Over-the-top players are increasingly being courted for partnerships and revenue-sharing opportunities by fixed and mobile operators, claims a new report from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council. Some 44 per cent of telco marketers who participated in the CMO Council's new "Profitability from Subscriber Acuity" study during the second to fourth quarters of 2012 confirmed they are actively exploring deals with OTT service providers. Of particular note, 31 per cent are identifying potential revenue streams from new products or services that can be offered to OTT players, including subscriber analytics and behavioural insights, the report said. Just one year ago, a CMO Council study found that 88 per cent of telco executives surveyed considered OTT innovators as competitors, and only 6 per cent were actively forging partnerships. "This shift tracks with marketing's role of leading the charge for new market and revenue opportunities," said Liz Miller, vice president of programmes for the CMO Council. "Considering that research has put the potential revenue loss from OTT starting at $13.8 billion in 2011 alone, it is not surprising that telco marketers see OTT as an opportunity to exploit." Release
