Q&A: Svein Erik Davidsen

Q: How do you define content?
Svein Erik: We define content as “moving pictures that are broadcasted, on the Web and on mobile TV”. First you have the traditional TV content, called linear TV. Linear TV content consists of the programming that is available to the viewer at scheduled times on a particular channel. In addition to that, you have the new types of content, such as Web TV and On-Demand. Today we see that it’s increasingly important for end-users to pick and choose the content they want, when they want it.

Q: Why did Telenor Broadcast recently decide to establish a content department to represent all of Telenor’s Nordic operations

Svein Erik: Before we established a common content department, each business unit in the Nordics had to negotiate content agreements on their own. We saw that there were significant advantages to working together and using our scale to leverage better deals with the content providers. We also see that through establishing a central content department, we are better able to exchange information and experiences across the Nordics.

Q: What are customers asking for when it comes to content

Svein Erik: Customers today are more conscious of what they want to watch, and they demand convenience and ease of use when it comes to accessing, selecting and viewing this content.

We are now seeing that the national broadcasters’ content is very much in demand on the Web, so we are currently working to clear those rights to make that this content available online as well. In addition to that, people want movies, major sporting events and the various popular TV series. We strive to make these types of content more available, both in terms of when you are able to watch it and on what type of device you watch it on.

Q: Are people turning to other devices to watch their favorite shows and movies

Svein Erik: When it comes to the smaller devices, such as your iPhone, we see that people prefer a different type of content. While they may watch the football match on their in-home theater, they may use the mobile phone for results information or clips of game highlights. We also see that Web TV is becoming increasingly popular. Today people no longer need four televisions. Instead they may have an iPad or use the PC to watch a new episode or movie.

Q: But many people are using these types of devices to stream or download free content. How can Telenor compete with that

Svein Erik: It’s important for us to be aware of this and work against it. We have many advantages over the illegal content. We provide an easily navigable user interface that allows people to quickly find the content they want, safely and in high quality. We’ve learned that people in general don’t want to do anything illegal. It feels safer for them to purchase the content from a provider who they trust and have a relationship with, rather than risk the unknowns associated with illegal obtainment of content.

Q: What are some of the challenges associated with making more content available on more platforms

Svein Erik: One of the main challenges concerns content rights. Since Web TV is on the rise and the need for On-Demand services is growing, we need to clear the rights for both of these channels. Plus, with all the new devices, such as iPhone, iPad, Android-devices and widgets on the TV set, there’s a lot of work to be done to secure rights for each and every terminal. The end-users’ demand for new services is more complex because of the many alternatives for accessing content, and people don’t want their content all on one device anymore.

Q: Since content is moving beyond the TV screen, will your department start working with Telenor business units outside the Nordics, for example to provide mobile TV content in Asia

Svein Erik: The Nordic market is an extremely competitive place to operate, as there are four countries with four different languages and four totally different content preferences. We will first focus on succeeding in these four challenging markets. At the same time, we of course plan to exchange information, findings and experiences with the other operations in the Telenor Group. Traditionally, Telenor is good at using its experiences in one market and sharing with its other markets. We should be able to do that when it comes to content as well.

Q: How do you see content changing over the next five years

Svein Erik: What we are already experiencing is that content is of greater importance than it was before. Traditionally, triple play companies like Telenor have focused on access. But I believe that future competition will be largely focused on how we make services available for subscribers. These services need to be easy to search and navigate, and we need to provide a one-stop shop for all of our users’ content needs.

Q: So the content department will continue to play a large role in the development of the business for a while to come

Svein Erik: I think so. For the Telenor business units, content is becoming an important factor in differentiation from the competition. Content is one of the things that we can use to attract customers and to make us stand out. Content can be one of the main differences when it comes to subscribing to Telenor versus the competition.