UKTV plans Amazon style pilots
David Farnor | On 27, Aug 2014
UKTV is planning to introduce a string of Amazon-style TV pilots to its VOD service,
The UK broadcaster launched its catch-up service, UK TV Play, earlier this summer. The platform has been a huge success since, according to General Manager Emma Boston, who says that traffic has been doubling week-on-week.
Now, on the back of that growth, the company is looking at launching pilots of new TV shows directly onto the portal. The short films, which would run between five and 10 minutes, would be aired exclusively on the VOD site and opened up to the public to vote on their favourite. Those with the most voted would then be commissioned.
The move, which echoes Amazon’s own successful scheme of greenlit-by-public TV pilots, would see UKTV create its own original online content to go with its current line-up of catch-up and archive titles – a vital step if the VOD service is to compete with the raft of rival VOD services all offering, or announcing, their own unique videos.
“It will give us the opportunity to commission slightly different types of content,” Boston told Broadcast Now. “It’s important to think about ways in which we can extend our audience.”
Boston also added that pay TV producers such as Sky and TalkTalk should provide more details on how customers are accessing VOD services after watching more traditional, linear channels.