June saw football fans across Europe and around the globe kick back as UEFA Euro 2024, the crème de la crème in footie, kicked off. This highly anticipated event began in Berlin on June 14th, marking the pinnacle of European football. Being a highly anticipated event, broadcasters and platforms had their chance to shine with their promotional efforts, and did they succeed? The campaigns were, shall we say, “je ne sais quoi!”, to say the least. Both the broadcasters and platforms took no risks when making sure this event was easily found by users, with the likes of Sky Italia, BBC and ITV making sure that their offering stood out amongst the crowd. You can learn more about this in our latest Merchandiser of the Month June here.
UEFA Euro wasn’t the only sporting event getting the limelight this month, with Peacock making an incredibly bold cut to their subscription pricing, ahead of the Paris Olympics. We’re not exaggerating when we say bold either, we’re talking about a 67% slashing here. This drastic price reduction is undoubtedly going to attract a massive influx of viewers in preparation for the Olympics. And I hope Peacock is ready for that influx, with new Amdocs data revealing that 51% of U.S. consumers plan to stream the Olympic Games, that’s a pretty big jump from the 28% who streamed the Tokyo 2021 games. This shift indicates a growing trend toward online streaming for major sporting events, and Peacock’s strategy reflects an acute awareness of this changing landscape. With the app offering 5,000 hours of live coverage and interactive features, a hefty discount has never looked so appealing. Their comprehensive coverage includes not only live events but also replays, highlights, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content, ensuring fans won’t miss a moment of the action. We’re ready to sprint to the finish line with this enticing offer. If you’re a rights holder for the Olympics, we’ve got something to help your promotions get ahead of the competition on digital storefronts. Head to our latest Merchandiser of the Month report here to get your hands on it.
In other news, Netflix has just announced that they’re testing a redesign of their home page. From what we can see, this redesign will make all of us Hollywood blockbuster fanatics as happy as Larry. We’re hoping it’s time for us to say so long, farewell to the static tiles that make browsing feel like you are trying to run away from the bad guy in your nightmares. Dynamic boxes that will serve up previews and extensive details on titles the moment you hover over them would be such a treat. This feature aims to provide a more immersive and engaging user experience, allowing subscribers to get a glimpse of the content, including synopsis, without needing to click through multiple screens. The navigation menu will also move from the clunky left sidebar to a streamlined top bar; there’s nothing wrong with having a muse like the ever-so-sleek Apple. The new navigation will include tabs for Home, Shows, Movies, and My Netflix (your personal binge-watch butler), making it easier than ever to find content. This redesign feels like we’re getting a big upgrade straight to the front of the plane. Fingers crossed this testing goes down well, we’re excited for a good glug of binging OJ, without all of the bits.
