Large-Scale Consumer Study in 12 Countries was conducted by Millward Brown Optimor, creators of the BrandZ study of Brand Strength and Value.
June 7, 2012 – FOX International Channels (FIC) released the key findings from a major consumer survey of television viewers over the last six months. The goal of the survey, conducted by Millward Brown Optimor (MBO), was to measure consumer satisfaction with Pay TV services, understand their motivations to subscribe, and gauge levels of brand strength for various Pay Television brands.
The most notable finding of the survey was the high level of brand satisfaction and loyalty that viewers expressed for the two biggest brands in the FIC portfolio: FOX in entertainment, and National Geographic Channel (NGC) in the factual genre. In Asia, NGC ranks consistently in the top four in terms of brand familiarity.
The survey was conducted in 12 markets with 14,000 respondents, both current and potential pay TV subscribers, in Europe, Asia and Latin America earlier this year by Millward Brown Optimor, the creators of the widely-cited BrandZ study of consumer brands. MBO, part of Millward Brown, one of the top brand researchers in the world, is the only firm which factors financial value into brand strength findings.
According to Nick Cooper, Managing Director of MBO, “We were struck in the findings at how consumers really do care about brands, not just content. In this global market study, we found that FIC has two major brands in their portfolio that are highly valued by viewers around the world and add significant value to platforms. Both the National Geographic Channel and FOX would be among the few around the world that can make that claim. The role of strong channel brands is more significant than many in the television business believe.”
“The findings of this survey confirm the leadership of our key brands in their respective genres,” said Zubin Gandevia, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, FOX International Channels. “The popularity and brand strength of our channels result from our continued efforts to acquire the best content in both the entertainment and factual genres. This has helped FIC to remain the leading general entertainment network in Asia and NGC the dominant factual channel in the region.”
Other key findings of the study:
- The major factors motivating consumers to subscribe to Pay TV are 1) selection of channels 2) interest in watching more movies and 3) access to international programs.
- The majority (65%) of subscribers to Pay TV are satisfied with their experience, while only 39% of those with only Free TV are satisfied.
- Viewers desire greater connectivity and greater control over their viewing, valuing On-Demand Services, DVR capabilities, Internet Access to Content and Multi-Screen Multi-Room Capability
- FOX International Channels had three of the survey’s five top brands in familiarity: FOX, NGC and FOXLife.
- NGC ranked as the #1 brand in familiarity in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and India.
- STAR World ranks within the top five in brand familiarity in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and India.
When it came to the issue of how viewers valued international content vs. local content, those markets seeking more international content were largely those experiencing more rapid economic growth, generating an appetite for new and different programming than what has traditionally been offered. Those markets include Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia and Mexico. The one outlier here was India, where there continues to be a preference for locally produced programming. Despite those differences, there was not a single market in the study where respondents did not say that innovative programming is the number one factor that determines a good channel.
About FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 350 wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 37 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions reach over 1.1 billion households worldwide. We also operate a global online advertising unit .FOX (“dot-fox”) specialized in online video and display, and four TV production houses.
In Asia, FIC operates or distributes 32 channel brands, including the FOX, STAR and National Geographic brands, with over 100 feeds across 14 markets, As the leading pay-TV network in the region, FIC reaches more than 550 million cumulative subscribers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East with offices in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia, New Zealand and the UAE. For more information, please visit www.foxinternationalchannels.com.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Fleishman-Hillard
Cedric Vanhaver
Tel: +852 2111 5853
Email: cedric.vanhaver@fleishman.com
Shirley Lam
Tel: +852 2111 3171
Email: shirley.lam@fleishman.com
FOX International Channels
Kelly Jang
Tel: +852 2621 8875
Email: kelly.jang@fox.com