January 10, 2014
Full-episode streaming on MTV’s mobile site
While most broadcasters are that specialize in mobile applications to govern how and when consumers watch television shows, Viacom’s MTV is betting at the mobile Web to restrict how much free content viewers can access.
MTV claims that it’s the first TV network to launch an authenticated model on its mobile Webpage as a part of a broader TV Everywhere push. With more traffic coming from every cranny of the net from smartphones and tablets, MTV is the most recent example of ways broadcasters are hoping on paid subscription models to fuel their monetization efforts.
“A significant slice of our Web traffic comes via mobile devices, so by enabling TV Everywhere on mobile Web, we’re expanding the selection of consumers which could easily and immediately access full episodes in their favorite shows,” said Colin Helms, senior vp of connected content at MTV, Big apple.
“We had previously only been ready to offer full episode viewing on mobile via our brand app,” he said. “By optimizing it for mobile Web, we’re making our content more accessible to a broader audience and making the experience of a following a link from social or anywhere more seamless.”
Top-notch mobile Web experience
To watch full episodes of TV shows from MTV’s mobile site, consumers must log-in with the account information from their TV provider.
Mobile streaming is supported at launch by major TV providers including DirectTV, Verizon, Optimum and AT&T u-verse. However, big providers including Comcast and Cox Communications don’t support the feature yet.
To log in, consumers can select their provider and enter their account information while staying within MTV’s mobile site.
Only full episodes are limited to MTV subscribers. All consumers can still watch movies and recaps from the mobile site.
MTV parent Viacom also plans to roll out the mobile Web streaming feature for the VH1, CMT and Logo TV brands.
Full-episode streaming will remain free on MTV’s desktop Site.
MTV’s mobile site
Mobile-heavy viewing
The initiative builds at the launch of a streaming app in June that lets consumers watch full episodes in their favorite shows. Since then, the app was downloaded greater than 2 million times.
Most recently, MTV rolled out the app to Android devices (see story).
MTV’s streaming app can also be set-up in order that only consumers with a TV subscription can watch full episodes.
The decision to hone in on mobile Web is interesting because the majority of networks are instead specializing in mobile apps, which traditionally provide more content and a richer experience for viewers.
It should come as no surprise that MTV is the 1st broadcaster to tackle the mobile Web for authentication according to the network’s core demographic of millennials under the age of 30, who’re hungrily consuming content via mobile devices.
Now that almost all broadcasters are practising in-app authentication, the mobile Web is frequently the following big focus for all networks.
Compared to a mobile app, the mobile Web obviously has a broader reach and would not require consumers to download and open a mobile app anytime that they would like to look at a television program.
Pinpointing the mobile Web also lets MTV control the volume of traffic that’s coming from social networks via smartphones and tablets.
The move towards mobile Web streaming also highlights how mobile Websites are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and therefore capable of support data-heavy features along with full-episode viewing.
MTV has tested a mobile-first option to premiere its new series “Wait Til Next Year” on its mobile app before it aired on TV this year.
According to MTV, the mobile-first launch of the show increased app downloads 47 percent week over week and contributed to the largest week of app streaming.
“With our audience so active within the mobile space, our focus instantly is to offer multiple entry points for them to access and luxuriate in our shows on their mobile devices,” Mr. Helms said.
“With that said, we’re always paying attention to our audience and honing the experiences across all platforms.”
Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York