European Online Video Strategies In An Economic Downturn

Demand for online video continues to rise among Europeans, especially given a challenging economic climate in which free content will become even more popular. Content owners and media companies must seize the opportunity to engage with this audience by making their offerings more compelling in terms of both content and user experience. Direct monetization is still nascent and will remain so in the midterm due to the economic downturn. However, rapid advances in the technology for filtering, serving, and syndicating content will accelerate this market, while helping drive users to existing revenue streams such as DVD sales. Companies must innovate to gain market share now and to build foundations for future revenue growth once the economy recovers. Those that retrench now risk losing their audience to pirate sites.