Entrepreneur Craig White, Founder Of EzyFlix.tv, Shares Video On Demand Insight

Tell me a little bit about how your experience led you to develop EzyFlix.tv

Over the past few decades, I’ve witnessed format changes in both content and hardware that are built upon the very simple and universal idea that all consumers will inevitably gravitate towards products and services that offer convenience, accessibility, value and a great experience.

Entertainment has always been my passion, and it’s an “evergreen” proposition with technology a key driver in continuously delivering improved convenience, availability, value and a great user experience across platforms.

For example, I was gifted my first CD in 1986  and from that moment on, I never again bought a blank cassette. In 2003, I bought my first of many lost, stolen or upgraded iPods. At the same time, I witnessed the growth of home entertainment, made more accessible and affordable by the humble VHS tape, and the convenience delivered by a boom in video stores in the 1980’s and 1990’s. With the advent of the DVD, I also witnessed virtual obliteration of the preceding VHS formats, just as I had seen twice before in the music industry.

During my time as the head of sales for 20th Century Fox, I came to intimately understand both consumer insights and the industries economics, but it wasn’t until 2008, when iTunes launched with downloadable film and TV shows, that I was truly spurred on to start something for myself. I truly realised the power of new technologies and services and I decided that I wanted to be at the forefront of the next evolution of entertainment. That’s how EzyFlix was born.

Even though Netflix has yet to officially come to Australia, it’s the country’s second most popular paid media platform. What does Access Digital Entertainment need to do to edge out the competition?

Netflix and subscription video on demand services like Quickflix, Presto and even Nine’s StreamCo offer older content for a monthly fee. This is akin to the “weekly” section of a video store. EzyFlix.tv’s core proposition is that it offers the latest release movies from all major Hollywood studios that Netflix and others do not have access to for many months, or even years.

In that sense, our core competition is actually Apple and Google and our point of difference is that unlike either of these companies, we provide content that can be accessed on both Apple’s iOS and Google’s android devices, as well as Smart TV’s.

Each year since its 2012 launch, ADE has stepped up its game, including launches of Chromecast and Disc-2-Digital services, plus a unique Samsung alliance in 2014. What does 2015 hold?

ADE still has some very exciting news to come in 2014!  In 2015 and beyond, however we’ll be taking our technology platform to other players and markets. We also have very bold, innovative ideas around technology offerings that are in the early research and development stages, and we are aiming for 2015 release.

As an entrepreneur familiar with the startup culture, what leadership advice do you have for current and future entrepreneurs in Australia?

It begins with a US baseball analogy that rings very true – “Opportunity involves risk, you can’t steal second base with one foot still on first”. But beyond the quick quips, the reality is that successful ideas and businesses, requires the right stimulus, strategy, sequence, adaptation and serendipity.

What is the best leadership advice you’ve been given?

That extraordinary success requires a tremendous amount of personal application.