Last month, we were travelling again. While one of us went to Singapore to attend BroadcastAsia, the other met with the Discovery team in France during the French Open to find out more about the companys increasing investment in sports and its increasing foray into the MENA region. The conferences at BroadcastAsia have always fascinated […]
Last month, we were travelling again. While one of us went to Singapore to attend BroadcastAsia, the other met with the Discovery team in France during the French Open to find out more about the companys increasing investment in sports and its increasing foray into the MENA region.
The conferences at BroadcastAsia have always fascinated me, but one particular session is especially worth mentioning. We go on and on about piracy and often follow traditional routes to cut out the pirates. We go through so much red tape to take action against them, and lo and behold, two days later they are back in another avatar to continue with their business.
This can be frustrating for legitimate operations. I heard from three international players at BroadcastAsia who had actually used pirated platforms to their benefit by advertising on them and directing viewers back to legitimate sites, and even working with them in ways that helped the content owners to retrieve their investment. Is there an opportunity here that we have not explored? I dont know how they did it, but I am keen to find out more.
Closer to home, it may look like everything has gone quiet because of Ramadan, but I assure you that this is just the calm before the storm. Theres a great deal brewing in the background. We know for certain that there is going to be greater momentum on the pay TV side come September, with some launches that will put pressure on existing players.
Speaking of pay TV, we will indeed miss the man who took OSN to greater heights since he arrived in Dubai in 2010. David Butorac left OSN last month, and we wish him well. Until next month, Eid Mubarak to all of you!