Rakuten TV, Europe’s leader in streaming and FAST channels, today announces Rakuten TV Enterprise Services, a new business line from Mipcom.
Enterprise Services provides content owners and distributors with access to Rakuten’s suite of cloud-based tools and the company’s market knowledge on devices and platforms around the world, featuring monetization models such as AVOD and TVOD. helps you launch and monetize your FAST channel or video app. Major operating systems such as Tizen, webOS, Android, iOS, Fire, ROKU, etc.
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Rakuten TV CEO and President Cédric Dufour spoke at Mipcom on Tuesday as part of a broader conversation with Evan Shapiro and Maxime Carboni, chief business officer of Euronews, one of our first Enterprise Services clients. We will be announcing Enterprise at the upcoming Global Streaming Talks.
“This is a continuation of what we’ve been doing at Rakuten for the past 15 years,” Dufour explained. variety Prior to the service’s market debut. “For us, this is the most logical next step and we’ve been planning it for years. We have the experience and tools, and we’re currently looking for a partner.”
There are countless technology companies that can develop streaming apps, but Dufour said Rakuten’s proposition is unique. That’s because Rakuten is not a technology company, but a streaming platform that also develops its own technology. Dufour argues that Rakuten’s streamer-first approach benefits potential partners.
“For 15 years, we’ve been building Rakuten into what it is today. Throughout that time, we’ve been scheduling channels and monitoring viewership numbers. And we’ve been thinking, ‘Okay, why not just for us? Why don’t we do this? Why not make the most of our technology and expertise?” So after more than 10 years as a B2C operator, we launched this B2B service. I decided to do it. ”
According to Dufour, the ideal enterprise partner “has a lot of content, but doesn’t know how to organize it, doesn’t have the technical ability to connect it to major platforms, and doesn’t have the technical ability to monetize it to the fullest.” “I don’t even know how to do it.”
One of the things rights holders need is an existing distribution network. Rakuten is offering to provide technical and analytical support for the partnership, but the responsibility for organizing content distribution agreements will rest with rights holders.
Distribution is done by the client, not Rakuten, so enterprise expertise and toolsets are available to rights holders in any market. “We are not limited by borders because it is not our content,” Dafour says. “As long as the app can be downloaded domestically, we can develop it for our partners.”
Dufour was quick to emphasize that all of the technical tools Rakuten uses to set up its apps and channels were developed in-house. The company conducts proprietary research on viewing habits and programming strategies, monetizes content entirely in-house through Rakuten Ads, and has its own dedicated team working with all of the largest global platforms. Masu. According to the CEO, this means that enterprise partners are always one step closer to a solution to any need or problem that arises.
Another factor that sets Rakuten apart is its tendency to adapt to, and often ahead of, market changes, Dufour said.
“We’ve been a B2C company for 15 years, and our interface has evolved a lot in that time. The Rakuten app is different today than it was back then. We have all kinds of new tools, especially AI. You can gain a deeper understanding of the customer experience and communicate that understanding to content owners,” he says.
“We don’t just provide technical solutions to our partners; we bring 15 years of experience in adapting to customer needs,” he goes on to explain. “We understand that needs vary depending on content type and client profile. We understand that the UI needs to be unique to each partner and the users it is designed for. ”
“Even if a partner asks for something we don’t have, we have in-house developers that give us the autonomy and agility to develop new features very quickly.”
There is currently no uniform pricing structure for interested Enterprise Services Partners. Dufour said costs are determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on factors such as the size of the partner’s catalog, the needs they want Enterprise to address, the number of markets the partner is in, and a number of other factors. says. Different things for each client. While a flat fee may be sufficient for a small business, large catalog owners are more likely to pay based on the revenue generated, but nothing is set in stone and each transaction is unique. It will belong to you.
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