THE KEY TO LOCKDOWN THEATRE SUCCESS - How theatres can earn and interact with their audience through pay per view events - TicketCo

THE KEY TO
LOCKDOWN THEATRE
SUCCESS
How theatres can earn and interact with
their audience through pay per view events

          A white paper from TicketCo Media Services

          by Simon Baker of Wise Children
          and Jessica Goodfellow of TicketCo Media Services

Introduction

Pay-per-view events are no longer a small niche. They are mainstream.
Lockdown theatre has removed the physical limitations of theatre and
opened up for a huge global audience. We have seen audience numbers for
productions outnumber theatre capacity by several hundred percent. We are
witnessing new revenue streams, and we are seing theatres reconnecting
with their core audience as well as building new and valuable relations.

Digital pay-per-view events is a great remedy for theatres who are eager to
reconnect with their audience during the pandemic. But what is the success
recipe? Where do you start, and what do you need to take into consideration
if you want to go digital?

These questions were the base of a webinar hosted by TicketCo Media
Services in January 2021, where TicketCo’s Customer Success Agent Jessica
Goodfellow discussed relevant aspects of streaming with Wise Children’s
Technical Director (and recent winner of the ‘achievement in technical
theatre’ award at The Stage Awards) Simon Baker.

The webinar was a huge success, and it created a remarkable engagement
across the theatre industry in UK and abroad. It also caused a wish for a
transcript, as the many key takeaways presented by Jessica and Simon
during the webinar should be on every theatre manager or producers desk.

So here they are. Please enjoy this written webinar adaption of how theatres
can earn and interact with their audience through pay per view events.

Starting From Scratch

Live streaming over the past few years has become a major issue in our
entertainment consumption. The evolution of technology has changed how
people perceive entertainment as users, and has also changed how they are
distributed by production companies, media houses and independent
entertainment outfits.

Streaming creates an entirely new avenue for anyone who makes content.
The success of major platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime seemingly act
as a blueprint for most to follow; however, this streaming ecosystem is out of
reach to small and independent outfits who struggle to take advantage of it.

Simon Baker, Digital Producer of Wise Children, had no clue how to go about
streaming but quickly realised the general perception about streaming held
by the public is that it requires a lot of capital and technical know-how.

It is easy to understand how this became the generally accepted standard.
Netflix, which shall be continuously referred to due to their success, practices
a policy that sees them pay the top dollar for every employee working for
them. The vast disparity between a company with a billion-dollar valuation
and small-time startup not only affects the ease of doing business and
attaining respective objectives, but with a dire lack of information, hinders
others from wanting to give it a try as well.

It becomes apparent that the Netflix module is not the way to go, and there is
a need for a service that democratises streaming effectively. Services like
Twitch provide a great model for how streaming can be democratised
effectively; it becomes apparent that the issue is not the lack of technology
but one of application of technology.

Twitch sees millions of watchers daily viewing thousands of Twitchers
streaming from their home, offices, game rooms with minimal equipment: a
webcam, a headset with microphones and a great looking backdrop. Twitch's
success makes it clear that you can host a livestream with most of the things
you already have.

Microsoft had seen the potential in streaming and enticed by the prospects
had purchased for Mixer. Film, movies, games, concerts, shows and events;
streaming is possible for everyone. Simon highlights that it was during the
first lockdown period when he discovered Twitch through his son, who had
spent hours watching people play Minecraft from the comfort of their rooms.

Coming to this realisation, Simon decided to test the Livestreamwaters,
starting from scratch.

Pay Per View: Creating Paywalls

The film and gaming streaming ecosystem appear to be two sides of the
same coin, primarily working on the same technology, although they serve
users quite differently.

While film streaming is undemocratic and requiring high capital investment
from its entrants, it makes its value proposition clear. Netflix, Amazon Prime,
Disney Plus, and Apple TV have a clear way of putting a value on their
services. Most film streaming services are subscription-based whose content
is only accessible to paying users.

On the other side of the coin, is the game streaming ecosystem. Users can
enter the space with minimal equipment and low financial commitment;
however, its module seems to trade off profitability for democracy.
With a large percentage of streamers relying on tips and product
placements, the ecosystem makes for an unpredictable and unreliable way of
valuing content.

For businesses like Simon’s, it became apparent that to succeed in streaming
it is essential to find a responsible way to add a paywall to content in a way
that places value on the content it provides, supports it, and aids its growth.

Finding the balance or rather finding the right technology for this is what
Simon tried to work out.

The precarious loophole between democratising streaming and earning from
it is one of the major problems faced by small businesses and production
companies that have seen the potential in broadcasting streamed content.

For businesses like Simon’s, it became apparent that to succeed in streaming
it is essential to find a responsible way to add a paywall to content in a way
that places value on the content it provides, supports it, and aids its growth.

Finding the balance or rather finding the right technology for this is what
Simon tried to work out. The precarious loophole between democratising
streaming and earning from it is one of the major problems faced by small
businesses and production companies that have seen the potential in
broadcasting streamed content.

Small businesses and theatre outfits working with a host of elements to
provide content cannot afford to stream their events for free. Questions are
asked by licensing partners, rights holders and board members about getting
it right.

Netflix buys off rights and commissions directors and writers; smaller
companies cannot afford to do that. They have to find a way that allows
everyone to earn without bearing any extra financial burden, and that is
where Pay Per View comes in.

Simon found his answer in TicketCo, which provided him with a convenient
way to broadcast his stream while using a paywall. It allowed his viewers to
purchase tickets for his stream and tune in just in time to enjoy the content
they provide.

One of the many joys Pay Per View as offered by TicketCo is that the service to
the broadcaster is also pay-as-go. There are no initial set up costs or lengthy
contracts.

TicketCo offers an easy way to paywall your stream.

How TicketCo Supports

Simon Baker was relieved in finding TicketCo and the solution they provided
for his business. Here are some of its best features, as highlighted by Simon.

• TicketCo allows users to create events
• It provides tips on communication with your audience
• It is run with a human touch as TicketCo provides you with people to walk
you through every process of your livestream.
• Its Pay Per View module is what makes it convenient. No need for trials.

Cash flow is one of the questions asked by small businesses. Capital impedes
embracing new technology; however, with TicketCo event organisers and
theatres have little to worry about if they want to harness the streaming
technology available today.

TicketCo provides its customers with a comprehensive welcome pack that
makes it a bit easier for first-time streamers to begin a monetised and
controlled streaming experience.

It offers long-time streamers a structured way of earning while providing
everything they love about streaming.

Setting Up: The Production Element

The production element is one of the most daunting aspects of streaming. A
product is not meant to just serve its customers in a bid to generate revenue;
it is meant to give the customer all the knowledge it needs to harness the
technology that it offers it.

A nail gun is better than the hammer; it is way more efficient and way less
stressful, however, if you don't know how to use it, it might as well just serve
as a prop in your garage.

How Simon Baker Did It

Simon had made it clear what he wanted to achieve with Wise Children
through Livestream and finding TicketCo allowed him to effectively sell
tickets online for his show.

However, this did not eliminate the fact that the show had to be made, and
he had to serve his audience with quality production content if they were to
come back again. Simon did not want to work with film or TV production
companies; he had resolved to work with what they already had in order to
achieve the best possible results. Working with a budget of £15,000, Simon
effectively purchased all the equipment he needed through eBay,
independent shops and local stores near him.

Simon highlights that bigger is not always better, in production, and it is
imperative to understand your audience.

For Simon, he was able to find the balance between what Wise Children
needed, what they had and what they wanted to give their audience. He was
able to find the balance because he knew that most of his audience watched
in HD at 720p and 50% streamed from their phones.

This knowledge of his audience meant that Simon was able to broadcast a
quality production with his viewers in mind, on a tight budget.

Simon stresses the importance of looking within the team you already have
when considering the skills that could be important in the production
process. Although some organisations may be able to, it is worth
remembering that you may not necessarily need to outsource this skill set.

Ticket Buyers

Easing your audience into the experience is extremely important, particularly
with an increasingly detached buying experience for streaming services like
Netflix and non-existent value system like Twitch. Pay Per View streaming is
somewhat novel.

When a small business opts for Livestreaming via TicketCo, its audience has
to be eased in through the process. Tickets have been sold, and your
audience should be able to harness the technology you chose.

Simon highlights some of the questions posed by his ticket buyers when
Wise Children put out their first show.

• Fear of having the right technology to watch the stream
• Questions about the show itself

Simon confesses about being positively overwhelmed by the response, and
the company quickly discovered that they had to evolve their communication
with their audience. As a result, they worked on making language clearer,
reworking its copy and putting out more information on social media.

He points out changing terms like “Live Streaming” to “Live Broadcast” and
“Start Stream” to “Showtime” was incredibly beneficial for his audience who
tended to be regular theatregoers.

He also pointed out sending out emails 10 am on show day, and a repeat by 6
pm, helped to mitigate against last minute calls from viewers. As a result,
Wise Children saw a significant drop in the emails received by its second
show, whilst ticket sales stayed the same. The call rate also dropped from 10%
to 2%.

Success? Yes. TicketCo? Yes

Simon's journey into the live streaming sphere aided by TicketCo clarifies how
theatres can earn through Pay Per View and succeed through it. Wise
Children acts as an example of the success theatres can find in pay per view
partnering with the right service.

Romantics Anonymous, Wise Children's first show on TicketCo sold 11000
tickets and partnered with 32 theatres worldwide.

Wise Children played to 36000 people and employed 74 freelancers
throughout the year.