Anna Skylakaki, Senior Conference Producer at Marketforce reflects on the state of UK broadcasting ahead of their Future of Broadcast conference.

 

 

The broadcasting industry is going through an exciting and transformational time. Viewers are becoming increasingly demanding, expecting flawless consumption anytime, anywhere, on any device. The challenge for the industry is not only to deliver on the technology, but also to anticipate if and how this is redefining their customers, and where the commercial opportunities lie within the sea of change. A key area of discussion centres around monetising the advent of connected TV, with a number of players segmenting their free and premium content, and exploring micropayments and other new revenue streams. The advertising space is also responding to the change, and is exploring more avenues to truly engage viewers.

 

Looking beyond the hype of social media, there seems to be strong potential in connecting with audiences in a number of ways, to minimise second screen distraction, create more engaging programmes, and more directly monetise content. The story of Zeebox and its partnership with Sky signals that the future of TV may well be social. In this world of entertainment proliferation, examining efficient ways to aid content discovery will be critical in attracting and maintaining engaged audiences, and ensuring sustainable commercial success.

 

So how can the industry thrive? At The Future of Broadcasting on 27th and 28th June in London, we will have the pleasure of welcoming Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications & Creative Industries, Jeremy Darroch, CEO of Sky, Fru Hazlitt, ITV, Cindy Rose, Virgin Media and Daniel Danker, BBC along with many other distinguished speakers to debate the strategic direction of the industry. We look forward to welcoming you at the conference.

 

View the full programme and register on our website.