Abstract:

With the increase of digital content copyright and users’ awareness of payment, the subscription model of online video platforms is gradually accepted by users. This paper, focusing on the industry chain structure of video platforms in the three digital content provision modes of platform exclusive subscription, platform exclusive free, and dual-platform syndication competition, investigates the interactive decision-making of optimal subscription fee and advertisement placement between content providers and video platforms in the three modes. The results show that the choice of a specific profit mode for video platforms depends on the interaction between content characteristics such as digital content production cost, unit advertising revenue, and the discount factor for consumers to watch free videos. When the cost of digital content production is low, the solo-subscription mode can maximize video platform profits. When the cost of digital content production is high, the dual-platform syndication-competition mode is conducive to achieving a Pareto improvement in the levels of consumer utility, content provider profits, video platform profits, and social welfare. The solo-free mode reduces the overall level of social welfare to a certain extent. These findings can provide useful management insights for operational decision-making of video platforms and content providers as well as the development of the online content industry.

Key words:

video platform, content provider, subscription fee, advertise placement

摘要：

随着数字内容版权及用户付费意识的增加，网络视频平台的订阅模式逐渐被用户接受。针对平台独播-订阅、平台独播-免费与双平台联播-竞争3种数字内容提供模式下的视频平台产业链结构，研究内容商和视频平台在3种模式下的最优订阅费与广告投放量的互动决策。研究结果表明，视频平台具体盈利模式的选择取决于数字内容生产成本、单位广告收益等内容特征与消费者观看免费视频的折扣系数之间的相互作用。当数字内容生产成本较低时，独播-订阅模式能够实现视频平台利润最大化；当数字内容生产成本较高时，双平台联播-竞争模式有利于实现消费者效用、内容商利润、视频平台利润和社会福利水平的帕累托改进；独播-免费模式在一定程度上会降低整体社会福利水平。研究结论可为视频平台和内容商的运营决策以及在线内容行业发展提供有益的管理启示。

关键词:

视频平台, 内容商, 订阅费, 广告投放