“Mobile distribution really is the catalyst that will turn this whole decline of television argument on its head,” said Viacom CEO Bob Bakish in his opening keynote conversation at the Variety Entertainment Summit at CES. The daylong media and advertising-oriented gathering drew capacity audiences to sessions focused on disruption and opportunities in a dynamic and vastly different media landscape. Bakish knows that 5G will open new distribution channels and autonomous cars will remove “the last vestige of video-free environment.”

5G promises to greatly enhance the OTT viewing expanse and drive market growth. “We are active in the OTT space,” he said. “We are also active in the SVOD space through our third-party production business.”

That Viacom sees value in an expanding video market is further evidenced by their acquisitions of VidCon and AwesomenessTV. “Our plan is fundamentally based on the assets we have,” he said, citing Viacom’s partnership with Facebook to stream MTV shows, as an example of how they are determined to keep their brands in front of consumers.

The C Space setting of the Summit at CES was the right environment for Bakish to recognize how new and emerging platforms encourage media companies to pioneer ad delivery that is far more dynamic and personalized.

Related:
Viacom CEO Bob Bakish: Mobile Will Be a Catalyst for the TV Industry, Variety, 1/9/19
10 Takeaways From Variety’s Entertainment Summit at CES 2019, Variety, 1/19/19