In New York, the top broadcast media industry leaders gathered at the Harvard Club to attend Forecast 2023. On the same day in London, three Informa Tech properties gathered to host the inaugural Media and Entertainment Leaders Summit (MELS).
Some 250 media, tech and entertainment changemakers were there for a day-long event, designed “to incubate what it takes to win at the critical intersection of content, technology and strategy.”
Omdia, Digital TV Europe and Television Business International saw attendees gather insight and ideas on topics such as FAST channels, the future of sports, live-streaming, production, TV-as-an-app, and super-aggregation.
The event will return in 2023.
Omdia Senior Research Director Maria Rua Aguete provided opening remarks at MELS, revealing TikTok as the most popular social media platform for streaming video, which RBR+TVBR previously reported.
That said, it’s worth repeating that online video advertising is projected to generate over $331 billion in 2027, twice as much revenue than TV advertising.
But, TikTok ad revenues will be higher than Meta and YouTube’s combined video ad revenues in 2027, and online video (including YouTube, Meta and TikTok) will be worth 20% more than traditional TV ads by 2027.
STARZPLAY CEO Maaz Sheikh offered a keynote at the daylong summit, demonstrating the platform’s growth in the Middle East and, in particular, in Pakistan.
Other speakers included Patrick Holland (CEO, Banijay UK), Jean-Baptiste Casta (Head of Strategy & Business Operations, Eurovision Sports), Deep Bagchee (Chief Product Officer, ITV), Jean-David Blanc (President, Molotov), Akhila Khanna (VP, Partnerships and Business Development, UK, Paramount), Laura Chaibi (Director of Ad Marketing and Insights – International, Roku), Caroline Cooper (COO, Sky Studios), Yannis Ioannidis (Head of Global IP Rights, TikTok/ByteDance), Bea Hegedus (Executive Managing Director, Distribution, Vice Media Group), and David Bouchier (Chief TV and Entertainment Officer, Virgin Media).
Aguete commented, “The aim of the Media and Entertainment Leaders Summit was to bring in the room thought leaders across the M&E industry in an intimate event that allowed them to share ideas and connect between them.”
MELS was bookended by the Content Innovation Awards (CIAs) taking place the night preceding the summit and the VideoTech Innovation Awards (VIAs) taking place the night of the summit, both also at the Church House Westminster.
Comcast Technology Solutions, Verimatrix, Media Distillery, JW Player and more were winners at Digital TV Europe’s VideoTech Innovation Awards (VIA). Launched in 2019, the VIAs program recognizes innovation and achievement in video distribution and the underlying technology platforms that enable it.
All sessions from the 2022 Media and Entertainment Leaders Summit can continue to be viewed online; all those interested in virtual passes can still register online at https://tmt.knect365.com/
