2000
2011
2012
2013
2014
1500
1000
500
0
-500
-1000
-1500
-2000
Cable
Satellite
Telco
Source: LRG
Figure 1
opting for a conventional TV package, customers would have the freedom to choose a specific
set of channels via an array of OVD services.
Despite increasing OVD momentum, however, pay
TV providers still have a definitive edge in the following categories:
Since several pay TV providers also own broadband infrastructure, customers can save on
their net monthly payments by bundling TV
and Internet services. Considering a hypothetical situation where all content providers
launch their own OVD services, opting for a
stand-alone Internet package in addition to a
variety of OVD subscriptions would be more
expensive than purchasing a bundled TV and
Internet service. Figure 2, next page, compares
less expensive bundled services with standalone Internet packages purchased in addition
to five OVD subscriptions (at an average price
of $10/month). In all the cases, it is cheaper
to bundle TV and Internet services. The least
expensive TV packages from DirecTV and
Dish ($30/month and $20/month, respectively) would still be cheaper than subscribing to
several individual OVD services. Hence, from a
customer point of view, subscribing to multiple
OVD subscriptions will not be an economical
option. The added complication of tracking and
paying different bills, and a non-uniform user
experience for each of these OVD services is
another drawback.
For content providers, the risk of cannibalizing their revenue from pay TV operators by
launching stand-alone OVD services is a major
concern, since customers are unlikely to pay for
both services. Revenue from these stand-alone
services should more than offset the loss of
revenue from pay TV operators, enabling content providers to remain profitable and cover
the cost of these new services. WWE network,
for example, launched a stand-alone streaming service in early 2014 at $9.99/ month with
a six-month commitment clause. Reacting
to this move, pay TV operators such as Dish
Network and DirecTV stopped featuring the
sports entertainment producers pay-per view
programs, which had an adverse effect on its
Q3 2014 revenues.7 WWE experimented with
AT&T Uverse
420+ Channels
*
*
20+
Verizon FiOS
155+
155+
Cox
125+*
Charter
220+*
175+*
20+
Time Warner
200+
10+*
Comcast
130+*
$20/Month
$40
TV/broadband packages
Bundle 1 / Bundle 2
* Promotional 12-month price
$60
Figure 2
cognizant 20-20 insights
$80
Stand-alone broadband
Internet 1 / Internet 2
$100
$120
Start Doing
Keep Doing
Stop Doing
Figure 3
Curiosity among ardent fans of particular programming could result in additional churn for pay
TV providers for a few months after the launch
of OVD services by content providers, but they
should still be the preferred choice to view linear
video content. Thus, there will be no long-term
customer churn for pay TV providers due to the
launch of these services.
As video entertainment evolves, it is essential
for pay TV providers to reinvent themselves and
take advantage of their superior content delivery infrastructure to stay relevant in the eyes of
customers. Based on customer acceptance and
market dynamics, pay TV providers should consider the following recommendations to improve
their viability.
Start Doing
Pay TV providers must start experimenting with
new video delivery options and business models
to attract more customers.
Keep Doing
Some strategies adopted by TV providers to
counter the popularity of OVD services have
gained customer acceptance. It would be prudent
for these companies to invest further in the following going forward:
Stop Doing
Footnotes
1
Major pay-TV providers lost about 125,000 subscribers in 2014, LRG, March 2015. www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/030315release.html.
The Swedish Telecommunications Market 2013, The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, June 2014, p. 29.
www.pts.se/upload/Rapporter/Tele/2014/swedish-telecommunications-market-2013-pts-er-2014_18.pdf.
Investors Wary on WWE Subscriber Outlook, Wall Street Journal, March 2014. www.wsj.com/articles/
wwe-subscriptions-jump-31-helped-by-wrestlemania-1427731441.
WWE Reports 2014 Third Quarter Results, WWE, October 2014. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/wwereports-2014-third-quarter-123000923.html.
10
Sling TV to add HBO prior to Game of Thrones return, USAToday, April 2015. www.usatoday.com/story/
tech/2015/04/01/sling-tv-adds-hbo/70779812/.
11
ACSI Telecommunications and Information Report 2014, Page 2, ASCI, May 2014. www.
theacsi.org/news-and-resources/customer-satisfaction-reports/reports-2014/acsi-telecommunicationsand-information-report-2014.
12
CTAM, Industry Continuing to Make TVE Strides, Hub Research, December 2014. www.multichannel.com/
news/marketing/ctam-industry-continuing-make-tve-strides/386101.
13
14
Dish Network to Integrate Netflix App into Its Set-Top Boxes, Wall Street Journal, December 2014. www.
wsj.com/articles/dish-network-to-integrate-netflix-app-into-its-set-top-boxes-1418840209.
About Cognizant
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