The third and final day of NEM Dubrovnik 2024 brought focus on cutting-edge technology which is daily enhancing the way TV industry operates. During an all-morning coffee powered by TV Product Showcase, the organizers inform.

A highly anticipated Q&A session was the one of Monty Sarhan, CEO, SkyShowtime. Sanja Božić-Ljubičić welcomed the keynote speaker to the stage for his second consecutive year at NEM Dubrovnik. During the conversation, Sarhan brought insights from SkyShowtime's recent milestone—the launch of their ad-supported plan across all 20+ markets, including Central and Eastern Europe.

“For us, it's about giving consumers more choice and flexibility as they look for more affordable options when it comes to streaming. People are talking about streaming fatigue, and there are more services taking up wallet share. We wanted to maintain being good value for money”, said Mr. Sarhan and asked: “Why wouldn't we give consumers in the CEE the same level of choice and options that we're giving to consumers in other markets?"

As for the new content planned for release, Lionsgate held a screening of their new series Fake. Also, Keshet International and TV NOVA/VOYO presented hit spy thriller Extractors. Inspired by true events, this six-part drama tracks the activities of a covert Czech intelligence unit tasked with rescuing and repatriating endangered Czech citizens from abroad and bringing them home.

The growing responsibility of producers was discussed by Ákos Erdős, CEO, Paprika Studios Group during the TV Show vs. Content Q&A session: “It all comes down to relevant local storytelling. It is easier to produce for a larger country than for a smaller country; it's definitely budget related. The formats are becoming broader, the genres are opening up, and they're getting closer to each other. The same goes for long-form and short-form content. As much as everyone is looking for a solution to capture the audience, especially the younger audience, you need to consider the focus and time spent on each piece of content. The attention span is very short, and we need to adapt".

Three innovative tech companies had their say during TV Product Showcase, a special platform for companies developing ground-breaking solutions: Gcore, Answers and Bunny.net.

The first session of the day, The Unscripted Quest: Hunting for the Next Hit Format, tried to define what is the future of the unscripted format. Panelists from renowned companies Fremantle International, ZDF Studios, ITV Studios, IDTV, CME and Asacha, compared the situation in the CEE and the rest of Europe.

The panel Pain or Drain – Intelligence Driven Video Distribution sponsored by NPAW and Backscreen promoted the benefits of educated decisions for product, content and advertisement. Companies that participated on the panel were Sky Switzerland, Alika Media and Tech and Cosmote TV OTE S.A.

FAST and AVOD services are on the rise and are being followed by SVOD services in terms of adding ads to their platforms. Panelists of the New Era of Advertising panel tried to predict market trends when it comes to addressable advertising in the CEE. What is the future of sophisticated and data-driven techniques to deliver targeted and personalized advertisements to viewers? Companies who answered that question were Tivio Studio, Ateme, Amagi Corporation and BIG Picture.

The TV Operators (Telcos) as Streamers panel gathered speakers from Telekom Serbia, Deutsche Telekom AG, POP TV and A1 Telekom Austria Group. They discussed telcos entering the streaming space with their existing infrastructure and impacting the industry by bundling streaming services and channels in the CEE region.

The day ended with a big celebration at club Lazareti in Dubrovnik’s Old City where Pickbox marked its first ten years of successful business across seven markets in the CEE. The party 10 Years of Pickbox: A Decade of Stories from Stream to Screen gathered friends and partners of the company and it’s both brands – streaming service Pickbox NOW and linear pay-tv channel Pickbox TV. “Ten years of excitement and hard work. Thanks to the dedication of our team and the support of our partners, Pickbox has come a long way – from being the first streaming service in the region and changing audience habits to being available in many households through two brands in seven territories. Thank you all for believing in us!”, said Sanja Božić-Ljubičić, CEO, Pickbox, Mediatranslations, Mediavision and NEM.