[Satellite TODAY Insider 09-30-10] The global television industry should adapt its business models to capitalize on interactive TV services as demand for content management and delivery services continues to evolve and change, according to a World Teleport Association (WTA) report issued Sept. 28.

   The WTA report, “Future TV and the Teleport,” presented research showing how service providers may gain or lose from the new interactive TV market, highlighting aspects that are most likely to affect how operators and providers explore the threats and potential opportunities interactive television will create.

   “Few can argue that the traditional business of linear television is morphing. Services are changing — from HDTV to 3DTV — while platforms are multiplying to encompass Internet delivery to the computer or tablet, streaming to the handheld device, download to PVRs and over-the-top services that embed a Web browser and Internet-delivered content into the familiar TV set,” the report said.

   WTA Executive Director Robert Bell wrote that interactive TV services are likely to produce an increasingly competitive business. “At the same time, the ‘walled garden’ approach to delivering exclusive content is coming under increasing pressure. Most of the service providers surveyed for this report saw a silver lining in the rising complexity and uncertainty about the future of TV. They expect it to be a net positive for the companies that host, manage and distribute video.”

   European telco operator France Telecom (Orange) was one of the first to launch interactive pay-TV services via satellite in its region. Xavier Couture, executive vice president of content, previously told Satellite TODAY Insider that his company adapted its strategy to blend satellite and telecom technologies to bring new content propositions to Orange’s customer base.

   “What people expect from a TV offer is, first of all, a large selection of channels, pay-TV options and VOD — which we already provide. But, they are increasingly asking for interactivity and multi-screen applications, and this is where we can make a difference. We have pioneered catch-up TV, interactive TV channels (Orange Sport), multi-screen TV (Orange Cinema Series) and 3-D TV. We will continue to build a new TV experience in partnership with leading TV channels and content players,” said Couture.