Broadcasters’ personalised advertising ambition held back by cloud concerns, says study

Four-fifths of broadcasters are looking at implementing personalised advertising, but are falling behind streaming services in doing so because they are hesitant about adopting cloud technologies, according to research carried out on behalf of technology provider Ateme. 

Ateme’s survey of TV and broadcast professionals in middle management positions or above found that 96% of broadcasters feel there is a demand from customers for more personalised services. Some 26% of broadcasters surveyed are currently looking into how to offer these services to customers.

Some 66% of broadcaster executives say they would consider moving to the cloud, while 28% have already done so. Cloud technology is currently being used by 60% of broadcasters, while of the broadcasters not currently doing virtual broadcasting, 70% said they will do so within a year. However, despite the use of cloud becoming more commonplace in broadcasting, 44% cited a perceived lack of control over their content as their biggest concern about this development.

“Our research found that more than half – 58% – of broadcasters are investing up to 20% of their budget in trialing new customer content or services as they prioritise personalisation to offer customers enhanced viewing experiences. By using technology and the data available to them to tap into this trend, traditional broadcasters will be able to create a tailor-made viewing experience and potentially open up new revenue streams,” said Remi Beaudouin, chief strategy officer, Ateme. 

“Cloud has been surrounded by many misconceptions over the years which have deterred broadcasters from adopting it. However, as broadcasters get to grips with the potential impact of cloud on their business and the services they are able to offer, we are seeing its adoption increase. Moving to the cloud will allow broadcasters to adopt new technologies and make more effective use of their data so that they can begin to offer the level of personalisation more often associated with streaming platforms and their algorithms.”