CTV: How Connected TV can drive engagement & lifetime value for OTT

CTV (connected TV) has the capability to change viewer behaviour, drive engagement and increase lifetime value for OTT operators. In this blog, we explore how.

Online video streaming services have revolutionised how we all watch TV and movies. In the early days, marketing around these services focused heavily on the idea of cord-cutting, the freedom to watch what you want, when you want and wherever you are. You were no longer tied to the TV or house; you could catch up and stream your TV shows and movies on mobile devices anywhere. And although we all can watch ‘on the go’ (and most do), it hasn’t changed the fact we still enjoy the traditional TV experience. 

Consuming streaming video via TV was limited early on. As such, secondary streaming devices (gaming console, Chromecast, set-top boxes) were an easy add-on to access the latest apps without upgrading your TV. But, the user experience had friction and made the TV the secondary interface to content discovery; the TV was there purely to display the streaming video.

We’re now seeing major TV manufacturers take back ownership to remain the centre of home entertainment and content discovery. Samsung and LG are leading the market share with the next generation of connected TVs (48% in 2021 by revenue). In fact, according to Conviva’s state of streaming Q4 report 2021, big-screen viewing on smart TVs was up 37% from Q4 2020. And the report also highlighted a noticeable decrease in viewing from secondary streaming devices (games consoles, for example, saw a -16% reduction in viewing), confirming a change in behaviour as viewers opt for built-in capabilities.

How do Connected TV Applications change consumer behaviour?

Expanding the availability of streaming services to connected TV devices impacts how users engage with a streaming service and content. At Magine Pro, we enable our partners to expand to the big screen with streaming applications for LG & Samsung devices. Based on an analysis of our partner data, here are some insights into the impact connected tv applications have on user behaviour.

• Increasing viewing time & engagement – Analysis of a Magine Pro’s partner 2021 data shows that users with an LG/Samsung TV watched on average between 19% and 54% more hours of video, compared to users that didn’t watch on those devices (this range is likely due to type of service, some seasonality impacts and other factors).
• Therefore it’s not surprising that with an increase in user engagement and viewed hours per user, we’re also seeing a 12%-14% increase in the customer lifetime of the same user cohort that views content on LG & Samsung devices.
• The overall data also shows that total viewed hours across all users on LG & Samsung also increased by +7%.
• Increase Audience Reach – With LG and Samsung taking 48% revenue market share of TV devices in 2021, it’s no surprise that adding Apps to these TV devices will give you a much larger audience reach as they become de-facto TV’s in the home.

Magine Pro’s premium Applications for Samsung & LG Smart TV Devices

Magine Pro has developed premium streaming applications for Samsung & LG Smart TV Devices for the last six years, allowing our video streaming services to reach audiences globally through custom applications. 

Our partners that operate Magine Pro built video streaming services, including big-screen applications, benefit from:

• Access to Magine Pro’s CMS Console, enabling partners to independently curate and publish content, make application configuration changes, apply branding and design to their service and more.
• Support for movies, series and episodes, and live events with ‘Continue Watching’ and ‘My Watchlist’ across user accounts. 
• Custom menus & setup per TV Manufacturer.
• Support for multiple stereo, 5.1 & subtitling tracks allowing for language localisation.
• Geo-targeting of content, enabling our partners to determine releases in each country.
• Complete language localisation allows viewers to consume the service in their local language.
• Analytics, allowing for insights on service consumption on all applications.

Get in touch if you want to find out more about our connected TV portfolio, which is fast to release, and where Magine Pro takes care of all of the software updates, bug fixes and new product features. 

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To learn more about Magine Pro’s video streaming services that are accessible via the web, mobile devices and Connected TVs get in touch. You can also head over to our experience page to find out more about our partners. And sign up for our newsletter to get updates on our latest news, partners and blog post.

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