Media & Technology Digest - October 2020

Tim Westcott

Senior Research Manager

Tim manages the analyst teams behind Omdia’s coverage of channels and programming and advertising. Channels and programming monitors evolving channel revenue streams and TV and video production and distribution. The advertising service tracks revenue from all media types, with a particularly strong focus on the fast-developing online and addressable advertising space. 

Tim joined Omdia’s predecessor company Screen Digest in 2004, where his areas of focus included TV production, animation, sports rights, and public broadcasting. He also edited more than 100 editions of the monthly Media and Technology Digest (formerly Screen Digest). Before that, Tim worked at the European Audiovisual Observatory in Strasbourg, France, and in a variety of journalism roles including the Financial Times Group, EMAP (now Ascential), and Television Business International. He holds a Master of Arts (Hons.) degree in English literature from Trinity College, Cambridge. He speaks fluent French and is based in London.

Maria Rua Aguete

Senior Research Director

Maria Rua Aguete leads the strategic development of the media team and manages its day-to-day operations, tracking the continuing evolution of global service providers and operators. Maria first created the team while at Screen Digest, which became part of IHS Markit. 

The team’s research on service providers is deep and extensive, leveraging long-standing relationships with operators in all of the 70+ markets covered by the group, resulting in the most comprehensive source of television and operator market intelligence in the world. 

Maria is also a regular contributor to various reports, including the European Cable Yearbook, and she has led or has been a significant contributor to many consulting projects for high-profile media and technology companies, including the market-launch and purchase plans of an emerging television group, a Latin America DTT platform for a major channel group, and a satellite pay-TV provider for a private equity group. 

She has also performed commercial due diligence on a cable TV components business for a major international bank; a competitive review and strategic analysis for a major international channel operator; a comprehensive review of investment opportunities in the European cable market for a venture capital group; and a market report and due diligence on a localization services (dubbing/subtitling) company for an investment bank. 

Maria has collected many accolades throughout a storied career, and she is one of only 11 Technology Fellows named by IHS Markit during her time at the company, an honor that recognizes her deep expertise and exceptional standing within the analyst community. 

Maria holds a first class degree in economics and business studies from Vigo University in Spain, and an MBA from Cardiff Business School in Wales. She is a regular speaker at events like IBC and Mobile World Congress.   

Rob Gallagher

Research VP, Consumer

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Rob leads the team behind Omdia’s global research on media and entertainment, digital consumer platforms, addressable consumer devices, and consumer artificial intelligence. He is also responsible for Omdia’s cross-sector Connecting the Dots thought-leadership program.

Rob specializes in providing advice about convergence and disruption to the world’s leading consumer TMT companies. Recent highlights include running a workshop series on the US tech giants’ outlook, building a ""one version of the truth"" market-sizing model for a major digital platform, and quantifying the revenue upside of 5G for media and entertainment up to 2030 for a leading chip maker. Rob began his career in 2000 as a journalist covering internet access, e-commerce, and digital media. Since joining Informa (now Omdia) in 2003, he has led the expansion of the company’s coverage of innovative consumer services and technologies.