10 Outlook on the media industry in the new year

10 Outlook on the media industry in the new year

Peter Csathy is the president of CREATV Media, a media and media consultant and author of "Media 2.0 (18): An Inside Guide to Digital Media Today and Where Things Go".

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Ten predictions for digital media in 2018

Netflix must be afraid of the Disney OTT game

It was 2018 years of massive mergers and acquisitions, with AT & T / Time Warner, Disney / Fox and Comcast / Sky. #MeToo led the headlines, and the passion for board discussions about Hollywood and beyond was fear ... a lot of fear in our world of technology from the media and entertainment (and the world itself).

So what do you expect in 2019?

Here are some stories that will make the entertainment world next year and pave the way for twenty years of the media industry.

Prediction # 1 - The blood flow continues in an unrelenting battle between the leading OTT video giants, where Apple and Disney join the video sharing and add to the epic attack on Netflix. In the middle of it all, smaller "specialist" players find their individual voices that attract Vandum and wider Tzila, or risk being marginalized and swallowed up by their strategic investors (for a fraction of what they would have ordered two years back).

The originals are still the primary weapon used in the live streaming interface of subscription videos, the expansion of the new "golden age" for media creators and increased development and production costs associated with content (including price tags for the A-list talent). VTC's competitors are increasingly using the Internet on a massive and defensive level, such as Disney's retention of the Netflix crown awards (Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, Princesses, X-Men and Avatar). Netflix, like its investors, feels heat, as the team of Netflix-Killers puts increasing pressure on its pure business model.

At the same time, the new expanded list of virtual distributors (distributors of multi-channel video programs) identifies their initial disadvantages, provides consumers with a real competitive option, and accelerates further cutting of the consumer cord. While we started 2016 through 2-3 real and viable options in the United States for direct television, as of 2019, consumers can now reach nearly 10 (Cable, Satellite, Hulu Live, YouTube TV, DirecTV Now, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, fuboTV, etc.). Even in these national times, let's not forget the world's great players like Tencent, Alibaba or Baidu's iQIYI, which were published in US markets last year.

In the midst of this battle of video giants, many "specialized" or provincial-focused video players either quickly find their uniquely exciting voice, build a multi-currency brand that defends morale, or simply gets lost in noise.

FILE - On June 27, 2015, the image of the Hulu logo file appears on a window in New York's Milk Studios area. Hulu said on Monday August 8, 2016, that the company was dropping free TV episodes, which were initially known for launching a copper package of television broadcasts. (AP Photo / Dan Goodman, File)

Prediction 2. Mergers and acquisitions that rely on the media continue to dominate today in all sectors. On the video side, both traditional and poorly performing media companies and new media companies suffer from the underdeveloped OTT video sector and become logical targets for mergers and acquisitions.

M & A is a feature of digital multi-platform digital media and entertainment. Just as AT & T closed its acquisition of Time Warner ($ 85 billion), Disney responded to Comcast to acquire Fox Entertainment assets in 2018 ($ 71.3 billion). Comcast signed again and got Sky ( ($ 39 billion). SiriusXM acquired the remaining 81% of Pandora, which it did not already own ($ 3.5 billion), expected larger deals in 2019, as well as a number of smaller but still significant deals. Viacom / CBS is a potential candidate.

And not just within the borders of the United States. There is no virtual wall in the new media world without borders, which means that the pace of mergers and acquisitions will accelerate at the international level as well. Remember that the Comcast / Sky deal represents a great US ambition to expand dramatically in several European regions. Many giants around the world are hoping to expand their views to places that have never been seen before.

To be clear, not all mergers and acquisitions will flow from weakness. Sometimes, the numbers displayed are simply too high to be rejected. But do not make mistakes. Weakness and abundance