The StreamTV Show 2024, held this past week at the Westin Westminster Hotel, just north of Denver, offered a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and innovations in the streaming television industry. The conference focused on five key areas shaping the future of streaming: Advertising, FAST channels, Monetization, Product and UX, and Technology.
Advertising discussions highlighted the evolving landscape of targeted marketing in the streaming era. Panelists explored the shift from traditional demographic-based advertising to more sophisticated contextual targeting. They examined the integration of AI in ad tech, discussing how machine learning enhances ad effectiveness and delivery. Speakers also highlighted innovative formats like branded content and virtual product placement as promising avenues for engaging viewers in the ad-saturated streaming environment.
FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) channels emerged as a major focus of the conference. Industry leaders debated whether FAST represents the new cable or broadcast model and explored strategies for growing successful FAST networks. They delved into the potential of niche FAST channels, the role of sports content on these platforms, and effective methods for user acquisition and retention.
Experts thoroughly examined monetization strategies beyond advertising. They discussed the pros and cons of various pricing models, including ad-supported tiers, premium subscriptions, and hybrid approaches. Analysts explored the growing trend of bundling and "super bundling" services as a potential solution to combat subscriber churn and maximize revenue.
Product and UX (User Experience) received significant attention, with leaders emphasizing the critical role of intuitive interfaces and personalized content discovery in retaining viewers. Speakers explored the balance between data-driven personalization, maintaining user privacy, and innovative features that drive engagement across different platforms.
Technology discussions underpinned many of the conference's themes. Presenters repeatedly highlighted artificial intelligence, exploring its applications from content recommendation algorithms to optimizing CDN performance. They also examined the integration of neuroscience and psychology in content creation and delivery as a cutting-edge approach to enhancing viewer engagement.
The StreamTV Show 2024 provided attendees with valuable insights into the current state of streaming TV and offered a glimpse into its future direction, emphasizing the interconnected nature of advertising, content delivery, user experience, and technology in shaping the industry's landscape. Spherex is proud to have been an exhibitor and participant at this year's conference.
2024 was the last year StreamTV will be held at the Westin Westminster, having outgrown the property's capacity. Next year's event will be held June 11-13 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver.
STX Entertainment Merges with India's Largest Film Studio
STX Entertainment is merging with Eros International, India's largest film studio, after a "trying year," according to Variety , and will henceforth be known as the Eros STX Global Corporation. In 2019 viewers saw some midbudget films from STX, including "Hustlers" and "Ugly Dolls." The merger with Eros International will bring both studios into a higher financial bracket, currently slated around $300 million for future revenue.
What This Means
Merger specifics include a "stock-for-stock" and publicly traded, independent content. Eros STX Global is currently set to remain on the New York Stock Exchange, according to Yahoo Finance and will maintain offices in Mumbai and Burbank. The newly consolidated company will also have a new distribution presence in the United States, India and China.
As new content is created, existing partnerships with NBCUniversal, Google, Apple, YouTube, Amazon and Microsoft will expand. Eros STX Global Corporation 2020 slate consists of 40 feature films and over 100 hours of original episodic content.
Company Expansion
New team members are excited. Robert Simonds, the new Co-Chairman and chief executive officer, spoke with Variety about the now vast resources the companies have brought to the table.
"Together we will have the relationships, management expertise and resources to create new content and grow rapidly in the largest and most attractive global markets," said Simonds. "On Day One, we will have the ability to tap into our significant combined libraries and draw upon our deep relationships with A-list actors, directors and producers across the globe to create even more compelling content for millions of consumers."
As a combined entity, the company is excited about creating new opportunities in China. Although STX has had limited success in China, Eros aims to bridge that gap. Eros has a good track record in distributing successful Indian films in China. Eros India CEO Pradeep Dwivedi explains that "Asian sensibilities of movies are very different from American sensibilities. There is a certain understanding of the cultural ethos of China that we believe we can work with much better compared to STX."
Content Expansion
Taking a cue from the ongoing success of super-hero films, the company is also keen on building franchises based on stories from Indian mythology , eliminating the socio-religious aspects and adapting them for universal appeal much like the DC and Marvel models.
While STX's recent film releases have garnered some attention, this union with Eros will serve to strengthen their viewership. Eros Now, a popular streaming platform, brings in roughly 188 million registered users around the globe. This association will increase that market share.
The existing Eros Now platform deals with Indian content, it plans to soon launch a standalone English-language subscription based offering. In March, Eros announced that it had signed NBCUniversal to join this tier. STX content will follow.
Eros also has a new technology deal with Microsoft. As part of the tie-up, Microsoft will build an online video platform for Eros using Azure technology, which will offer interactive voice search features in multiple Indian regional languages. It will also create an AI-powered platform that will enable high-speed subtitling and translations of Hollywood content. This will be available to customers in price-sensitive mass markets like middle India, Africa, Latin America and migrant workers in the Middle East.
Eros STX Global Corporation plans to complete the merger by the end of second quarter, 2020.
