Rising beyond Audience's Expectations with Content

Kay Madati, EVP & CDO, BET Networks

Embracing IoT Fads in the Media and Entertainment Industry

The way people consume content has changed, and BET Networks is meeting its audience at the intersection of content, creativity, innovation and technology. Our job, as content providers, is to understand how we can be ubiquitous.

BET’s audience fully embraces technology and lives on multiple screens. Our company remains a top 20 network among all audiences, and has consistently been the ‘number one’ network for the African- American audience from the past 35 years. According to Sharablee, a comScore platform, BET was one of the top 25 in the list of 2014’s most social brands. We are one of only four television networks to make the list, and we are the only multi-cultural targeted brand on the list.

Our consumers consistently turn to us to discover what’s hot, what’s next, and what matters. We want them to experience our content anywhere and everywhere they want – and at any time. So our job is to understand that and provide it 24/7.

As an example, being able to access the full range of linear content from the mobile app is the cost of entry in this new world.
 

Fans of Centric’s “Single Ladies” series move between different platforms and they have different expectations based on the platform they are using. No matter the consumer or the platform, we have to deliver the same energy and excitement around the fan experience that they have come to expect from the show.

BET is relentless in creating the best user experiences for the audience of trendsetters, buzz builders, and influencers who consume more content than other audiences. They want amazing multi-screen experiences that enable them to consume even more of the content they love – across all of our platforms – from a brand they trust.

Revamping the Infrastructure to Fit Digital Trends

BET Networks is a global brand, with a trendsetting audience, and an unrivaled position in the linear, digital and social space. We are unlocking more ways for our audience to watch, share, stream, download and fully engage with all of the network’s award-winning content. We are in the midst of an unprecedented shift in consumer content consumption and media habits.

The future will be a marriage between traditional and digital platforms, where there will be little distinction between what was previously thought of as traditional linear and digital delivery. We are leveraging the strength of the BET brand to create robust digital and social experiences.

Our focus is on delivering a rich mobile experience, best-in-class video and seamless multi-platform consumer experiences. More and more consumers are pivoting toward mobile first. We are preparing for a universe where they turn to mobile before their desktops and TVs. Whatever the screen, we will continue to deliver best-in-class video. And it is all wrapped up in user-centric experiences so consumers can move seamlessly between devices.

The companies that understand what consumers really want, and deliver on their expectations, are the ones who will win.