Appel à contributions

Dossier to be published in no. 92 – 4^th quarter 2013

Video Cord Cutting

“Video cord-cutting" refers to the process of switching from traditional cable, IPTV, or a satellite video subscription to video services accessed through a broadband connection, so called over-the-top (OTT) video. The price of cable, satellite or IPTV services, innovative services available on the internet, the increasing quality of services of broadband delivery and easier access to internet content on the TV set may all contribute to the change to over-the-top services. Competition from OTT services may also provoke "cord-shaving" (i.e. reductions in the cable or IPTV bill) and could herald a generation of "cord-never" (young consumers basing their video consumption only on OTT video).

More broadly, on-demand services, whatever their delivery networks, may cut-the-cord between viewers and television channels whose role as programs aggregators is challenged.

The impact of cord cutting will therefore probably differ among countries, depending on the level of roll-out of digital cable, fibre optic networks, and/or IPTV, on the tariffs of legacy video services, on the quality of broadband access and on national players’ strategies.

As television incumbents and new entrants move to take advantage of the new video distribution chain, legacy video access providers may either develop offers competing with OTT services – either integrate them in their line-ups or alternatively, broadcasters may explore internet self-distribution and further programs production integration; build internet platforms to support content digital stores. Device manufacturers may try to leverage OTT content to gain a competitive advantage for their products.

Regulation will play a key role in this new environment, as a strict enforcement of net neutrality could prevent network operators from leveraging their access to customer base to market their own video services. Television regulation is also at stake, with different approaches among the USA, Europe and the rest of the world as regards vertical integration between broadcasting and program production.

This Communications & Strategies issue will address the following topics:
• What is the magnitude and demographics of cord-cutting in different countries?
• How does cord-cutting take place in different regions of the world? What are the transition patterns from "managed" video services to over-the-top services?
• Will 4G mobile networks play a role in cord-cutting?
• How do/will incumbent video distributors react to cord-cutting?
• How do/will broadcasters compete with on-demand services?
• Will internet platforms become global content aggregators?
• Will cord cutting and OTT distribution favour a more global video market?
• What should be the role of regulation in the transition period from managed video distribution to open internet video distribution?
• Which impact may have cord cutting on the video products financing?
• What kind of technologies/enablers are key for the Cord cutting increase (ie. CDN, adaptative coding, etc.)?

Authors will be invited to share their viewpoints during a US-French workshop organized at Montpellier (France) on 20th November 2013. .

Please send submissions (in the form of full papers)
by June 6^th 2013, 2013 to:
s.nigon@idate.org