A looming recession. Increased cord cutting. And nothing but opportunity for broadcasters.

 

According to Rodney Thompson, audiences are leaving linear platforms more and more often. Streaming usage has surpassed cable in July for the first time ever. This trend will only continue to increase when the looming recession causes users to switch from cable subscriptions to cheaper streaming and OTT options.

1. Make money!

OTT can be far more lucrative, which benefits your audience moving off linear. CPM rates for OTT are higher than broadcast. However, if you produce enough of the right content, you can rake in the revenue.

2. Use your competitive advantage

People can now get news as well as weather information from virtually anywhere in the world. Local broadcasters, on the other hand, offer unique regional knowledge and expertise. Pairing this expertise with trusted, recognized on-air talent creates news stories that competitors can’t match.

Weather is an effective bridge that can carry your audience from linear platforms to your OTT platform because weather is key to the audience’s viewing habits. 60% of consumers say the weather is a major reason they watch newscasts. Weather can proactively grab viewers’ attention, especially during severe conditions. Once they are on your platform, you can direct them to other news, while incorporating additional weather content between stories.

3. Your content must match the platform

When broadcasters made the transition from radio to TV, they could not simply show meteorologists speaking from behind a desk. They needed to optimize the presentation for a new medium, even if that meant utilizing chalkboards and large printed maps. Additionally, it is not enough to just repost TV broadcasts on a digital platform. You need content that is specifically formatted for OTT and takes advantage of unique features on these platforms. You may want to start by going straight into the forecast without any build-up to satisfy viewers who want a quick view of the weather. After the forecast, it may benefit your broadcast studio to offer information that your viewers can’t get from linear platforms. For example, you may want to consider taking around 3 minutes to explain the science behind the weather before referring viewers to another video with more information.

4. Create a content wheel

While on-air talent plays a huge role, you likely will not have enough staff to provide “always available” accurate, localized weather content. To complement your station’s personnel, you will need tools to generate a “weather content wheel”, which OTT users can use to access weather information whenever they need it.

The Weather Company provides solutions that accelerate the production of OTT content without straining resources. These include Max Cloud, Max Velocity, and Max Engage with Watson.