Page 62 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 2 2011

62 | ISSUE 2 2011 | THE CHANNEL
THE CHANNEL | PROFILE
NAME Daniel Adams
JOB Head of International
Content
COMPANY Dailymotion
PRO
FILE
strategy consultant, primarily
advising traditional media companies
considering how to adapt their
businesses in the light of the impact
of the internet. Clients included
EMI, Fremantle Media and NatGeo.
This led me to Livestation, the
company I helped to grow prior to
joining Dailymotion. Livestation is
an interesting internet start-up
which focuses on live streaming TV
news online. I initially joined as a
consultant but ended up working
there for 2½ years, eventually as the
Managing Director.
When I joined Livestation it had
just launched its website. It now has
around 10m monthly unique viewers
watching a mixture of free and
premium live news channels like
BBC and CNN on PCs, mobiles and
internet connected TVs.
As MD, I worked closely with TV
broadcasters to persuade them to
distribute their content on Livestation.
This required an appreciation for
the concerns and challenges media
companies have with online
distribution, as well as the benefits
the internet can bring them. It was
during this time that I was
introduced to Dailymotion and I
joined in March 2011.
ABOUT DAILYMOTION
Dailymotion is one of the world’s
largest online video platforms,
offering users a huge catalogue of
general entertainment content
including film, sport, music and
news. According to Comscore,
Dailymotion is the 29th most visited
website in the world, generating
111m unique visitors and more than
1.2bn video views every month.
Dailymotion offers the best
content from users, independent
content creators and premium
partners in the media and
entertainment industries. Using the
most advanced technology for both
users and content creators,
Dailymotion provides HD video in a
fast, easy-to-use online service. The
website offers a high quality user
experience across all digital devices
(computers, mobile devices,
connected TVs and tablets).
It is available around the world in
15 different languages and 32
MY CAREER
I am now the Head of International
Content at Dailymotion, but my
journey into media began with law.
After graduating in law from
University College London, I worked
for Olswang, a large London law
firm which specialises in advising
businesses in the media industry.
This was where I was first exposed
to the media industry, working with
all sorts of companies, from large
corporates to broadcasters to fledgling
start-ups. It was the time of the
internet bubble so I was able to see
firsthand the prolific rise of internet
companies and the subsequent
fallout when the bubble burst.
I left private practice and moved
to AOL, where I worked with the
business development team
negotiating deals with strategic
business partners, from an online
dating service to a mobile company
to Google. I was also closely
involved in the launch of AOL's new
portals around Europe.
Eventually, I decided that I
wanted to expand from a legal role
into a position with a straight
commercial focus. So I left AOL to
study for an MBA at Oxford
University. I really enjoyed finding
myself as a student again in an
environment where I could meet
and learn from a fantastically
diverse group of classmates.
After my MBA I worked as a
localised versions featuring local
home pages and local content.
Dailymotion currently has a strong
presence in France and the US, with
approximately 18m unique monthly
visitors in each market. The website
already works with a variety of
content partners, including
broadcasters, record labels and
sports rights holders.
Early in 2011 Orange acquired a
49% in Dailymotion for €58.8m.
Orange has an option to acquire the
rest of Dailymotion in 2013.
The deal will increase Orange’s
ability to deliver new services to
mobile phones and other devices, as
well as new potential international
offerings. It also gives Orange
access to an increasingly
multiplatform and international
distribution mechanism. In addition
to its web presence, Dailymotion
has iPhone, iPad and Android apps
for mobile distribution.
LATEST INITIATIVES
I am very keen to continue to grow
Dailymotion’s premium content
catalogue to include high profile
events such as live streaming music
concerts and sports matches. Since
May we streamed our first ever live
football match, between Zenit St
Petersburg and Bayern Munich, as
well as the Primavera music festival
from Barcelona, featuring artists
like PJ Harvey, Pulp and Nick Cave.
This is another step towards
delivering even more excellent
content that will continue to grow
our audience and revenue globally.
FUTURE STRATEGY
My role is focused on international
markets – this is effectively every-
thing apart from France and the US.
I oversee a growing team of content
acquisition managers and editors
operating in key markets around the
world. We are accelerating our
content acquisition efforts as well
as strengthening existing relation-
ships with key content partners.
We’re working hard to set up
strategic partnerships – and are
keen to hear new opportunities.
OUTLOOK
Exciting times ahead! ■
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w.dailymotion.com