SPI International: Smart Channels launch was inspired by “general choice fatigue”

SPI International, chief marketing officer, Haymi Behar revealed the recent launch of Filmbox+ Smart Channels was inspired to tackle the “general choice fatigue” among streaming service users.

The Canal+ owned SPI International unveiled the new innovation of fully digital channels for its streaming service FilmBox+ in February.

Haymi Behar

Alongside FilmBox+’s VOD catalogue and linear channels, subscribers can stream smart channels that are genre-specific or dedicated to particular content, actors or directors. Its smart channels include genre-specific services such as FilmBox Kids, FilmBox Comedy, FilmBox Crime, FilmBox Horror and vertical movie channels.

“We believe that the future is definitely hybrid. We believe that the lean back approach of having channels in digital platforms is very valuable and a great way of consuming content,” he said.

“We are taking back the value and easiness of the linear channels easiness to just zap through. “It’s what inspired us to create playlists like channels, which are programmed carefully based on the good curation and the requests of the audience.”

Smart Channels has since launched across a number of territories including, Europe, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and more.

Operating with multiple partners across multiple territories, the SPI chief explains each market requires a different strategy that is proactive in generating revenue for the group as well as its local operators.

“Every market is different because every market is in a different stage of media consumption,” he said. “Every market has its own niche behaviors or preferences.”

He added, “In some markets, free to air TV is more important than others. In some other markets, there’s cord cutting, but in others cable TV or IPTV or pay TV is actually still in the growth stage.”

SPI being one of the early players in the FAST market, commenting on the growth of the market and emerging operators Behar explained: “I have to say that the fast channel producers, and platforms who are running those channels will need to adapt to the established requests of the marketeers on the advertising side. This means the metrics, the return on investments, the access the access to understanding who is viewing these ads? Or how to target better advertising to the relevant audience? So the FAST market needs to build correct data and accessibility to get more advertisers dollars.”