The television business is going through a moment of profound transformation, product of the new forms of consumption of audio-visual content by society. The figures are more than eloquent: advertising revenue barely increased 13% last year, three times below inflation.
In this context, pay-TV operators, telephone companies and entertainment companies work against the clock to develop their own streaming platforms. Also, companies that had never been involved in the sector.
Borders outside, Apple is a clear example of this transformation: final details to launch its own subscription service. In the same race is Disney, which in addition to producing (and buying everything you can) advances with its platform with all its battery of contents (Marvel included) to conquer the Internet TV market.
In Argentina, cable operators join the competition mainly with Movistar and Personal (Flow, from Cablevisión) based on very complete proposals, their own content and for all tastes.
Subscription television has 9.45 million accesses in the country and is present in almost 70 of every 100 homes. Meanwhile, there are more than a hundred online platforms in the local market, which together offer more than 20,000 movies, 5,000 series and 300 live signals, as pointed out by Business Bureau (BB).
The players are moving their pieces and the platforms take their places. Among them, a heavyweight appears: DirecTV and DirecTV Go, its own content streaming system that is already available to the company's customers.
"We seek to open the range. We understand that there is a greater variety of alternatives, spaces and places. That is why we want to offer television everywhere, always with the vision of incorporating new technologies to arrive with more efficient services and make life easier for people" , assures iProUP Francisco Barreto, VP of Public Affairs.
TV everywhere
According to a study by the Knack Argentina Agency, both "a la carte" TV and mobility generated greater content availability and changes in user habits, who adapted their routine to new entertainment offers. In this way, new situations and consumer motivations emerged.
On-demand entertainment allows consumers to choose the programming they want and the time to watch it. This is part of a trend that emerged almost a decade ago and intensified in the last five years.
In turn, this phenomenon was enhanced by "content mobility": users not only choose the "what" (look) and the "when" (do it), but also the "how". That is, if you want to access from a smartphone, tablet, notebook or TV.
From June 24, all DirecTV customers in Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay started to have access to the platform as part of the client package.
With a service that is already in operation in Chile and Colombia, streaming arrived in the country to expand the company's horizons, both for customers with monthly payment (postpaid) and those who pay only for the time they use (prepaid).
Like other alternatives in the segment, the application proposes on-demand content of the series, documentaries, live content and online movies, with a strong commitment to sports.
"DirecTV GO is available for free to all our postpaid and prepaid customers. The idea has been to continue complementing the entertainment offer with an option that adapts to their preferences and consumption habits," Laura Pereira, director of Marketing, tells iProUP Digital DirecTV Latin America.
To start using DirecTV GO, customers must register on the virtual self-service platform "MiDirecTV". Those who have a Premium FOX or HBO package will also have access to the programming from the app.
Any digital device compatible with Internet connection such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, Smart TVs, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV can be used.
Content Strategy
As part of the digital transformation, DirecTV is also betting on the production of content, a path that it has been developing for some time since the demands of the clients themselves. This strategy is also used by other platforms, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
"It is a growth opportunity that helps us position ourselves in content. In particular, in sports and movies," adds Barreto, adding that the availability of the Internet anywhere makes the content offer multiply.
In this sense, DirecTV actively participated in cinema as co-producer of several Argentine films: Koblic, with Ricardo Darín; The Red Thread with Benjamín Vicuña; Allowed, directed by Ariel Winograd; Gilda; Black Snow; Joel, Almost Legends and My Masterpiece, by Andrés and Gastón Duprat.
His latest release has been Todo por el juego, a fiction series exclusively for clients. The thriller, produced by the pay TV operator and Mediapro, consists of 8 chapters of 50 minutes. Each episode will remain on demand format to be seen as "marathons" on different screens.
"This production is an ideal complement for our subscribers, we seek to provide premium and exclusive content, anytime, anywhere," says Willard Tressel, General Manager of the OnDirecTV channel.
According to the executive, "the series will live up to some of the great productions we have presented before, such as Fargo, La casa del mar (original from DIRECTV), Versailles, Broadchurch, I know who you are or Victoria. All for the game too mix the best content with advanced technology, becoming our first original series in 4K UHD. "
"We see that this path is evolutionary. Although it accelerated now, it started a few years ago and we believe that the only constant is change," adds Barreto.
In his vision, this evolution aroused the interest of other operators, such as Facebook, Amazon or YouTube. "The firm limits of before were now blurring. We have transformed, we produce content and we are open to almost constant changes," he says.
Challenges of a demanding market
But not everything is color of roses. In tune with the new era of content and pluralization, where flexibility and quality service are the order of the day, an unknown character continues to worry producers and companies: piracy.
"Whenever technology advances, you have the challenge of respecting copyright and the investment made," Barreto explains. The latest experiences of leaks (such as the Avengers: Endgame box office) put a millionaire business at risk.
"It is estimated that in Latin America there are 90 million homes with TV and signal piracy is 30%. While streaming is not measured, there are many games of any sport that are viewed in apocryphal sites," adds the executive. In this context, it expresses that it requires the "commitment of all those who make up this ecosystem" and a fast and forceful legal action.
Looking forward to the next few years, from DirecTV they project a promising future, with players who will aggressively bet on good content and accessibility. In addition, he hopes that this competitiveness helps to generate better productions, with simpler tools so that the user can enjoy the best possible.
"The quality content, the experience of consumption, the alternatives of flexibility in the long run end up defining the market and that is our position", explains Barreto.
"We occupy a space in the life of the user and we want it to be enjoyable. We aim to return to find us, we have always moved in that line. For this to happen, the important thing is to stay agile, bold and always want to innovate", concludes
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