Online has an “advertiser-funded future” says Microsoft chief Ashley Highfield.
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Ashley Highfield, Microsoft’s managing director & vice president, consumer & online, outlined his vision for Microsoft to be a major player in television and how the back catalogue of TV programmes will increase through advertiser funding.
Speaking at the IAB Engage 2009 conference, Highfield focused on the future for TV and online content. He talked of the development of MSN’s Video Player and how “real audience demand is outstripping expectations and budgets.”
On the question of whether television will get left by the roadside Highfield talked of a renaissance for TV. He cited the back catalogues of TV programmes as driving demand: “everyone is familiar with the fact you can access old content online.”
Regarding funding the future and how to make the back catalogue of programmes work online he said: “We are still learning how you bring to life the long tail of television.”
Highfield believes that “content will enter a new golden age” and that “watching programmes as part of the media mix will increase”.
Where advertisers fit in Highfield sees a future for media and content owners to commercialise their back catalogues by “packaging up audiences and selling them back to agencies.”
“TV has to change, it maybe TV channels that change. But programmes have a monitisable and Microsoft wants to be a major player in TV”
Highfield sees the drivers of online TV as the explosion of cheaper computing. He cites that sales of PCs now outstrips that of TV sets. Within a couple of years “two-way” touch screens will be commonplace and will replace traditional TV sets.
Furthermore, the “rise of lowend netbooks” are already making an impact, now accounting for 25% of all PC sales, Highfield added that netbooks “will be as disposable as radios,” adding: “Every home will have between three and four PCs or laptops in the home.”
