BT Vision

This article (BT’s blurred vision) in Marketing Week makes some good points. One of its points is that BT Vision needs to get its hands on Sky’s sports package. The article has a disapproving tone of BT asking the regulator (Ofcom) to force Sky to make its premium content available at wholesale rates in the same way that BT is forced to make its network available to Sky (for broadband and telephony) at wholesale rates.

Debate that all you want but the real problem is what differentiates BT Vision from alternatives. Currently it’s the PAY-AS-YOU-GO option. But if 80% are taking out subscriptions then that is clearly not the driver.

To me the problem is that ALL the content on BT Vision can be seen elsewhere first, from the films in the library to the catch-up TV offering and even the Santanta sports highlights package.

BT Vision has not established an identity beyond a limited library of video that you can see or buy through a number of different outlets. It relies on the established broadcast market to make or purchase content for the UK and then uses the marketing done by these established broadcasters to promote the BT Vision service.

BT Vision needs to carve out some clear brand identity. While I doubt that it is ready to take the risk of commissioning original content there is no reason why it could not purchase content (from the US) which is not picked up by the old school broadcasters – then promoting them as exclusively available on BT Vision. Select a genre or two such as science fiction and crime drama to establish BT Vision as the place to see cutting edge versions of this genre.

BT Vision needs to establish it self with a clear identity about the content rather than the technology and how you pay.