iKOMG: From Trailblazing Startup to Market Leader in Content Distribution
by Elisabeth Tweedie
Pfaeffikon, Switzerland, September 3, 2024--In 2016 two young entrepreneurs Shmulik Koren and Shlomi Izkovitz left RR Media to start their own broadcast solution company: iKO Media Group (iKOMG). At the time they were regarded as the upstarts, or in the words of Koren,”a couple of crazy people.” But they were two people, with a vision and big ideas.
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| Shmulik Koren |
It was apparent to the founders that the DTH and cable businesses were going downhill. They were expensive services, as bundling meant that viewers were inevitably paying for additional content that they didn’t want. From day one, iKOMG’s key focus was on the viewer and the viewing experience, even though it was not selling directly to the viewers, but to the content owners and channel providers.
The vision - that providing a superior viewing experience, means that everyone wins, simply because if audiences are engaged, they won’t churn away to other channels – is what has driven the growth of the company. With this focus iKOMG has been responsible for introducing several innovative services.
One of the company’s most visionary ideas, was the introduction of e-Sports to the television. Previously confined to computers, laptops and mobile devices, e-sports is a market experiencing rapid growth. According to Mordor Intelligence, this year the global market is valued at US$2.11 billion, and projected to grow to US$5.27 billion by 2029, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.5%. No longer an amateur pastime, playing e-sports is a serious global business, with amateur, local and professional leagues, as well as international championships, attracting sponsorships from global brands and celebrities. In addition, traditional sports clubs are forming their own e-sports teams. In the US, several universities and colleges, including Shenandoah University in Virginia, Ohio State University and Becker College in Massachusetts, are offering degrees in e-sports. The University of California, Irvine is even offering scholarships to the top six players each year.
The idea for taking e-Sports to the TV came about because iKOMG became aware that many of its IPTV and DTH customers were having a major issue with churn. Given its focus on the consumers’ viewing experience, it wanted to find a way to help with that. The solution was to offer an entirely new service: a bouquet of HD e-Sports TV channels, including video-on-demand (VOD) channels, free advertising supported TV channels (FAST) and a live eSports channel. Although launched only a few months ago, on several Eutelsat satellites, eCLUTCH, as the service is known, is already getting a lot of interest, which is hardly surprising given how innovative this approach is. iKOMG is already in discussions with over 30 IPTV and DTH players.
Currently only available in the Middle East and Europe, it is planned to be launched in North America next year.
Currently, eSports and games are primarily distributed via streaming platforms and social media, so by integrating a comprehensive multiscreen strategy, encompassing both linear and video-on-demand (VoD) channels, and live events, eCLUTCH sets a new standard, and creates a new environment for consuming eSports and games. This multi-screen approach, not only facilitates a seamless viewing experience across multiple devices, it also brings eSports into the living room, creating the possibility for a shared experience. As Koren said, “you watch movies with your kids that you don’t necessarily want to see, but because you want to spend time with them. Bringing e-Sports to the TV is another way of sharing experiences with them.”
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“The eCLUTCH platform represents a groundbreaking hybrid approach to delivering eSports content directly to the primary screens in households across Europe. This initiative is particularly innovative because it transcends the traditional limitations of eSports and gaming content, which was predominantly distributed via streaming platforms and social media. By integrating a comprehensive multiscreen strategy that encompasses linear channels, Video on Demand (VOD) content, FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels, and live events, eCLUTCH is setting a new standard for how eSports content is consumed. This multiscreen approach not only facilitates a seamless viewing experience across different devices but also ensures that high-quality, engaging content is accessible on the main screen of the house, bringing the excitement and community feel of eSports into the living room,” added Koren.
Unsurprisingly, e-Sports is a young person game, with 24% of players being under 18. Part of the rationale for bringing e-Sports to television, was not directly aimed at those teenagers, who tend to prefer mobile devices anyway, but was aimed at their parents. As Koren said, “you watch movies with your kids that you don’t necessarily want to see, but because you want to spend time with them. Bringing e-Sports to the TV is another way of sharing experiences with them.”
It seems obvious now, as it has become so universal, but iKOMG was also responsible for the introduction of the on-screen electronic program guide (EPG) for satellite viewers, so that viewers would be able to see the schedule of up-coming programs on the TV screen. This service is still offered as part of a bundled package free-of-charge to all its customers.
Other innovative services include iKOQ and iKOPLUS. The former lets viewers click on a QR code to find out more about a topic. For example, during a travel program, a viewer would be able to find out more about a location or hotel and even make a booking. The latter, essentially moves the Master Control Room (MCR) to a channel owner’s laptop or PC. A return link from each location is shown, so that any glitches in playout in a particular geographic area, can be swiftly identified and corrected, before irate viewers take to social media to vent their annoyance.
Although iKOMG has a strong presence in Europe, Middle East and the Americas, it is also focused on expansion in North America, playing a significant role in the growing evangelist TV niche.
No longer the upstart, iKOMG is one of the major players in the media services market, offering up and downlinks to over 40 satellites as well as global fiber connectivity. With over 620 customers for ground services, iKOMG is a one-stop shop, providing content ingest, aggregation and distribution services. A year ago, iKOMG merged with STN, a leading teleport media services player in Slovenia. Mitja Lovsin, CEO, STN. Became a partial owner of the newly consolidated company under the iKOMG banner. This merger benefitted customers from both companies, offering them an expanded coverage and range of services, including satellite broadcasting, cloud services, playout management, disaster recovery, OTT and advanced solutions for channel monitoring as well as additional ways to engage viewers, so reducing churn for channel providers. The merger is going well, common back-office systems are in place, and all occasional use (OU), sporting events and major outside broadcasts have been moved to Slovenia.
From two people with a vision, iKOMG is now a significant force in media services. No longer restricted to the Tier 3 and 4 channels, but with the resources, skills and technology to bid for major projects. iKOMG has been bidding to provide services to a major French broadcaster, since its inception. This year, it won the contract.
The playout market is expanding. According to Technavio, the market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of (CAGR) of 22.26% between now and 2028, adding US$3.43 billion to its value. iKOMG with both the vision and technology is well positioned to take a significant portion of that growth.
In the words of David Treadway, Chairman of iKOMG, “Innovation is not just about new technologies. It’s also about new ways of thinking about the way we do business. We need to be willing to challenge the status quo and come up with new ideas.” So far, iKOMG is doing very well on that score.
Related Articles:
iKO Media Group and STN to Merge
Interview with iKO MG Chairman of the Board David Treadway
MarketBrief report on Innovations in Satellite Services
eCLUTCH and Leading Esports Channels Make a Dynamic Entrance into Europe
Swiss Powerhouse iKOMG & AlvaLinks Unveil the Enhanced iKOVIEW – Broadcasting Redefined!
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Elisabeth Tweedie is Associate Editor of the Satellite Executive Briefing has over 20 years experience at the cutting edge of new commmunications entertainment technologies. She is the founder and President of Definitive Direction (www.definitivedirection.com), a consultancy that focuses on researching and evaluating the long-term potential for new ventures, initiating their development, and identifying and developing appropriate alliances. She can be reached at: etweedie@definitivedirection.com
