Should BBC prioritize expanding its iPlayer streaming catalog or investing in original content production for its linear TV channels?

Introduction

The BBC faces a critical trade-off decision between expanding its iPlayer streaming catalog and investing in original content production for its linear TV channels. This choice will significantly impact the organization's content strategy, audience engagement, and competitive positioning in the evolving media landscape. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining key factors, proposing metrics, and designing an experiment to inform our decision-making process.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm thinking about the current market dynamics in the UK broadcasting industry. Could you provide some insight into how BBC's viewership is split between linear TV and iPlayer, and how this has changed in recent years?

Why it matters: Helps understand the urgency of the decision and current user behavior trends. Expected answer: Increasing shift towards iPlayer, but still significant linear TV audience. Impact on approach: Would influence the balance of investment between the two platforms.

• Business Context: Based on BBC's public service remit, I'm assuming revenue isn't the primary driver here. Am I correct in thinking that reach and audience engagement are higher priorities?

Why it matters: Aligns our decision-making criteria with BBC's core mission and objectives. Expected answer: Confirmation of focus on reach, engagement, and public value. Impact on approach: Would emphasize metrics related to audience reach and satisfaction over purely financial measures.

• User Impact: I'm curious about the demographic breakdown of iPlayer vs. linear TV users. Do we have data on age groups, locations, or viewing habits that differ significantly between these platforms?

Why it matters: Ensures we're considering the needs of different audience segments. Expected answer: Younger audiences more likely on iPlayer, older on linear TV, with some overlap. Impact on approach: Would inform targeted content strategies for each platform.

• Technical: Regarding iPlayer's infrastructure, do we have any scalability concerns if we significantly expand the catalog?

Why it matters: Assesses the feasibility of catalog expansion from a technical perspective. Expected answer: Some challenges, but manageable with current infrastructure. Impact on approach: Might influence the pace or scale of catalog expansion.

• Resource: Can you give me an idea of the current split in content budget between original productions and acquisitions?

Why it matters: Helps understand the current resource allocation and potential for reallocation. Expected answer: Majority in original production, with a growing portion for acquisitions. Impact on approach: Would inform the scale of potential shift in resource allocation.