Parks Associates: Europeans Want More Content Discovery Options for TV Viewing

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Oct 2, 2013) - Parks Associates European research finds strong demand in Western Europe for TV solutions that personalize and prioritize content. TV subscribers in France, Belgium, the U.K., and Germany all expressed strong interest in an EPG (electronic program guide) feature that displays a viewer's favorite channels first.

The following percentages of broadband households with TV services found this feature highly appealing:
45% in Germany
40% in the U.K. and Belgium
26% in France

The research firm will discuss strategies to improve the customer experience and monetize video services at the eighth-annual CONNECTIONS™ Europe, November 12-13 in Amsterdam. Industry executives will discuss the impact of new entrants in an increasingly crowded European video market, where both Netflix and Hulu are expanding their presence. Netflix has partnered with U.K. cable operator Virgin Media and Sweden's Com Hem to allow users to access Netflix's library through the providers' TiVo set-top boxes.

"The European video market is becoming more competitive, with OTT services, free and paid VoD, and cloud DVR offerings changing the ecosystem dynamics," said Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates. "These offerings are creating new pressure on EPG and content discovery solutions to provide differentiation. European consumers are most interested in features that help them find programming, such as customized channels, keyword programming search, and personalized recommendations. At CONNECTIONS™ Europe, we will discuss strategies to capture subscriber interest and counter current frustrations with disappointing content-discovery options."

In the session "Discovery and Personalization for TV Services," the following speakers will present strategies to align video offerings with consumer expectations:
Stuart Cleary, Director Product Marketing, Media, EMEA, Akamai
Olaf Loerz, Director, Product Management, Rovi
Johan Nilsson, Head of Analysis & Competitive Intelligence, Com Hem
Ignacio Rebollo, CEO, SAFEVIEW

CONNECTIONS™ Europe keynotes:
Paul Dawes, EVP, GM, iControl Networks
Dick Seger, CEO and President, Securitas Direct - Verisure
Patrice Slupowski, VP, Digital Innovation & Communities, Orange

Event sponsors are iControl Networks, Amdocs, AT&T, PlanetEcosystems, SAFEVIEW, Securitas Direct - Verisure, Sigma Designs, Sutherland Global Services, AlertMe, Intamac, Linear, and INSTEON.

For information, contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113.

About CONNECTIONS™ Europe
CONNECTIONS™ Europe, hosted by international market research firm Parks Associates, offers insights and high-level analysis on global consumer trends and the emerging business models, technologies, and services for the connected home. www.connectionseurope.com