Executive Director, Management Director of media assets “Rostelecom” ANDREW COLD explained to the reporter BG MARIA Anastasyeva why the direction of video and TV services is strategically important for the company. And also said that they prefer to watch television viewers in our country.
BUSINESS GUIDE: How to change consumer habits and ways of consuming TV and video content over the last five years? What has become important to today’s audiences, unlike previous generations of viewers?
ANDREW COLD: There are three main trend. The first – the growth of looking on the internet, which is pretty fast replacing conventional home watching on TV. Hence the second trend: consumers refuse from watching TV schedule and watch the content when it suits them. Now, nobody is willing to 21:00 to see the news. And sitcoms, people are increasingly looking to the Internet. Many pay-TV operators have responded to this trend and introduced a service “time management”. The third trend concerns of on what are now watching TV and videos – is increasingly smart phones and tablets. All was skeptical, but viewing the video on the screens of smartphones is growing exploding.
BG: Which TV and video projects implemented “Rostelecom”, what results have been achieved?
A. H.: We have foreseen changes in consumer preferences and ahead of the curve to develop her own media products. Appeared our multimedia portal Zabava.ru. Now with the help of on-line or in the recording, you can watch more than 100 channels on computers or tablets. Also launched a new version of “Interactive TV”: now all over the country with our customers have access to 190 TV channels (also online or in writing). The audience really appreciated these opportunities: today it is one-third the subscriber watches TV when it is convenient.
BG: What kind of TV and video content is most popular in Russia? What place in this list is sport?
A. H.: The picture can be understood by looking at the ratings TNS. While dominated by air channels and their content. What look? News, domestic sitcoms and shows. If we talk about non-terrestrial TV, the leading children’s channels, behind them – movies, then educational. Sport can not be named driver of viewership, as is the case in many countries of Europe and America. The reason is that almost all of the sports activities go on free terrestrial channels. In general interest “to the sport in general” is not very large. There are large peaks in important matches, notably with the Russian team. Of course, there will be huge ratings of the opening and closing Olympic Games, as well as the competition with a greater chance of success of Russian athletes. But the ratings of ski jumping will be low.
BG: What opportunities are watching sporting events will be in the audience during the Olympic Games in Sochi? What role in the realization of these opportunities is playing “Rostelecom”?
A. H.: As part of the “Interactive TV” and will appear on our site Zabava.ru special sections dedicated to the Olympic Games in Sochi. Our task – to give the opportunity to watch all the competitions everywhere (at home, in the office, on the road) and on any devices (TVs, computers, tablets, smartphones).
BG: Is the direction of TV and video in the important business of “Rostelecom”? Why?
A. H.: For our company, it is a strategic direction. The market is growing by tens of percent a year. Consumers have already tasted the benefits of interactive television and want even more, so the demand for additional services (different theme or interest-TV packages, premium and HD-packs, VOD, etc.). Our subscribers are very positive about the changes and the development of our media projects. Over the past three years, the subscriber base has increased nearly tenfold, and ARPU for the same period increased by more than two times (compare mobile market: there with the number of users increase revenue per user decreases).
BG: What is the future of such services? What trends are already visible, as will change TV and video consumption?
A. H.: Television finally will join the World Wide Web. It’s just a matter of time – by the way, is not so far. I think even the word “television” lose weight and its former status. Will watching videos (online or in writing), and on which device – on a TV or on a smartphone – it will be the second time. Social networks generate more relevant and useful content than passive TV watching, which is still dominant, but rapidly shrinking.
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