Don't Count Amazon Out; Three Reasons Why it Could Beat Netflix
With all of its resources, why isn't Amazon making more of an effort in the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market? That was the question put to a panel of experts at the recent Streaming Media West conference in sunny Huntington Beach, California. Perhaps people are judging too quickly, suggested Campbell Foster, director of product marketing, video solutions at Adobe.
"I think that Amazon has three huge things going for it when it's playing in video," Foster said. "I think the first is that they tend to play the long game, so they look out 5 to 10 years. They're not looking at the next couple of quarters. They're saying 'In 10 years, here's where we want to be.' That's what they did in books, that's what they did in the marketplace, that's what they're doing in SaaS right now."
Amazon also has the resources to pull off exclusive content deals.
"They're very well capitalized. They have very deep pockets. With these content deals that are extremely expensive, they will pony up," Foster continued. "They also have access to lawyers because they have so much capital, which you need when you're in the content game."
Finally, Amazon knows what customers like, because it's been selling media for many years now.
"Three, which is the biggest asset that Amazon has, is access to user data, information about behavioral patterns based on what consumers are doing elsewhere on their site," Foster said. "If they get their act together and incorporate that user data into the UI with recommendations and personalization, I think it could be a really killer product. "
The real hurdle, Foster concluded, is that no one is sure whether or not Amazon is truly committed to the SVOD space.
For more on the OTT video market and TV Everywhere, watch the full discussion below.
The State of Over-The-Top Video and TV Everywhere Rollouts
Despite the success of standout services including Netflix and Hulu, it’s generally been slow going for OTT and TV Everywhere in making consumer-desired TV programming widely available online. This panel reviews the state of OTT and TVE rollouts, examines the reasons behind the “slow going,” and explores how tech and business friction issues are being addressed. Learn what the OTT prospects are for TV incumbents vs. online enterprises such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Intel.
Moderator: Bill Niemeyer, Senior Analyst, TDG Research
Speaker: Brian Jaquet, Director, Marketing and Communications, Sling Media
Speaker: David Schlacht, Senior Director, Technology Ventures, DirecTV
Speaker: Campbell Foster, Director of Product Marketing, Video Solutions, Adobe
Speaker: Kurt Hoppe, Director, Smart TV Innovation and New Business, LG Electronics
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