Our clients include international streaming platforms and regional media groups looking to expand their video offering into high-growth emerging markets. For some, it was a first entry into a region; for others, a new service added to an existing footprint, such as a telco launching its own streaming service or a broadcaster moving into direct-to-consumer video.
The challenge
Emerging markets offer strong growth potential for video services, driven by young populations, rising smartphone adoption and expanding mobile data access. But they also carry real launch risks:
- Uneven connectivity: broadband and mobile data quality, cost and coverage differ sharply between and within countries, directly affecting the viability of streaming.
- Price sensitivity: willingness to pay and preferred payment methods (mobile money, prepaid, carrier billing) vary widely, making pricing and business model choices critical.
- Crowded and fragmented competition: global platforms, local players, pay-TV operators and piracy all compete for viewers’ attention.
- Content fit: local, regional and international content preferences differ from one market to another.
- Limited visibility: in many of these markets, reliable data on OTT usage, subscribers and device penetration is hard to find.
The solution
Dataxis provided each client with market-by-market datasets covering video usage, connectivity rates, household equipment, pricing benchmarks, competitive landscape and content availability.
Clients used this data to:
- prioritize launch markets by scoring countries on addressable audience, connectivity readiness and competitive intensity;
- size demand and build subscriber and revenue forecasts for each market;
- benchmark pricing against local and international competitors to set the right entry price point;
- choose the right business model, from subscription and ad-supported to hybrid offers or telco bundles;
- identify partners, such as telecom operators, pay-TV distributors or device makers, to accelerate distribution;
- shape content strategy based on local consumption patterns and competitor catalogs.
