audience will watch something else.”
Cristina Gomila, MD, Content Technology and Innovation at Sky, is excited that cloud enables the delivery of more content and more personalised fandom experiences. “For the US Open, we are covering 16 tennis court feeds for the first time, not just the top two courts. If you work differently with technology and with efficiencies in production, it can become financially viable and enable a better customer experience.”
Sinead Greenaway, Director for Broadcast and End User Technology, BBC, outlined how the public service behemoth has fully refreshed its technology strategy over the past two years, with a focus on both delivering more content to more audiences on all platforms faster, and on giving the best possible experience. “The best tech in the world doesn’t move the dial unless you make the right investments,” she concluded.
