Musings from the UltraViolet Academy: Big Opportunity with Big Data

Let me start by admitting that I usually abhor industry conferences and summits. I’ll make an exception for NAB and IAB, mostly because of the, um, ancillary activities – but, for the most part, networking, schmoozing and pontificating aren’t my thing. They are, however, a necessary occupational hazard.

So, imagine my surprise and thrill at last week’s Ultraviolet Academy, which brought together 250+ industry thinkers (real players, mind you) to talk about the roll-out, strategy and success-to-date (or not) of the new digital rights locker concept – called UltraViolet - brought to market by a consortium which includes a veritable who’s who of everyone in the industry (except, quite notably, Apple).

I enjoyed this one. I was fascinated by the enthusiasm, hope and tenacity of a roomful of industryites pinning their hopes on the new service as the savior for Home Entertainment’s dwindling DVD revenues. And, while I think UV has a long way to go –and a daunting set of consumer-facing challenges they need to overcome (namely: what the hell is a rights locker anyway?) - there is no debating that most major studios have bought in. (Note: Check-out Marty’s blog for a great perspective on the Turtleneck/Hoodie Gap here.)

If I had one bit to contribute to the conversation – a bit that I think will be critical for the studios and content creators who have a MAJOR opportunity to finally understand what/how/when/where their audiences are engaging with content – it would be this: what about the data? UV – if it works; if it does all that the studios and retailers hope it will do – will be yet another channel in this new distribution landscape that finally allows the content creators to do what the box office and big box retail did not: learn about the people who consume their content.

With the ability to mine that data –from sources like their own consumer-facing storefronts or their partner retailers- studios will be able to literally read each viewer’s patterns and preferences. Well, read those preferences if they know how. Doing so requires Big Data analytics tools that can tackle the multi-structured data of click-stream, browsing, video engagement, social network analysis and more. And, UV data isn’t the only place this arsenal of analytics can be pointed.

Want to learn more about Big Data Analytics and how you can use it to ramp-up your understanding of viewing behavior and more? Check out this upcoming webinar on May 31st.

Colleen Quinn