» A viewer who assembles their own mix of drama, sport, podcasts and live events is telling you far more than a panel demographic ever could «
“The video feed can remain the hero, but with optional layers that each viewer can explore if they wish,” says Kjetil Horneland, CEO of Ease Live. “Red Bull TV’s Premier Padel coverage combines live match statistics with polls, highlight voting and short ‘playbook’ videos explaining rules and tactics, serving existing fans and people discovering the sport alike. “And Rally.TV uses interactivity to solve a problem specific to the sport. Rally action unfolds across several cars, stages and split points simultaneously, which is difficult to communicate through video alone. So the experience lets viewers track cars, follow live split times, compare drivers and monitor classifications in real time.” The key, adds Horneland, is to give viewers control while retaining the
storytelling and sense of occasion that distinguish a professionally produced broadcast. If every option feels like part of a single experience, viewers need never leave your service and you need never lose their eyeballs. The ability to deliver a flexible experience often comes down to asset management. “You need to produce once and version automatically, with a single live production feeding the main output, the alternative angles, a vertical cut for social, a clip feed and a localised commentary track,” says Hasson.
“What makes that possible is what you captured in the first place. Bring back one finished programme feed and there’s nothing downstream that can rescue you. Capture everything and index it as it arrives and each additional output costs close to nothing to make.” For many viewers, the biggest issue is finding something to watch. “Everyone talks about personalisation as though the answer is infinite choice, but it’s the opposite,” says Josh Harrington, head of sales at Simplestream. “Most viewers don’t want more choice. They want less effort.” “In the UK, 42% of viewers say picking something often takes longer than watching it,” says Giles Tongue, VP of marketing at Bango. “So platforms need to make discovery feel effortless. Better recommendations, clearer navigation and more intuitive personalisation should help viewers find something they’ll genuinely enjoy, rather than forcing them to browse endlessly.” Interfaces are often designed the wrong way, believes James Kirkham, founder of ICONIC. “Most are designed for browsing files, with a homepage built like a shop, when it should be like a friend who knows what you’re in for tonight. And it’s
SECOND SCREEN Stingr (above) synchronises viewers’ phones with a broadcaster’s programmes in real time. Ease Live (top) overlays interactive content
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