Why MVPDs and TV operators are the perfect partner for content providers

So how do you get consumers’ attention in this overcrowded market? And how do you get people across the signup finish line? There are five key challenges content providers face when doing so, and in which MVPDs and TV operators can unfold themselves as great partners.

1. Accelerate reach
Consumers are tiring of complexity and are looking for integrated solutions to help them manage all their content services. TV operators can be that super aggregator, offering their set-top box as the entertainment hub of the home. With an existing broad market reach, and a customer base willing to pay for video, TV operators can be great partners for content providers to accelerate their reach.

2. Get the attention of potential customers
Being available in the operator’s TV app store gives content providers the opportunity to be seen and heard by their potential subscribers. Because of the existing relationship, TV operators have many options to get the attention of potential customers with a marketing message. And the most effective marketing message is to market to a viewer when they are ready, willing, and able to watch. In other words: when’s a better time to discover a new content service than when watching TV.

3. Existing billing relationship
The popularity of SVOD is expanding, but it’s not easy to get people across the signup finish line. According to Leichtman Research Group, more than half of U.S. homes have at least 3 of the most popular SVOD services, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. But how do you get people subscribed to your service? With a growing knowledge of data and privacy, people are more reluctant to provide credit card data and personal details. TV operators can help, because there is no need to enter any billing or personal data to sign up for OTT services or TV apps. The TV operator already has a billing relationship with their subscribers, so the TV viewer is just one click away from subscribing to your TV app or OTT service, or making in-app purchases.

4. Search and Discovery
Not that long ago, we used to scan the aisles of the video store for “the movie” we wanted to see. Today, TV viewers can simply search for the content they want to watch on their TV from the couch. When content providers support the TV operator’s platform search function, TV operators can help them find new customers. TV viewers often know what they want to watch, and don’t care which content service they watch it on. Search just helps them get there faster. So, every search is an opportunity to find new customers, no matter how crowded the video-on-demand space becomes.

5. Make money with advertisements
As an alternative to the subscription-based approach (SVOD), we have the free ad-supported video-on-demand services (AVOD). TV operators can help medium to smaller sized, mostly localized or niche, content providers make money with advertisements. They can, for instance, partner in selling advertisement slots to national and local advertisers or aggregate ad opportunities across multiple content providers to boost reach and ad values for everyone.

Content providers looking to expand their distribution have plenty of options to consider, but MVPDs and TV operators should be at the top of the list of possible new distribution partners. The reach and engagement of MVPDs and TV operators shouldn’t be ignored. Set-top boxes are used daily by people with a pay TV subscription, meaning you can reach millions of additional eyeballs for your TV app.