Broadcast content is still king

Digital Spy carried out a survey of 3000 UK consumers this week highlighting that 75 per cent still prefer to watch broadcast content live. With broadcast content still king, what does the future hold for more interactive TV services, such as on-demand content?

Whilst on-demand content is increasing in popularity as it offers viewers the chance to watch what they want when they want, broadcast programmes will always have a place in our living rooms. Viewers will always want to experience and share important events in real time but increasingly, viewers are multitasking whilst watching the TV.

Now, advances in TV technology are giving viewers the opportunity to interact directly with this content using phones, tablets and the TV itself. Social media is already being used by viewers to enhance their viewing experience, and broadcasters are responding to this, with Twitter hashtags becoming more prominent during programmes. There is a real opportunity for the TV industry here. But you can’t just transfer the PC browsing experience to the TV, it’s essential that both broadcast and broadband content are developed together to provide a seamless viewing experience.

By Simon Woodward, CEO of digital TV specialist ANT Software