Virtual Screenings Worldwide: The Digital Future is not how you imagined it

Today we might add that the event works also as a trend-setter. The screenings of the buyers this time are not like in previous VS events, because of the influence of strong new OTT players. The digital picture has new stories to tell.

When 3-4 years ago it was imagined the OTT future, most of the analysts spoke about big studio mergers and own platform launches, defining a market with 7-8 (at the most) giant global players controlling almost everything. This is the picture we see in many countries of the Americas and Europe, but in Asia and MENA the markets are led by local players, many of them medium sized and very recent companies. 

These players lead one or a couple of markets each, and have different programing needs. So, when they attend events as VS Worldwide, the demand is more and more fragmented. In Asia, 8 per 10 leading OTT players are emergent indies: Viu, Hooq, Iflix, etc. In MENA, any media company may now turn to a digital platform and have success. Two years ago the pan-regional MBC was the main player, today you have HilalPlay, NoorPlay, Shofha App, etc -see many at the Graphic 2. 

At the attached VS graphics we can figure the trend taking shape. About the type of buyers doing screenings at VS Worldwide -Graphic 3- the OTT segment grew various share points vs. broadcasters and Pay TV networks. The regional players, too. At the two Top 15 rankings -Graphic 5- there is for the first time a supremacy of Asian contents, when in previous VS events was rare to see them within the Top 10. Former pay TV genres as kids & family, detective, historical series, documentaries, docurealities, now can take ‘primetime’ positions at the rankings. 

The graphic 4 shows the percent of visits to the different VS sections. Compared to previous VS events, VS Next continues growing because it tells brand new trends, but also VS News -first time- and VS Figures are upper in the share. Buyers now need to study better the markets and select more than in the past their contents. We evolve to a hyper-fragmentation market, from any genre you can find 2-3 new options. The future is not written, everything is possible.

Nicolás Smirnoff and Fabricio Ferrara