TVO

TVO's Transformational Journey to OTT Broadcasting with Accedo One

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TVO Media Education Group (TVO), an agency of the Ministry of Education and not-for-profit social impact organization  in the Canadian province of Ontario with a traditional footprint as a public broadcaster, took on a transformative journey to enhance its content delivery and audience engagement. Facing the challenges of declining traditional TV viewership and an increasing demand for streaming services, TVO recognized the need to shift towards OTT broadcasting. This case study delves into how TVO, leveraging Accedo’s innovative OTT platform, successfully navigated this transition by launching two distinct OTT services, TVO Today and TVOkids. With a focus on integrating seamlessly with their existing Brightcove VideoCloud system and maintaining a strong brand identity, TVO's shift into the OTT space exemplifies a strategic and effective digital expansion, highlighting the essential role of OTT solutions in modern broadcasting.

“With Accedo, we're confidently driving our digital-first strategy, reassured by their robust infrastructure capable of handling the influx of content we plan to offer. The partnership with Accedo empowers us to ensure that all our content is readily accessible and well-managed, addressing our organizational needs and enhancing our digital presence."

- Mark Reitsma, Manager Digital Media Services, TVO

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TVO: A Digital-First Organization

TVO continues to transform from a traditional public television station to a multiplatform digital media and learning organization.

In its quest to adapt to changing viewer preferences and to remain accessible and relevant, TVO conducted surveys in early 2021 with the people of Ontario which revealed a growing demand for OTT media services. Recognizing a gap in their offerings, TVO decided to expand into the OTT space. This decision was driven by the desire to meet audience demands for accessing content "wherever and whenever they want."

Venturing into the OTT space posed new challenges, including needing expertise across various platforms (such as Amazon FireTV, Smart TVs, Roku, and others) and maintaining consistency throughout. The costs associated with developing and maintaining apps for each platform were found to be excessive. Furthermore, given TVO's status as a government agency and not for profit, there was a need to ensure the efficient use of taxpayer and donor money.

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TVO's Mission-Driven Shift to OTT Broadcasting

TVO's mission to inspire learning and enrich communities through engaging learning experiences drove their need for an effective OTT solution. As traditional TV viewership declines, regional broadcasters like TVO face the challenge of adapting to a shifting audience that prefers streaming apps and personalized content. 

The need for technical resources and investment to upgrade distribution capabilities and overhaul backend systems adds complexity to this transition. Therefore, TVO kept the team small while setting up the app’s design and functionality, and preparing the content that would be used. They ensured that the workflows were efficient to minimize the ongoing operation of the 12 apps while providing an excellent user experience for their viewers.The desired OTT service needed to work in tandem with their existing content delivery system, Brightcove VideoCloud, ensuring no duplication of the content library on another platform. The goal was to create an automated pipeline that would facilitate easy monitoring and publishing of content to the OTT platforms. 

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Solution

Accedo One's Integration to deliver TVO Today and TVOkids

TVO's selection of Accedo One as their OTT vendor in 2021 marked a significant milestone in their digital transformation journey. Accedo One's platform, known for its easy-to-use, out-of-the-box design, offered TVO the required flexibility and compatibility. The seamless integration with TVO’s in-house tech-stack allowed TVO to expand its free content across a diverse range of platforms, including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Roku.

Understanding the distinct audience segments, TVO launched two OTT services: TVO Today and TVOkids. This decision was based on their programming schedule, which includes children's programming during the day and current affairs and documentaries in the evening and overnight. By separating these into two apps, TVO ensured the content was appropriately targeted and accessible to the respective audience groups.

Simplified Launch Process with Brightcove Pre-Integration

A significant advantage of Accedo One for TVO was its pre-integration with Brightcove. This functionality expedited the deployment of the OTT services and ensured that TVO could maintain its existing content management practices while venturing into new distribution channels. This ability of Accedo One was instrumental in meeting TVO's objective of integrating seamlessly with existing systems, which was a central component of their digital infrastructure. In turn, Accedo One enabled TVO to focus on content delivery and user experience without the burden of technical complexities. 

Accedo One's Customization and User Experience

The content team at TVO utilized Accedo One’s customization features extensively. They leveraged the flexibility to alter layouts, colors, and carousels, curating manual playlists for specific themes or occasions. This level of customization enabled TVO to create a unique and engaging user experience for their audience - kids and adults alike. Accedo’s dedication to the OTT space and continuous product improvement were also key factors in TVO’s decision.  Accedo One ’s SaaS platform allows TVO to enhance their offerings continually as the platform evolves. TVO also actively engages with their audience, addressing feedback, resolving technical issues, and informing viewers about available content on their OTT apps and website. 

The TVO team is able to preview the apps in the Accedo One WYSIWYG editor before pushing any changes live. This feature allows the team to make adjustments and test different configurations in a controlled environment without resubmitting the app to various app stores for each change. This capability is particularly advantageous for TVO, as it provides a flexible and risk-free way to experiment with and refine the apps’ design and functionality. The preview option ensures that any updates or modifications can be fully vetted and optimized before being rolled out to the public. This level of control and flexibility is crucial for a broadcaster like TVO, which must maintain a high quality and consistency across its digital platforms.

A critical aspect of their service is the ability to support closed captioning and described video, aligning with TVO's commitment to accessibility and compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulations.

"The flexibility that Accedo One offers is impressive. We appreciate the ability to customize our content for different times of the year, like our holiday special programming. This flexibility extends to branding as well. Despite being an out-of-the-box solution, Accedo allowed us to integrate TVO's unique color palette and logos, ensuring that the platform feels uniquely ours. This level of customization ensures that our OTT services align with the look and feel of all TVO products, maintaining our brand identity consistently across platforms."

‍- Glen Craven, Director Technology Services, TVO

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Results

Efficient Resource Allocation

The robust and efficient infrastructure of Accedo One enabled TVO to optimize its resources effectively. The operational efficiency allowed TVO to allocate more resources towards marketing and promotion of the services, thereby extending its digital footprint and increasing awareness of their OTT apps. Their strategy involves leveraging their website and in-house programming to inform viewers about the availability of content on various OTT platforms and become a household name amongst Canadians. 

Customization and Strong Brand Identity

Accedo One's flexibility in customization was another crucial factor in its success with TVO. The platform allowed TVO to apply seasonal customization and integrate its unique visual identity, including color palettes and logotypes. This capability ensured that even though Accedo One is an out-of-the-box solution, it could still be tailored to reflect TVO's brand identity, making the user interface feel familiar and aligned with TVO's other products.

Strategic Digital Expansion

The partnership with Accedo One facilitated TVO’s strategic expansion in the digital arena. Leveraging Accedo One's continual enhancements and infrastructure, TVO has grown its audience and reinforced its mission of being a digital learning organization. This approach has positioned TVO to become a more prominent household name in Canada, with a strong emphasis on ensuring all content is readily available on their platforms.

Enhanced User Experience

One of the most significant benefits of the Accedo One platform for TVO was user experience enhancement. Introducing the 'binge feature,' particularly on the kids' side, was a game changer. This feature, akin to those offered by other premium OTT platforms, allows for uninterrupted content streaming, a functionality highly appreciated by users, parents in particular. The positive feedback and increased user satisfaction underscored this feature's importance in improving the overall viewing experience.

 "Working with Accedo, we're not only populating our platforms with rich, engaging content but also laying down a digital infrastructure capable of scaling with demand. This is not just about keeping pace but setting the tempo for what an educational broadcaster can achieve in the digital domain."

-  Patrick Sherrard, Media Services Specialist, TVO

Conclusion

TVO's successful deployment of two OTT services using Accedo One, with a lean operational team, demonstrates that traditional broadcasters can excel in operational efficiency and optimize costs when choosing the right OTT vendor. Accedo One's dedication to innovation and role as a strategic partner in scaling efforts, along with its ongoing product improvements, have been key to the success of this story.