Pay TV Operators Research Articles

An empirical assessment of the use of an algorithm factory for video delivery operations.

Video service providers are moving from focusing on Quality of Service (QoS) to Quality of Experience (QoE) in their video networks since the users' demand for high-quality video content is continually growing. By focusing on QoE, video service providers can provide their subscribers with a more personalized and engaging experience, which can help increase viewer satisfaction and retention. This focus shift requires not only a more sophisticated approach to network management and new tools and technologies to measure and optimize QoE in their networks but also a novel approach to video delivery operations. This paper describes the components, interactions, and relationships of an algorithm factory for video delivery operation that assures high QoE for video streaming services. The paper also showcases the results of gradually implementing an algorithm factory in the video industry. Using a dataset from 2016 to 2022, we present the case of a European PayTV service provider that achieved improved performance measured by both objective and subjective metrics. The use of an algorithm factory significantly improved the PayTV service provider's performance. The study found a fivefold increase in the speed of critical incident resolution and a 59% reduction in the number of critical incidents, all while expanding the customer base and maintaining the same level of labor resources. The case also demonstrates a strong positive relation between the productivity measures of the PayTV operator and their survey-based quality ratings. These results underscore the importance of flawless QoS and operational excellence in delivering QoE to meet the evolving demands of viewers. The paper adds to the existing literature on relationships between operational efficiency, innovation, and subjective quality. The paper further offers empirical evidence from the PayTV industry. The insights provided are expected to benefit both traditional and over-the-top (OTT) video service providers in their quest to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving video industry. It may also translate to other service providers in similar industries committed to supporting high-quality service delivery.

Commercial Success Through Commercials? Advertising and Pay-TV Operators

The U.S. pay television service market was dominated by cable operators until the nationwide entry of satellite operators in the early 1990s. The latter have been consistently growing their footprints since. This study documents the role of television advertising to explain satellite operators’ success. Using data on U.S. households’ subscription choices and operators’ advertising decisions, the authors document both demand- and supply-side conditions conducive to the growth of the satellite operators. First, the authors find that consumers in this market were sensitive to advertising, and especially so to that of the satellite operators (ad elasticities of about .05–.06 for satellite operators vs. .02 for cable operators). The authors employ a border strategy to demonstrate advertising-elastic demand and discuss its robustness to potential threats to identification. Second, the authors provide suggestive evidence that a form of asymmetric cost efficiencies in television advertising benefited the entrants more than the incumbents. Specifically, the unit costs of local advertising tend to be higher than those of national advertising, which likely allowed the satellite operators to better leverage their national presence with (cheaper) national advertising. Overall, this study highlights the interaction between advertising efficiencies and the scale of entry in explaining the competition between market incumbents and entrants.

Over-the-Top Television Services and Changes in Consumer Viewing Patterns in South Africa

Abstract A significant change in consumer viewing habits has taken place globally with the introduction and growth of over-the-top television services (OTT TV). In the absence of scientific evidence on television consumer behavior viewership changes, this paper’s objective was to ascertain the television viewing patterns, given the rise of OTT TV services in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative research approach using a convenience sampling method. Online survey questionnaires were distributed on reputable social media networks and collected 391 responses. The study results suggest changes to TV consumption, in that more TV consumers are binge-watching and streaming content online. Furthermore, more than five hours a day are spent online consuming TV content, especially by male respondents. The sharing of OTT TV logon credentials with family and friends is prevalent across all demographic groups. The fundamental aspect of this paper is that it illuminates the rivalry between the Pay-Tv operators and OTT TV service providers while aiding the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to regulate the market.

The Impact of Over-the-Top Television Services on Pay-Television Subscription Services in South Africa

Globally, developments and innovations in television technology, including the launch and growth of over-the-top television services (OTT TV), have affected traditional pay-TV operators’ ability to grow a subscriber base and retain existing customers. Despite attempts made by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to ascertain the impact of the OTT TV on pay-TV services, the results have remained inconclusive. In the absence of a comprehensive assessment and credible evidence, this paper sought to ascertain the impact that OTT TV services have on traditional pay-TV services in South Africa. A quantitative research method was adopted using a non-probability sampling technique for data collection. A total of 391 responses were collected utilising an online survey questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics on IBM® SPSS® version 26. The main findings of the study showed that OTT TV services are a complementary service to pay-TV services as opposed to a substitute. Low-income earners are using free/paid mobile applications to consume TV content, and for those who have neither OTT TV nor pay-TV services, free-to-air services are the preferred platform for TV consumption. This study benefits all stakeholders in digital media and business strategy, as well as marketing students.

Cloud TV

Cloud TV is a cloud-based live television streaming program or app, allowing the user to watch high definition (HD) TV channels without the requirement of a TV box or aerial but only a stable internet connection. As the number of Cloud TV channels continuously increases, so does the need for a techno-economic evaluation and analysis, which constitutes the aim of this paper. The analysis aims to provide an assessment of the required investment for a new Pay TV operator, using Cloud TV technology in the internet of things (IoT) era. The adopted methodology includes demand forecasting and cash flows calculations and important economic indicators, for a time period of 10 years and different diffusion scenarios. Evaluation of the methodology was based on statistics obtained from one of the larger telecom providers in Greece. Results indicate that investing on Cloud TV technology in Greece is feasible for the technologies of over-the-top (OTT), IPTV, and Smart TV. A sensitivity analysis is also performed, studying the case of a new entry for a Pay TV operator in the local market with emphasis on OTT services, which gains a significant percentage of customers.

Pie in the Sky? The Political Economy of the Failed Vodafone-Sky Merger

In June 2016 Sky Network Television Limited, New Zealand’s predominant satellite pay-TV operator, and Vodafone Europe BV applied to the New Zealand Commerce Commission1 for clearance to enter into a $3.44 billion merger. The proposal was for Sky TV to acquire 100% of the shares in Vodafone New Zealand Limited while the latter’s European parent company would acquire a controlling 51% stake in the post-acquisition Sky Network Television Limited. The primary motive was the opportunity to develop new triple or quadruple-play bundles of landline, mobile, internet and audiovisual content in response to the emergence of new subscriber video-on-demand services. The ‘Skodafone’ application was opposed by rival commercial interests in the telecommunications and television sectors who argued that the merged entity would have the ability and incentive to develop bundles of services including Sky’s premium sports content (notably New Zealand rugby) against which rivals would be unable to compete. Sky and Vodafone argued that premium sports was not ‘must-have’ content for market entry into subscriber video-on-demand (SVOD) services, pointing to Spark’s development of Lightbox in 2014 and the launch of Netflix in 2015. After numerous cross-submissions from various stakeholders, in April 2017 the Commerce Commission’s final determination declined the application. Although Vodafone and Sky lodged a legal appeal against the ruling, they subsequently decided not to pursue the case.Arising in the same timeframe as the (also declined) NZME-Fairfax merger application, the Vodafone-Sky case is symptomatic of several intersecting structural conditions in the New Zealand media ecology: deregulation, financialisation and convergence. On one level, the drive for consolidation and vertical integration can be regarded as a direct response to these pressures. However, there are also institutional-level contingencies which shape how structural pressures are articulated into decision-making as well as contested normative and epistemic assumptions about the definition of media markets, the nature of the public interest and the implications of the merger for competition. Drawing on document analysis of the merger submissions, this article analyses the significance of the Vodafone-Sky case through a critical institutionalist perspective and examines the key factors shaping the outcome. It concludes that while the Commission’s decision was correct, it would be premature to conclude that existing competition law is sufficiently robust to prevent public interest considerations being subordinated to those of financial investors. Rather, the Commission’s decision serves to underline the extent to which the commercial imperatives of the corporate media have sought to secure the political-economic conditions for accumulation by exploiting New Zealand’s historically feeble regulatory framework.

Catch-up TV forecasting: enabling next-generation over-the-top multimedia TV services

Due to recent developments in Over-The-Top (OTT) technologies, Pay-TV operators have begun a migration process of managed IP Television (IPTV) services to more appealing OTT approaches. In these scenarios, being able to predict when and what resources will be necessary at any given point is crucial to a high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective operation, especially when dealing with the dynamic and resource-intensive requirements of IPTV multimedia services. To evaluate the advantages of demand forecasting for efficient Catch-up TV delivery on OTT scenarios, this research work explores several classes of machine learning models regarding their accuracy, computational requirement trade-offs, and deployability. The training process relies on a dataset comprised of Catch-up TV usage logs acquired from an IPTV operator’s live production service containing over 1 million subscribers. A predictive and dynamic resource provisioning approach is proposed and evaluated in terms of bandwidth and storage savings. Results demonstrate that forecasting Catch-up TV demand is practical, suitable for integration in OTT solutions, and useful in improving efficiency, with benefits to operators and consumers. Significant savings in bandwidth and storage are shown to be achievable, enabling green and cost-effective resource usage.

C-449/14 P DTS v Commission: When is a Tax Measure State Aid?

The Court of Justice holds that a tax levied on pay-TV operators to finance the competing State-owned broadcaster Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (RTVE) is not State aid within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU. The Court acknowledges that the tax constitutes an additional competitive disadvantage for pay-TV operators—different from that resulting from the public resources transferred to RTVE. It finds, however, that the tax is not aid within the meaning of the Laboratoires Boiron case law. According to the Court, the amount of the aid granted to RTVE would be determined by the net costs of fulfilling the public service mandate and the possible incompatibility of the tax with EU law would not call into question the aid, due to the obligation of the Spanish State to cover the shortfall between the sources of funding available to RTVE and the net costs of the public service obligation.

Catch-up TV analytics: statistical characterization and consumption patterns identification on a production service

Multimedia IP Television services, such as on-demand Catch-up TV, are in an active migration process towards Over-The-Top (OTT) delivery using state-of-the-art Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). Maintaining the same Quality-of-Experience (QoE) of managed IPTV networks is challenging and requires a thorough understanding of users’ behaviors and content demand characteristics. This article leverages Catch-up TV usage logs obtained from a Pay-TV operator’s live production IPTV service containing over 1 million subscribers to characterize and extract insights from service utilization at a scale and scope not yet addressed in the literature. A detailed analysis on the characteristics of users’ viewings is performed, with a study of when, where, and how often users access the service, along with how they behave during each viewing session. The results show that Catch-up TV consumption exhibits very high levels of utilization throughout the day, and is heavily polarized towards specific genres, recently aired programs, and content broadcasted during prime-time. The superstar effect is notorious. This analysis is complemented by a service optimization perspective, which shows that large gains are achievable by caching popular programs, and by loading content in advance to users’ Set-Top-Boxes (STBs). This comprehensive research study is supplemented by detailed statistical information tables, which highlight the feasibility of efficiently migrating Catch-up TV services to OTT-scenarios, and provide the foundations for future works able to explore these results.

El cine durante la primera competencia televisiva española (1990-1994)

<p>Esta investigación analiza la programación cinematográfica emitida durante el inicio y primer desarrollo de la competencia televisiva (1990-1994) de ámbito nacional. Para ello, se toma en consideración la programación de las televisiones públicas, en las cadenas privadas y en los operadores de pago. Se tienen en cuenta los largometrajes emitidos en términos de su género, nacionalidad, inserción dentro de la rejilla; los ciclos programados y los programas cinematográficos más representativos, con el fin de observar su evolución, contenidos, características y su relación con la competencia.</p><p> </p>

Saints, Cops and Camorristi. Editorial Policies and Production Models of Italian TV Fiction

Contemporary Italian TV fiction production is the result of both a long historical tradition and a complex broadcasting scenario. In recent years, three different models clearly emerged, following the divergent goals and needs of public service broadcaster Rai, commercial television Mediaset and pay-TV operator Sky Italia: respectively, with a pedagogical approach resulting in hagiographic miniseries, socially committed fiction and relevant comedies; with procedural and legal dramas following the US commercial models and romance-filled prime time soaps; and with a cable-oriented tension towards anti-heroes, high-budget productions and “quality television”. The paper reconstructs the main traits of each model, focusing on their main titles and most emblematic genres, as well as on the national production companies that helped the broadcasters in defining and establishing peculiar “fiction styles” and editorial policies.

The regulation of television sports broadcasting: a comparative analysis

Based on seven different sports broadcasting markets (Australia, Brazil, Italy, India, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States), this article provides a comparative analysis of the regulation of television sports broadcasting. The article examines how contrasting perspectives on television and sport – economic and sociocultural – have been reflected in two main approaches to the regulation of sports broadcasting, namely competition law and major events legislation. The results of this analysis suggest that in many cases, the balance between commerce and culture in sports broadcasting has shifted too far in favour of the commercial interests of dominant pay-TV operators and sports organisations. Here, the case is made for the pursuit of an approach to sports broadcasting regulation that seeks to balance the commercial priorities of broadcasters and sports organisations with the wider sociocultural benefits citizens gain from free-to-air sports broadcasting.

Discovering TV Contents in a Second Screen App: Perspectives from Portuguese and Brazilian Markets

Abstract The actual trends in the TV ecosystem present considerable social, organisational and technological challenges in the value-chain of Pay-TV operators. Among these is the global increase in bandwidth, the shifting of the storage capacity in the cloud, and the affordability of traditional content providers when facing the competitiveness of OTT content. In this framework, Pay-TV operators are presenting their customers with a huge offer of contents available from linear-TV, Catch-up TV and VoD services. However, this overloaded TV ecosystem is likely to lead viewers to get lost and face difficulties when deciding what to watch on TV. To overcome these difficulties and be competitive, operators need to provide innovative and trustable solutions, alternative to traditional EPGs, enabling users to discover the right content for a specific context. To target this problem, a second screen application (GUIDER) was developed to offer an original user interface, based on a multidimensional spatial representation of TV contents for those mindless zapping situations where viewers do not know, in advance, what they are in the mood to watch. This paper reports on the evaluation of the GUIDER App, aiming to determine the level of interest in the several features implemented and in the filtering criteria available; identify usability issues; and predicting the future uses of the App in domestic scenarios. The evaluation was made in Portugal and Brazil with a convenience sample of 20 participants in each country. Despite the differences in the TV ecosystems, both countries appear to be promising markets for this new kind of second screen applications, with Brazilians showing a higher perception of the added value of GUIDER.

Towards More Competition in Pay TV Services?

In January 2014, the EU Commission opened an investigation into the agreements concluded between Hollywood major studios and pay TV operators in different EU Member States. According to the EU Commission, some of the restraints included in these agreements restrict cross-border competition between broadcasters. But it is not clear whether intervention through competition law will achieve the policy objectives sought. It would seem that the absence of cross-border competition is not so much the consequence of a set of restrictive agreements but of the underlying features and dynamics of the industry.

If you won’t pay them, buy them!: Merger mania in distribution and content markets

Abstract Structural changes in TV markets are resulting in carriage disputes that have spread from the United States to Europe. A carriage dispute refers to a disagreement between a pay-TV operator and a broadcaster over the right to ‘carry’ a broadcaster’s channel. TV broadcasters are demanding ever increasing payments from pay-TV operators that complain about lower-profit margins due to spiralling programming costs. This article discusses vertical mergers between distributors and broadcasters as a possible way to reduce retransmission payments and to secure cheap and privileged access to programming in today’s hypercompetitive video markets.

The Commission Investigation into Pay TV Services: Open Questions

In January 2014, the Commission launched an investigation into pay TV services in the context of a review of EU copyright rules and following the ruling in Murphy, where the ECJ held that exclusive territorial licensing agreements may be restrictive by object. Vice-President Almunia's statement expresses concerns with restraints limiting the passive sales of pay TV services and with the ‘portability’ of subscriptions across borders. The Commission envisions a form of cross-border competition between pay TV operators that is not easy to reconcile with the observable industry dynamics. It is not clear to what extent the suggested approach considers the ‘economic and legal context’ in which agreements between studios and broadcasters are concluded.

A Highly Secure and Cost-Effective CAS Based on STB with GSM Unit

To make up the Control Words (CW) share and deployment cost-ineffective defects in traditional pay-TV services, an advanced security conditional access system and its implementation are introduced in this paper. It is based on STB with a secure GSM module, where iterative key encryption for CW and wireless transmission for identity authentication and entitlement data are used, and it can prevent the piracy of pay-TV and protect the profit of pay-TV operator. The system is proved to be highly secure, easily deployed and cost-effective by experimentation in lab and now in mass production for broadcasters and operators

Brand-Building of Pay TV Channel

It’s important for content of Pay TV Channels to be specialized, individualized and branded which becomes the purpose of specialization and individualization. Only with strong brand effect, can Pay TV Channels succeed in competing with Free TV channels and other media. Differentiation founded on TV brands will be beneficial not only for enhancing brand awareness and customer satisfaction, but for establishing TV media’s strategy system. For instance, in 2004 to 2008, China DTV Media, China’s leading Pay TV operator, put up a brand evaluation system containing market share, brand awareness, brand loyalty as measuring standards, with which the brand-building has been token up during market operation. Actually, in the long-term development, many Free TV brands have been created in China. Among winners of the Top Ten Programs awarded by China Broadcasting and Television Association in 2005, there are five TV programs, all of which are free programs, including Law Online (in CCTV), Nanjing Alive (in Nanjing Broadcast Television), Night News (in Heilongjiang TV), True Love Story (in Hebei TV) and The Past (in Hubei TV) (Zhang Junchan & LuiPeng, 2006). While compared with Brand-Building on Free TV Channels, in China, Pay TV Channels hasn’t walk the path of Brand-Building really. How can it move on better? In this section, there will be some analysis about it.

N 스크린 서비스와 홈TV간 대체 및 보완관계에 대한 실증적 연구: 국내 대표 N스크린 서비스인 티빙을 중심으로

본 연구는 국내에서의 N스크린 서비스 이용이 홈TV시청행태에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 규명하는데 그 목적이 있다. 이를 위해 본고에서는 CJ헬로비전의 N스크린 서비스인 티빙(tving) 가입자를 대상으로 설문을 하여 미디어 대체 및 보완 관계에 대한 실증 분석을 실시하였다. 총 유효설문 132개를 대상으로 티빙의 이용이 홈TV의 이용을 대체 또는 보완하는지 알아보았고, 장르별 대체, 보완 관계 또한 알아보았다. 실증 분석 결과, 티빙을 많이 이용하는 사람일수록 홈TV의 시청량이 36.4%정도 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 N스크린의 등장이 홈TV시청을 촉진 시키는 보완적인 역할을 하고 있음을 의미한다. 본 연구의 결과는 N스크린 사업자와 콘텐츠 제공자 간의 콘텐츠 수급가격 산정에 대한 방향성을 제시해 줄 수 있고, 둘째, 유료방송사들과 N스크린 사업자의 협력적 사업 전략의 가능성을 제시해 주며, 셋째, 유료방송 사업자들과 PP 간 콘텐츠 사용료 협상에 대한 단초를 제공해 준다. This study investigates whether the use of N-screen service affects the use of Home TV service as a supplement or substitution. In this study, we collected 132 available survey answers from CJ Hellovision Tving users. We found supplement relationship between Tving and Home TV, which implies that the more use in Tving service, the use of Home TV increases as much as 36.4%. From the result, some meaningful implications were derived. First, a direction for content price negotiation between N-screen providers and terrestrial broadcasters can be suggested. Second, the result will provide a suggestion for establishing a competitive strategy between N-screen providers and Pay-TV providers. Third, this study may solve copyright dispute between content providers and pay TV operators.

Strking a Balance between Broadcasters and Pay TV Operators in Terrestrial Broadcast Retransmission Policy

현하의 지상파 재송신 문제에 대한 정책 개입의 본질은 전통적인 보편적 시청권 확보 목표와 새롭게 부상한 유효경쟁 환경 조성 목표 간의 균형점을 잡는 작업이다. 이 연구는 방송 시장의 유효경쟁 확보 관점에서 지상파 방송사와 유료방송 플랫폼사업자의 경제적 손익을 추정할 수 있는 요인 및 산식을 도출하는 한편, 실제적인 데이터를 활용하여 지상파 재송신으로 인한 지상파 방송사와 유료플 랫폼사업자 간의 이익형량을 시도하고자 한다. 이를 통해 최근 논란이 되고 있는 지상파방송 재송신 대가의 합리적 정산 방식 및 대가 수준을 제시함으로써 지상파 재송신 대가 분쟁과 관련한 정책 결정을 내리는 데 있어 하나의 판단 근거를 제공할 것이다. 나아가, 지상파 재송신 이익형량이 지상파 방송의 보편적 시청권 확보 목표와 연계되는 지점을 논의함으로써 향후 지상파 재송신 정책의 방향성을 제시할 것이다.