Content is king, but engagement wins it all.

When viewers would rather subscribe to your SVOD service through a third-party, how can you make them an offer they can’t refuse?

I get this question often. “What’s the difference between offshore and nearshore? Isn’t one just closer?” In a word, Yes. But the impact of that proximity can have a major impact across a multitude of project delivery challenges. So here is a simple comparison that more and more buyers of these services are seeing first hand.

They say history tends to repeat itself and just like what it did to music, digital has completely transformed the TV industry. But rather than heed the warning signs, listen to frustrated consumers or embrace new models enabled by technology, TV networks were more concerned with negotiating favorable affiliate contracts, not upsetting the MVPDs (multichannel video programming distributors) such as Comcast or Charter, and preserving the status quo. It was comfortable. It was how business has always been done.

Whether or not you believe the future of TV is OTT (Over the Top, as in no cable box), having a solid strategy and solution that captures this continuing trend is paramount to any business that uses video or sees the overwhelming potential. It’s become common for consumers to “cut-the-cord” and give up cable TV and opt for SVOD services such as Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Now.

During the television industry’s “Post-network era” we witnessed the dominance of the big three networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC deteriorate. Cable companies began to offer subscribers in the United States content “bundles” that included a variety of new and exciting networks at once economical rates. Finally there was choice, and plenty of it.

Can anybody out there explain what exactly is going on out there in the world of OTT/TVE/IPTV/SVOD?