HBBTV SYMPOSIUM 2022 TO FOCUS ON TARGETED ADVERTISING, DVB-I AND NEW HBBTV SERVICES

The HbbTV Association, a global initiative dedicated to providing open standards for advanced interactive TV services through broadcast and broadband networks to connected TV sets and set-top boxes, is pleased to announce the conference programme of the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2022. The annual key summit of the connected TV industry will take place on November 9-10 in Prague, co-hosted with the Czech Association of Commercial Television (AKTV).

The conference will be opened by HbbTV Chairman Vincent Grivet (representing Eutelsat) and AKTV President Jan Vlček (TV Nova), followed by a global TV market review by Paul Gray (Omdia). The first two panels will focus on HbbTV developments in the Czech Republic and monetisation opportunities with Targeted Advertising and Addressable TV. The essential role HbbTV can play in the ecosystem of the new DVB-I standard will be discussed in another key session.

The second day will open with a “state of the nation” speech by HbbTV Chair Vincent Grivet and an update on the latest developments and activities regarding the HbbTV specifications by HbbTV Vice-Chair Jon Piesing (TP Vision). New HbbTV services will be presented in the following panel while a round table will discuss the important topics of conformance management, certification and interoperability. The latest market developments in the US and a focus on technology trends will conclude the conference.

“We are proud about the exciting conference agenda, covering all key market developments and future trends, with an excellent line-up of top-level speakers. A special focus will be on Central and Eastern European countries, reflecting the important role and increasing significance of the HbbTV standard, while opening up growth opportunities for existing and new market players,” said Vincent Grivet, Chair of the HbbTV Association.

Jan Vlček, President of AKTV and CEO of Nova Group, added: “The HbbTV technology perfectly combines the capabilities of the internet and linear broadcasting, opening doors to a completely new TV experience. At the same time, it offers a broad and unique scope not only in terms of breaking news but also in terms of business and advertising. It is a great challenge for us to push the boundaries further and to be a pioneer of this technology in the Czech Republic. I am therefore very proud that the 10th year of the Symposium is being held in Prague and I look forward to the future that HbbTV will bring us.”

The HbbTV Symposium 2022 will also host the 5th edition of the HbbTV Awards, featuring a wide range of categories designed to acclaim best practice and excellence in the HbbTV community. The connected TV industry’s most highly acclaimed recognition will be awarded at a prestigious ceremony in the evening of the 1st conference day, November 9.

Details on the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2022, the event venue, recommended hotels, sponsors and media partners can be found at https://www.hbbtv.org/10th-hbbtv-symposium-and-awards-2022/.

Contact HbbTV Association:
Angelo Pettazzi
Chair HbbTV Marketing and Education Working Group (MEWG)
email: angelo.pettazzi@kineton.it
Tel: +39.335.7614.596

Press Contact:
Thomas Fuchs
Fuchs Media Consult GmbH
email: tfuchs@fuchsmc.com
Tel: +49 171 4483 168

APA, ASAF, TELEVISION NOVA AND PRIMA CONCLUDED A MEMORANDUM

Representatives of the APA, ASAF, TV Nova and FTV Prima signed a Memorandum on further joint action following the implementation of the European Audiovisual Services Directive.

The APA (Association of Producers in Audiovisual), ASAF (Animation Association), TV Nova and FTV Prima signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” on Friday 23 September at the Serial Killer International TV and Online Series Festival. Namely, APA Chairman Vratislav Šlajer and APA Board Member Filip Bobinski, ASAF Board Chairman Martin Kotík, ASAF Vice-Chairman Marek Toušek, Nova CEO Klára Brachtlová and Prima CEO Marek Singer declared further joint action following the implementation of the European Audiovisual Services Directive in the interest of the development of the Czech audiovisual market.

The participants of the memorandum stated that they defend the best interests of Czech audiovisual industry, the rich audiovisual cultural offer for the Czech audience, the international competitiveness of Czech audiovisual industry and the related strengthening of the Czech Republic’s reputation abroad. They are thus aware that a diverse cultural offer is only possible in a diverse and free market where competition between creators, independent producers and broadcasters meets.

The Memorandum is the result of ongoing negotiations between the above-mentioned bodies, which began during the process of implementing the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). It also expresses an interest in moving forward together and co-creating the terms of the legislative framework. All stakeholders welcome the planned extension of grant support for the production of cinematographic works by the State Cinematography Fund to the production of audiovisual works intended primarily for television broadcasting and VOD services and call for ensuring the stability of the system of film incentives. They are also interested in maintaining the dual system of television broadcasters.

Among other things, the AVMSD prescribes that the Member States of the European Union set certain minimum quotas for the content of independent producers or producers included in the programming of broadcasters and VOD platform operators. The participants in the Memorandum wish to find consensus on a uniform interpretation of the term ‘independent producer’. They thus agreed to make efforts to find a consensus on the definition of producers independent of broadcasters. In doing so, they will take into account criteria such as the ownership of the production company, the number of programmes provided to the same broadcaster and the ownership of secondary rights, i.e. that the independent producer owns part of the rights to use the audiovisual work or shares in the revenues from its use, in relation to his contribution to the creation of the work.

They also undertook to negotiate in good faith and to conclude within six months at the latest an extended Memorandum of Understanding setting out the minimum conditions under which a work produced in collaboration between a broadcaster and a producer will be considered a ‘work produced by an independent producer’ within the meaning of the AVMSD. These conditions will be updated at least once a year in the light of market developments.

The agreement also includes a commitment to cooperate in the preparation of legislation on important issues for the entire domestic audiovisual industry, namely: non-discriminatory setting of conditions for contributions of VOD platforms to the State Cinematography Fund (or direct investment in Czech audiovisual content), transformation of the SFK and setting non-discriminatory and effective rules for the provision of film incentives.

Source: mediaguru.cz

DESPITE THE GROWTH OF VOD LINEAR TV IS STILL CRUCIAL

Linear TV is still a key source of revenue and profits for broadcasters despite the rise of video-on-demand (VOD) services. This was one of the key topics of  Innovation Day conference.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) will continue to support the free-to-air digital terrestrial broadcasting (DTT) platform beyond 2030. Miloš Mastník, general director of Czech Radiocommunications (CRA), said this at Innovation Day conference. The future of DTT to be decided next year at the WRC 2023 conference in Geneva, which will give a hint as to whether DTT broadcasters will be able to use their existing frequency spectrum. CRA CEO Mastnik is confident that DTT broadcasting has a future beyond 2030. This is due to the current economic development, which will create a society-wide interest in maintaining DTT due to its free availability.

DTT broadcasting is still the most widespread form of TV signal reception in the Czech Republic. It is used by 54% of Czech households, and the penetration of DTT platforms has been relatively stable over time. The second strongest is IPTV reception, which has grown to 26% over the last years, on the other hand, the share of households using satellite broadcasting is decreasing (to 17.5%). In the second quarter of this year, the share of cable broadcasting increased to 13% (see chart below for more).

According to the CEO, Czech Radiokomunikace wants to further develop free-to-air DTT, but at the same time it is also seeking to develop other platforms such as HbbTV (currently 1.3 million TVs connected to HbbTV are registered) and OTT. “We are working on a paid content project and discussing the establishment of a national platform,” Miloš Mastník outlined the possibilities of developing paid content in DTT broadcasting.  However, discussions are only at the beginning, he said. Alongside this, the CRAs also have hopes for 5G broadcasting, which they have been testing since this spring and which is expected to bring benefits for TV broadcasting on mobile devices. The 5G testing is expected to expand to even more transmitters. The CRA also want to focus on the development of DAB+ digital radio broadcasting.

According to CRA’s director of regulatory affairs, Marcel Prochazka, linear TV broadcasting is a key source of revenue for broadcasters from a commercial perspective. Video-on-demand services (VOD, Netflix and others) are negatively affected by rising consumer prices, with VOD growth stalling in some Western markets, he said. This is also why some providers are trying to build advertising sales into their models to make the service cheaper for subscribers. “We are seeing an increase in AVOD services that are supported by advertising. They’re being talked about by Disney or Netflix, who are also considering their own linear free-to-air channels that will be ad-supported, which is similar to the kind of TV we know today,” Procházka said. In addition, he said the financial results show that revenues and even operating margins from linear TV broadcasting are still growing, while operating margins for internet VOD services are also negative.

Source: mediaguru.cz

ADVERTISING INVESTMENT IN MEDIA HOLDS DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH FOR EIGHT MONTHS

All monitored media types showed year-on-year growth in monitored media investment in this year’s eighth month. To date, advertising investment in media is up 12 per cent on last year.

In the first eight months of this year, monitored advertising investment in media has increased by 12 per cent year-on-year. Television is the strongest by volume of the monitored media. Outdoor advertising showing the highest year-on-year growth this year. This is according to data from Nielsen Admosphere’s AdIntel monitoring.

The monitoring data also confirms a slowdown in growth during the summer holidays, although all monitored media were in growth in August compared to July.

Source: Nielsen Admosphere

Investment in Internet advertising does not appear in the summary of monitored investments, and this is because the Internet is represented in the monitoring only by some formats and thus does not cover the complete Internet advertising spending. However, the AdMonitoring project shows that the year-on-year development of banner advertising on the Internet this year is also higher than for the period January to August last year.

Please note that the monitored investments do not correspond to the actual investments that flow into the media for buying advertising. However, they do indicate a trend.

Source: mediaguru.cz

WHAT DOES THE RISE IN ENERGY PRICES MEAN FOR THE BROADCAST INDUSTRY?

TVBEurope speaks to a number of vendors to find out how they are preparing for the price rises, and what impact they think it will have on the broadcast industry as a whole.

Amid reports the new UK prime minister is planning to freeze the energy price cap for domestic customers, there is no news on what businesses will face in the coming months. It’s been reported that some business are facing rises of between 60 to 300 per cent on their energy bills. The broadcast industry will be one of the areas where the price rises will have a significant impact. From broadcasters producing or storing content in the cloud or on-prem, to a manufacturers creating new hardware, to studios employing virtual production, they all need energy.

TVBEurope spoke to a number of vendors to find out how they are preparing for the price rises, and what impact they think it will have on the broadcast industry as a whole.

How is the energy price increase likely to impact your business?

Andrew Culley, chief operating officer, dock 10

As a fully integrated and highly technical facility electricity is a significant cost in running our business.  With the exceptional price increases that continue to be imposed those costs are rising exponentially.

Marc Wilson, Glensound managing director

The increase in energy pricing will affect every part of our business given the day-to-day gas and electricity required for our four buildings, not least the air conditioning units which have always cost a lot to run. This is especially true in our surface mount room where our circuit board oven always heats the room so it needs to be cooled down again! We have several machines that run most of the night and across the weekend, so we will feel the rise as we are a relatively high-energy user. Glensound doesn’t have any particularly high energy usage products and we have always been careful to ensure that consumption with our products remains low as many operate from 12V battery or PoE switches, but we will certainly have to consider this even more moving forward.

Chris Perkiss, head of operations, Cerberus Tech

Like all businesses, the impact of the energy price hike on our overheads will not be insignificant. The issue that is most stark for me, is that whilst all businesses are set to feel the impact in some form or another, the same is true for the individuals that make up our businesses. Our staff are our biggest asset and the huge increases in personal outgoings, not just energy prices, is affecting everyone at home as well as at work. This will undoubtedly cause a great deal of stress and uncertainty, during what has been a very uncertain time anyway. So we’re committed to ensuring that Cerberus Tech is not adding to that uncertainty.

Do you have any plans in place to lessen the impact?

AC: Before the energy crisis we had been working on a programme of activities to reduce our electricity usage. We will be reducing our carbon footprint by 5 per cent each year, becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2025 and offsetting any imbalance immediately. We are reviewing all the of the kit we use to see where we can upgrade for more energy efficient alternatives. A good example is the virtual studio where we use low-powered LED lighting. Even the most basic actions of switching off the lights in studios when not is use can make a big difference.

MW: Like most domestic homes, there will be an emphasis on warmer clothing rather than turning the thermostat up this winter! The manufacturing energy is concentrated in areas that we cannot compromise on so we will still have to use these in the same way as we do now – even with the increased costs.

CP: Our staff predominantly work remotely and, in line with our Environmental and Sustainability Policy, the vast majority of our lab and testing equipment is switched off unless it is being used. As a result our office energy usage is already relatively low. Whilst Cerberus Tech has always had a remote workforce, the pandemic has proven that our team’s productivity is maintained with reduced office presence. Therefore, we are starting to explore options to downsize our office commitment or perhaps transition to a fully remote model in the next 12 months, as an overall cost-reducing exercise. There are obviously other operational challenges associated with these changes, but it seems that the theme of the 2020s is striking a balance.

What impact do you think the increase will have on the UK’s broadcast industry as a whole?

AC: Like any business in the UK, the current energy crisis is going to be an issue for everybody, and the broadcast industry is no different. Whatever we are doing in television requires electricity and energy saving can only go so far. I know this will be a huge issue, especially for some of the smaller organisations in the industry.

MW: As with all other areas, the costs will have to be passed on. Glensound operates pretty efficiently so we don’t have a buffer to absorb the price hike. As we look at capital investment, energy efficiency will be a more and more important issue when selecting new machines.

CP: The fact is, energy prices will not stabilise for some time and therefore the only options for all businesses will be to increase revenue or decrease expenditure. This energy price hike will almost certainly force suppliers to increase prices, and some organisations will look at streamlining both headcount and resources. But buyers will respond to a changing market by seeking cheaper products and solutions. Cerberus Tech is fortunate to have relatively small premises commitments and an efficient staffing structure. The nature of broadcast-grade IP and cloud based services, also align well with organisations looking to enhance their workflows and reduce costs simultaneously.

David Radoczy, cloud solutions consultant, Three Media

Broadcasters will need to be smarter in how they manage and consume power but need the flexibility in their operating platforms and business models to make the change when the opportunities arise. At Three Media we believe the cloud provides this opportunity and for operators thinking smart working it will further justify their cloud, software enabled and virtualisation strategies.

We have been promoting the strategic imperative for broadcasters to define their cloud-based services approach. Through virtualisation and software defined solutions, the cloud enables businesses to totally re-engineer their technical, operational and financial approach. If done right, these next-generation operating models are geared to respond and manage industry as well as environmental challenges just like we are seeing with the current energy crisis.

Where the commercial dynamic works is on two major fronts. For broadcasters and all stakeholders in the media and entertainment sector you get the ability to right size your platforms and power consumption.

Steve Levy, head of HR, GB Labs

Sadly, there isn’t a price cap on energy bills for businesses. Fortunately, we were able to secure a fixed rate for our energy with our supplier, and this gives us some security during these troubled times. However, these increases further impact our entire business and our ability to keep our operating costs manageable. Our suppliers have passed on increases and our staff need support to help them cope with increased costs.

So we made some changes to address these issues;

  • We have reduced our expansion plans
  • Slowed our recruitment
  • Merged departments to keep running costs lower
  • Renegotiated supplier contracts
  • For our staff, we introduced more flexible working options and increased salaries.

For production and post production, changing the way they operate may be something of a new norm, leaving equipment on and operational at all times may need to be reviewed.  We at GB Labs have always been committed to providing solutions that are stand-alone servers that require less energy and reduce the need for cooling, which has always been something at the heart of what we wanted to create .

There is no doubt that price increases will be a challenge for the broadcast industry, especially in a time when consumers are making decisions about their own expenditure, we are already seeing cuts in household budgets that could impact on how many times we go to the cinema or if we cancel subscriptions to a streaming services. That said, with people less likely to have disposable income, staying in may be the new going out and consumers will be very grateful for new and exciting content.

Source: tvbeurope.com

WHY ADVERTISING ON TV IS STILL THE BEST WAY TO BUILD A BRAND

TV advertising has been around since the late 1940s and it’s still one of the most effective ways to build a brand. Despite the growth of digital advertising, tv spending is estimated to reach $77.5 billion by 2024. Why is TV advertising so successful? We’ll break down the many reasons in this article.

TARGETING WITH TV IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN EVER

TV advertising reaches a large audience with minimal effort. In the U.S., there are over 118 million households with a TV, and the average person watches over 4 hours of TV each day. This gives advertisers a lot of opportunities to reach their target market.

TV advertising is also very effective at targeting specific demographics. Advertisers can target viewers by age, gender, income, interests, and even lifestyle. This allows them to create ads that are more likely to resonate with the viewer. Digital and Connected TV makes even more TV audience data available to advertisers, making it possible to target ads even more precisely.

WHO ADVERTISES ON TV MOST?

If you want proof that TV advertising helps build brands, look no further than the biggest advertisers in the world. In 2020, the top 10 TV advertisers spent a combined $22.6 billion on TV ads. The list includes some of the most iconic brands in the world, such as Procter & Gamble, AT&T, and General Motors. While some of their commercials advertise a particular product or promotion, just as often the goal of their ads is simply to build brand awareness.

TRENDS IN TV ADVERTISING TODAY

TV advertising has been going on for nearly a century now, but that doesn’t mean it’s stagnant. In fact, there are a number of exciting trends in TV advertising today.

TV ISN’T JUST CABLE ANYMORE

Thanks to the growth of streaming services, there are now more ways than ever to watch TV. This means that advertisers can reach even more people with their TV ads. In fact, streaming services are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to watch TV. In 2018, streaming services accounted for nearly one-third of all TV viewing in the U.S. This is expected to grow to nearly half of all TV viewing by 2024.

PROGRAMMATIC TV ADVERTISING

Programmatic TV advertising is a newer way of buying TV ads that is growing in popularity. Programmatic TV allows advertisers to use data to target specific demographics with their ads. This allows for more targeted and effective TV advertising.

CONNECTED TV ADVERTISING

Connected TV (CTV) is a type of TV that is connected to the internet. This means that viewers can watch streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu, on their CTV. CTVs are becoming more popular, with nearly 60% of households in the U.S. expected to have one by 2024.

This presents a new opportunity for advertisers. CTV advertising allows advertisers to target viewers with ads on the platforms they are already using. This makes CTV ads more effective and efficient.

INTERACTIVE TV ADVERTISING

Interactive TV (iTV) is a type of TV that allows viewers to interact with the content they are watching. iTV is typically done through a second screen, such as a smartphone or tablet. This allows viewers to vote, play games, and even buy products while they watch their favorite TV show.

iTV provides a new way for advertisers to interact with viewers. Advertisers can now create ads that are more interactive and engaging. This helps to create a more positive brand association for the viewer.

HARNESSING MOBILE AND MULTISCREEN ENVIRONMENTS

As more and more people watch TV on their mobile devices, advertisers are beginning to harness this trend. Mobile and multiscreen advertising allows advertisers to reach viewers on multiple screens at once. This helps to create a more seamless and effective ad campaign.

THE EMERGENCE OF ADVANCED TV

Advanced TV is a new type of TV that offers enhanced features and capabilities. Advanced TV is still in its early stages, but it is expected to grow in popularity in the coming years. This new type of TV provides advertisers with an opportunity to create even better and more immersive ads.

TV’S MULTIPLIER EFFECT ON OTHER MARKETING CHANNELS

TV advertising not only helps to build brand awareness, but it can also drive results in other marketing channels. For example, TV advertising can help to increase website traffic and search engine rankings. TV ads can also lead to an increase in social media engagement and sales. In a recent poll, 89 percent of marketers said they believe that TV advertising has a positive impact on their other marketing channels.

THE BEST STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING YOUR BRAND WITH TV ADVERTISING

FOCUS ON A NICHE OR CATEGORY

When it comes to TV advertising, it is important to focus on a specific niche or category. This will help you to create ads that are more relevant and targeted to your audience. Being to general with your ad campaign will make it less effective.

TAKE YOUR BUDGET FURTHER WITH REMNANT ADVERTISING

Remnant advertising is a type of TV advertising that allows you to buy ad space at a lower cost. This is because remnant ads are typically sold at a discounted rate. This can be a great way to save money on your TV advertising budget.To get the best placements and rates, we recommend partnering with The Remnant Agency, an advertising agency that specializes in these types of ads and has the best relationships with publishers.

USE PROGRAMMATIC TV ADVERTISING

Programmatic TV advertising is a newer way of buying TV ads that is growing in popularity. Programmatic TV allows advertisers to use data to target specific demographics with their ads. This allows for more targeted and effective TV advertising.

LEVERAGE CONNECTED TV ADVERTISING

Connected TV (CTV) is a type of TV that is connected to the internet. This means that viewers can watch streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu, on their CTV. CTVs are becoming more popular, with nearly 60% of households in the U.S. expected to have one by 2024.

This presents a new opportunity for advertisers. CTV advertising allows advertisers to target viewers with ads on the platforms they are already using. This makes CTV ads more effective and efficient.

EXPERIMENT WITH INTERACTIVE TV ADVERTISING

Interactive TV (iTV) is a type of TV that allows viewers to interact with the content they are watching. iTV is typically done through a second screen, such as a smartphone or tablet. This allows viewers to vote, play games, and even buy products while they watch their favorite TV show.

iTV provides a new way for advertisers to interact with viewers. Advertisers can now create ads that are more interactive and engaging. This helps to create a more positive brand association for the viewer.

HOW ARE ADVERTISERS TRACKING TV AD SUCCESS?

TV advertising is more effective than ever, but advertisers still need to be able to track the success of their campaigns. Advertisers are now using a variety of methods to track TV ad success.

These methods include:

    • Using data from social media platforms, such as Twitter, to track the reach and engagement of TV ads
    • Using Nielsen data to track TV ad awareness and brand recall
    • Working with third-party measurement firms, such as Integral Ad Science, to track the effectiveness of TV ads
    • Using Google Analytics to track website traffic that is driven by TV ads

As you can see, there are a variety of ways that advertisers can track the success of their TV ad campaigns. By using these methods, advertisers can make sure that their TV advertising is effective and efficient.

Although online advertising is growing, it’s still not as effective as TV advertising when it comes to building a brand. The bottom line is that TV ads reach more people and generate more awareness for brands than any other form of advertising. If you want your brand to be seen by the most people and make the biggest impact, then you need to invest in TV advertising. Have you tried using TV ads to build your brand? What results did you see?

Source: bignewsnetwork.com

AD SKIPPING RESTRICTIONS RETURNED TWO THIRDS OF GRPS

Media Club is satisfied with the introduction of ad skipping restrictions in the return view of IPTV operators, according to the first month results. According to Prima Group commercial director Vladimír Pořízek, about two first of GRPS ad returns have been made.

Since June, the Prima TV group has restricted the possibilities for skipping ads in the backview of IPTV operators. The introduction was justified by the need to protect advertising space following the growing share of video-on-demand viewership and the increasing popularity of internet TV, which, thanks to its back-viewing functionality, allows the viewer to watch programmes according to his or her time options, as well as skipping broadcast programmes, including ad breaks. Prima said that this trend would further weaken its advertising capacity in the future. After the first month of experience, commercial director Vladimír Pořízek says the restrictions have prevented the outflow of about two-thirds of advertising GRPs, thanks to the Media Club’s representation.

There is a growing concern about the future development of inflation, the impact on the cost of living and consumer behaviour. Are these developments having an impact on TV autumn campaign bookings? Are you registering reduced demand compared to the pre-holiday period?

We are not seeing a drop in demand yet. Commissioning companies learned to live with the fact that despite the restrictions, people had saved up and so the impact of these measures was not felt in sales. Consumer confidence may be down now and people are getting worried, but we are not seeing big changes in the behaviour of the sponsors yet. There are concerns and it looks like the crisis is knocking on the door. Yes, we are all preparing for it. But still, we saw it during the period of covid, when there was no crisis at all. Clients have the money so far and are planning their autumn campaigns. People still have savings and unemployment is still almost zero. The attitude of the government will be important. If it helps people financially and sort out energy prices, it is quite possible, in the most positive scenario, that there will be no major crisis. On the other hand, we do not know what will happen next, when people start receiving new bills or factories really start closing down as a result of the gas shortage, and it is premature to draw a picture for 2023. It depends on a lot of factors. We are working with different scenarios, but at the moment we do not know exactly what will happen from January.

Do you at least have an idea of what the price of TV advertising might look like for 2023, given that advertiser interest is high and advertising space is full?

Demand is strong, ad space is filled, and most importantly, GRPs are dwindling in linear TV, thanks to more competition from VOD services. In addition, our cost of entry is rising. All of these circumstances then translate into our pricing, which is why we plan to increase advertising prices for 2023.

And by how much? ASMEA estimates inflation in TV for this year at 10-15%, with general inflation at 20%…

I believe it will be at a similar level to last year (increases in the range of 11-16%, ed.). However, we are still monitoring market developments and will decide accordingly. Clients have the money so far and are planning their autumn campaigns. We will increase advertising prices for 2023.

When you presented the AdCross cross-platform measurements this spring, you outlined the trends for the next few years, which showed, among other things, that the GRP volume in linear TV broadcasting will decrease. Did you register a reduction in GRPs in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of last year?

Yes, of course. Moreover, the trend has also intensified due to the fact that in the past years, TV viewership has increased due to the covid, while after the covid measures were lifted, it has declined steeply, and this is reflected in the lower number of linear GRPs. We cannot yet say how the launch of the additional pay video platform Disney+ in June has affected the number of GRPs. We have been helped by the introduction of restrictions on ad skipping in rewind viewing by IPTV operators from June. As a result, an interesting proportion of our GRPs have returned. But the trend is clear: we expect GRPs in linear TV to continue to decline in the future. It’s just a matter of how fast it will be and how it will be reflected in different audience groups. The more VOD services on the market, the more time people will spend on them, which will amplify the decline in linear GRPs. People have learned to pay for VOD services during covid, which is also a new thing, as there has long been scepticism about whether Czechs would be willing to pay for video content on the internet.

In June, you introduced restrictions on skipping adverts in rewatching for IPTV operators. So how many GRPs did you get back in July?

Two-thirds of the GRPs came back. Most operators are able to take advantage of not having to run full length ad spots as on linear TV, but shortened to about 3 minutes during the break. However, not all operators have been able to adapt their systems and implement these measures in this way. Two thirds of the returned GRPs represent over 2 thousand GRPs per month.

The trend is clear: we expect GRPs in linear TV broadcasting to continue to decline in the future. It’s just a matter of how fast it will be and how it will affect different audience groups.

Will there be any more changes to the functionality to limit ad skipping?

The functionalities remain the same for 2023. Our aim is to integrate operators into cross-platform viewership measurement. We are now inserting online advertising with three operators: betterTV (GoNet), Sledovani.tv and Grape. Crossplatform measurement will allow us to better target viewers and deliver better affinity to our clients on their campaigns.

And that should happen when?

We are working hard on the implementation now with BetterTV and Sledovani.tv and hope to deploy crossplatform measurement in the next 3-6 months.

During the last few years, the advertising market has been affected not only by covid, this spring the war in Ukraine has started. Have these events affected the behaviour of advertisers in different segments?

There were two problems during the covid era: some advertisers couldn’t sell and so had nothing to advertise, and the other group that could sell stopped needing advertising because people had nowhere else to spend their money and so their sales skyrocketed. Moreover, people also saved a lot of money during covid and started to spend it as the restrictions loosened up, even though inflation was flying upwards.

When it comes to Ukraine, advertisers did not want to place ads next to war programmes. So we had to withdraw selected programmes from the Prima Zoom channel, where we regularly include war documentaries in the programming schedule. It also affected news websites, which of course covered the war a lot, and not many advertisers wanted to be associated with that. As a group, however, we did not see a decline in overall advertising volume in the first half of the year.

Given the expected trends we’ve talked about, you’re trying to push eGRP sales into the market. What is their current share in the 15-69 target group?

So far, it’s only units of percentages. We are still at the beginning, we have to teach the market to trust eGRPs. We now have data that confirms that with eGRPs we can target younger target groups, women in particular, well and increase the affinity of campaigns.

One last question on the commercial policy for 2023. In the spring you talked about putting some of the advertising space up for auction. Is that still valid?

We will only auction part of the TV advertising space if there is excess demand. We process agency negotiations through special software in which each media agency can see the agreed terms and their parameters. The targets are set there for each client. If there is an excess of demand, it could happen that agreements with the lowest CPP value fall into the auction if they are not concluded in time. Absolutely every client will have the opportunity to close the deal in the standard way, but they must respond in a timely manner. However, if clients or agencies are speculating and there is an excess of demand over supply, it may be that they will overbid. We have already turned down several clients in the past year because their price was extremely low. However, this may not happen at all. In addition, we sell a very small portion of our GRPs in the so-called monthly auction if we are not sold out in a given month.

Zdroj: mediaguru.cz