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How has Virgin Media transformed as a content aggregator and entered the streaming wars with their new product ‘Stream’?
On this episode, I speak with David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, a media and telecommunications venture between Virgin Media and O2 which formed in 2021.
A leader in multi-platform streamed entertainment, David leads a dedicated team who look after content and programming across Virgin Media’s TV platform.
Prior to joining Virgin Media O2, David was a member of The Management Executive of BskyB in the UK, where he was responsible for handling the company’s investment in German Pay TV, before moving to News Corporation as Managing Director of Programming for Sky Italia. He subsequently returned to the UK and set up his own pay TV broadcast business, creating a number of pay television channels.
We get an insight into David’s experience evolving Virgin Media O2 from a linear Pay TV aggregator into an innovative paid video services aggregator, utilising strong content provider relations and tech integrations to offer streamlined OTT entertainment options to customers. He discusses the launch of Virgin’s new TV service, ‘Stream’, and its aim to seamlessly offer a traditional linear TV experience paired with flexible, affordable bundles to ensure customer loyalty through a tighter financial climate.
Topic breakdown:
- The evolution of Virgin as a content aggregator
- Sourcing content successfully through strong content provider relations
- The launch of Stream and its 3 primary propositions for customers: value for money, flexibility and convenience
- Keeping viewers engaged through integration and curation: the importance of providing an entertainment service that provides for the new generation of ‘channel-flickers’ that seek flexibility
- UI design in the Stream service: merging the essentials of new-world and old-world interfaces for ease of use
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