Rodrigo Lara Ibacache, Engineering Manager from Canal 13 from Chile, announced that the network analizes evolving with its own OTT, “13 Now”, towards a live multi-channel with a wide catalogue offer. “Since we have been with our OTT for so long, we see it as a possibility to continue to move forward by evolving towards a live multi-channel”, he explained. 

In the first day of Nextv Series South America, the panel called Evolution of FTA broadcasters’ OTTs gathered four speakers from Latin American Free to Air channels (Juan Carlos Guidabono, Operations and Technology Manager at América TV, Argentina; José Paris, General Manager from Unicanal, Paraguay; Diego Valdés Florenzano, General Editor of Digital Platforms of TVN Chile; and Lara Ibacache) to talk about their networks and how important is in their plans the possibility of creating an OTT. 

In the encounter, Rodrigo Lara Ibacache referred to “13 Now”, the free OTT from Canal 13 Chile, which started in 2017 as a VOD incorporated to their integral digital system. In addition to their large catalogue with content that’s streamed on their channel, they also use “13 now” as a platform to launch premieres before they are released on the Free to Air signals. 

In that same panel, Diego Scillamá, Regional Director (Latam South) of Harmonic, talked about the possibilities that FTAs have on monetizing their transmissions, and said that “addressed publicity has a value that multiplies several times the one from the broadcast”. 

Lastly, Charlie Deane, Director of Sales (Latin America) of Wildmoka, referred to the work his company does with FTA and their social media accounts, and explained how they could be used. “Nowadays, the relationship between social media and FTA is very intense, because of that, industrial tools are a necessity”, he said.