This is a little delayed, but given that we’re wrapping up 2020, it’s right on time, I guess. Over the past months, I’ve gotten into several discussions on ‘content.’ And more often than not, I get this confused gaze depending on which side of the coin I’m talking to. If I’m talking to industry colleagues in music or film, it’s ahhh — you’re talking about music or film. If I’m talking to generalist venture colleagues, it’s ahhh — you’re talking about social media, blogs, and content marketing. And when I speak to civilian colleagues, it’s ohhh — you’re talking about TikTok or Instagram content.

They’re all right in context — though the content is so much more. And before I dig a bit deeper into the content wars (aka streaming wars) series, I thought it would be best to quickly define the extent of what content is first.

In publishing, art, and communication, content is the information and experiences that are directed toward an end-user or audience. Content is “something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts” — Wikipedia

It all seems pretty obvious, but it’s extensive when it comes to realizing what content is.

I pulled the following chart from Triumph Entertainment’s investor deck:

This is far from a complete list, but in essence, content is all around us, and depending on the medium, can be monetized or leveraged for optimal viewing numbers. And on top of the content, there are other touchpoints that can be translated into layered content. Here’s an example:

If we take 1 single NBA game of, let’s say, LA Lakers vs. GS Warriors. That’s one form of content, right? Yes and no. In addition to just the game itself, there are layers of content and content creation happening from that single event:

Tickets to watch the game (in person)
o The game itself
o Social media coverage from fans
o Advertising content in the arena

TV broadcast
o Live & Delayed telecast
o Replays and Highlights
o Advertising and commercials during the game
o Advertising in the arena on screen

Video streaming
o Live & delayed streaming
o Targeted advertising and commercials
o Replays and highlights

Live sports radio
o Live local sportscast radio
o Targeted advertising

Digital Media
o Online coverage & blogs after the game
o Targeted advertising

From a single event, regardless of medium, multiple forms of content can be created and utilized. I may have oversimplified it above and missed on a few touchpoints, but hopefully, it gets my point across — that content can be anything as long as there is someone to experience it.

And in the case of the Content Wars or more popularly known as the Streaming Wars, content is of utmost importance. But for streamers — is it the size of their content library that matters most? Or is it the quality or the content creators involved? Or is it the number of hours their subscribers spend on their platforms?

So let’s continue…

My next post will get into the value of series based content vs. feature films. What do streamers value more, and what metrics do they use to measure their own internal success.

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