Over the last decade, on-demand offerings have seismically shifted. Once a niche service offered by hotels and content providers, digital streaming has now made video-on-demand content a daily consumer staple. As such, hotels need to match new consumer expectations.
Wondering how we got here and what to do next? Let’s dive into the monumental rise of streaming services, the diversity offered by the latest video-on-demand features, and why these services are essential to today’s in-room entertainment.
The Rapid Rise of Streaming Services
It is nearly impossible to compare Netflix vs. Video on Demand as we used to know it. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu have not only become the most popular types of on-demand content but the most popular way to access content period.
Consumer behavior has shifted thanks to almost universal access to content streaming. Whether on the go or at home, people have come to expect to be able to tune in to the content they crave. Gone are the inflexible days in which consumers had to depend upon traditional TV barriers and schedules to access in-demand content.
On-Demand Content and Hospitality
Video-on-demand services have been a staple in hotel rooms for decades. Now, they’ve evolved into a staple of everyday entertainment as well. Virtually every form of modern entertainment is accessible via streaming services. As such, it’s essential hotels update their video-on-demand services to stay relevant, and offer guests the streaming services they consume on a daily basis.
Hotels can support guest entertainment options in a variety of ways, from implementing streaming apps on in-room televisions to offering screencasting from visitor devices. However they do it, guests need access to their streaming favorites in order to be satisfied with their in-room entertainment experience.
Streaming Services Provide Diversity to the Guest Experience
As streaming services expand, so do the possibilities of video-on-demand content. Where VOD was once limited to movies, nearly every form of entertainment is now accessible via streaming services. In turn, hoteliers need every digital streaming tool available in their quiver to satisfy their guest’s content needs.
Here are just a few of the many ways video streaming growth has expanded video-on-demand, and why you need to offer each in your hotel room.
Television
Today, television might be even more dominant than film on the video-on-demand circuit. Streaming services offer access to both legacy television programs, such as classic sitcoms and procedural crime shows, and new series featuring Hollywood’s finest talent. Both of these options entice viewers to access television on streaming apps rather than through linear TV channels.
Many streaming services even offer access to shows airing on network television as they premiere. Several major networks run shows on cable and streaming platforms concurrently or put new episodes online immediately.
At this point, any television show not on streaming is an exception rather than the rule.
In tandem with this dominance, your IRE absolutely must allow guests to access television streaming. A bad streaming service can sour the guest experience.
Sports Broadcasts
Sports fans have access to expansive, flexible content through streaming.
Streaming services such as Hulu offer sports-centric add-ons. These extended plans showcase live sports, older games, documentaries, and exclusive analysis. Sports add-ons to streaming offer everything found through live sports on live TV, plus additional perks for hardcore fans to obsess over.
Some leagues, such as the NBA and NFL, even offer their own streaming platforms. Like the add-ons mentioned prior, these services bundle live sports with additional, exclusive content to drive viewership. Uniquely, these platforms also stream games outside of local markets and national broadcasting, letting hardcore fans watch their favorite teams wherever they travel.
Because sports fans expect access to their teams 24/7, your IRE (in-room entertainment) also needs to support that access. While providing traditional TV lineups may allow guests to watch local teams and national broadcasts, it might not promise availability for their favorite teams.
To really support sports fans, it’s best to offer access to both streaming and linear TV channel sports networks. Hardcore fans can keep watching their home teams, while gaining the option to check out a different local option as well.
Concerts and Live Entertainment
As consumers yearn to access more and more content from their homes, even live events have made the jump to streaming.
Music festivals such as Lollapalooza have partnered with streaming services to showcase top-billed talent online. Other artists have taken to individual deals, streaming their concerts live or offering concert films exclusive to streaming.
While less of an “essential” than other streaming options, hoteliers can offer access to live entertainment streaming as premium options to guests. Unlike movies and television, guests have yet to accept live entertainment streaming as a staple of everyday entertainment. In turn, they’ll be more likely to pay extra for these unique experiences, bringing your hotel the possibility of an additional source of revenue.
Access Powerful WiFi Networks to Support Streaming With Hospitality Network
Hospitality Network offers managed WiFi for hotels built to withstand high-bandwidth guest streaming. Our tiered WiFi solutions give guests pay the option to pay for your hotel’s highest level of speed while letting others stick to free options. Whatever network strength you need, Hospitality Network helps keep your hotel’s internet running smoothly, giving your guests the ability to enjoy a seamless streaming experience in their rooms.
Contact us today for a free consultation and learn more about how our networks support diverse, successful hotels and their streaming options.