Broadcasters are Doubling Down on Collaboration and Investment with the Successful Launch of NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0)
Thanks to the ongoing investment we’ve made in industry-wide innovation and collaboration, 2021 is a year of incredible opportunity offered by consumers’ commitment to purchasing big-screen TVs and customized content packages. Getting the most bang for your broadcast requires a TV that can deliver the greatest amount of relevant, captivating, high-quality content, regardless of source. Consumers recognize the need for versatility in what their broadcast devices deliver whether that’s a sporting event, breaking news, or classroom lessons. Committing to a common platform and service delivery is allowing the greater broadcast community to innovate rapidly, delivering a wealth of NEXTGEN TV feature options to over-the-air viewers. As a result, the newest, best, and most customizable content delivery protocol, NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0), is on track to achieve service availability to 70%+ of US households by the end of 2021.
SERVICE ADOPTION
Despite the obstacles presented by 2020, the ATSC 3.0 standard was successfully deployed in more than 20 markets across the United States by the end of the year. These efforts reflect the recognition of the significant ROI that NEXTGEN TV adoption offers. The momentum of NEXTGEN TV is gaining speed and converts, driving service adoption initiatives. Local broadcast stations with NEXTGEN TV capabilities can participate in sophisticated advanced advertising capabilities, matching or exceeding those digital platforms, which is critical to their continuing ability to provide local news. Additional engagement options include real-time IP-supported interactions, where consumers can interact with onscreen content; the option for consumers to easily add additional content streams; the opt-in benefit of advanced emergency alerts; the opportunity to explore expanded audio choices; choice of access to expanded news and relevant sports statistics feature while watching a game — the list is only as limited by our imagination of what people might like to see and hear via their big screen TV investment.
The economics of the built-in ATSC 3.0 receiving capability are superior to our industry’s previous technology transitions. The NEXTGEN TV standard is flexible and encompassing: it works with existing technology in current ATSC 3.0 devices and can be upgraded over time with new features and services delivered over-the-air or through an internet connection. First adopters are already snapping up NEXTGEN TVs from leading manufacturers LG, Samsung, and Sony or they are looking to see when ATSC 3.0 service will be launched in their market. We are working on low-cost additional devices that would allow existing TVs to offer a NEXTGEN TV experience. As vaccinations continue and in-person retail rebounds, more consumers in stores will be able to find the “NEXTGEN TV” logo on new TVs, further extending awareness of the NEXTGEN TV capabilities, while the service itself becomes available in more markets.
NEXTGEN TV will be fundamental to a family’s diverse viewing needs. The ability to dynamically source and deliver content through a variety of over-the-air and over-the-top methods, and to pull all viewing options in an easy-to-navigate universal program guide further supports the consumer’s ability to create and personalize their content package and viewing experience. The importance of delivering a consistent, high-quality, content-rich experience that consumers expect across all of their screens has created a powerful new ecosystem that supports new ways of thinking around building an innovative, evergreen TV platform.
EVERGREEN OPPORTUNITIES
An evergreen system requires constant watering to keep it so. Our ongoing investments in partnerships have facilitated rapid roll-outs across multiple markets and mediums, providing an optimal experience that leverages existing cable and IP-delivered content. Our consortium of 750+ stations is working closely with our network partners, sharing expertise industry-wide to promote buy-in and drive innovation for the better broadcast standard.
Take the Phoenix Model Market, now in its third year. The Phoenix effort came about because Networks, Pearl TV partners, PBS, small broadcasters, transmission vendors, TV manufacturers, the Consumer Technology Association, and the National Association of Broadcasters all worked together to develop the new platform and successfully launch it. A launch of NEXTGEN TV in a new market isn’t a “one and done” deal. We continue to develop and offer new options on the Phoenix platform including a common application framework, Single Frequency Network capabilities, and expanded content security protection while continuously determining best practices for our expanded suite of innovations. In other parts of the country, we’re working with cable partners to ensure the extendibility of NEXTGEN TV services to cable viewers, conducting feature tests in consumer labs, conducting messaging campaigns in multiple markets, and developing best practices for delivering broadcast content to cars.
There are many conversations taking place among this collaborative ecosystem about how to deploy the NEXTGEN TV standard in televisions and through transmissions, empowering local broadcasters to flourish and deliver high-quality news, sports, entertainment, emergency alerts, and other innovative, interactive programming. The incorporation of a test-learn protocol has allowed us to rapidly assess the viability of our new ideas before deploying them. Consumers are seeing only the beginning of what these efforts will bring.
Our success to date and in the future will be the ecosystem’s stakeholders’ continual drive to collaborate and invest in a common platform and common methodology. It’s the proven path forward to making the content consumption and viewing experience as rich, varied, and present as possible.
Stay tuned for continued adoption and success.
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Follow along with the NEXTGEN TV launches at www.watchnextgentv.com, and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
