Aine Moriarty, CEO, Irish Film and Television Academy with Virgin Media CEO Tony Hanway. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography
Digital disruption of media means more people are consuming more media on more devices, which heralds a bright future for TV and digital services, according to Virgin Media Ireland chief executive Tony Hanway.
Hanway said that Ireland has a growing appetite for time-shifted TV viewing.
He was speaking at the Irish Film and Television Academy breakfast in Dublin today (6 September).
“Despite the disruption caused by new technologies and services, the fact is that people are consuming more media than ever before on whatever device they choose to watch it on,” Hanway said.
‘All things considered, we see tremendous opportunities with a bright future for TV and advanced digital services’
– TONY HANWAY, VIRGIN MEDIA
“The challenge for the overall industry is to accurately measure and respond to the changing needs of a more diverse audience.”
Cable guy
Hanway said that the lines are being blurred between what we considered traditional networked-computing via internet connectivity and mainstream entertainment on any device.
“In Ireland, there is a growing demand for time-shifted TV viewing, particularly in relation to recording, replay and on-demand channels,” he explained.
“This is driving increased demand for our high-speed broadband and connected services with usage on our network increasing year by year.
Hanway said that cable broadband and TV providers like Virgin Media need to move with the times, which explains the company’s acquisition strategy that saw it acquire TV3 last year and UTV this year. In 2014, Virgin (then UPC) acquired Wi-Fi operator Bitbuzz.
“At Virgin Media, we believe that our market-leading superfast broadband allows us offer a greater breadth of services and content.
“We’re ensuring that our customers get the best connected experience in the marketplace, including strong local content and programming from around the world across all genres and every platform, from broadcast and cable to online and mobile.
“Consumers have more freedom to view what they want, on their device of choice and all at a time of their choosing. All things considered, we see tremendous opportunities with a bright future for TV and advanced digital services,” Hanway said.
