Fueling Deutsche Welle’s global content strategy with an IP-powered approach
The media industry is evolving faster than ever before. Technology shifts, content innovation, and changes in consumer behaviors are merging to open up limitless new opportunities. But to thrive amid an ongoing and fast-paced digital revolution, organizations need the confidence to meet new challenges head-on, while contending with a host of complexities.
Surging demands for global content consumption across an explosion of devices and platforms have pressurized the traditional video transport chain. In today's streaming-first, always-on era, media companies need alternatives to satellite and fiber to enable efficient scale and multi-platform reach across new and emerging distribution channels, including social media, direct-to-consumer services, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
Many global media organizations are already harnessing the benefits of IP-based transport. LTN champions IP — it’s in our DNA. The LTN Network is the world’s fastest and most reliable IP multicast network, and we’re working closely with our global customers daily to future proof their video transmission workflows through our IP-first approach. With a forward-thinking content strategy and a bold technology mindset, German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) partnered with LTN to stay ahead of the curve.
Powering Deutsche Welle to global success
At LTN, we’re proud to team with world-leading media organizations and help them bring cutting-edge content experiences to viewers wherever they are watching. Deutsche Welle (DW) is one the most distinguished global media outlets in the world, bringing high-quality journalism across 32 languages to international audiences.
DW, a pioneer in digital distribution workflows, needed a partner to help it reliably transition from satellite to IP and expand its distribution footprint through a multicast-enabled transmission network. LTN’s ultra-reliable, low-latency multicast network equips DW with mission-critical scalability, empowering the media brand to deliver its rich content offering to more dedicated regional audiences worldwide. Scale is vital in the race for viewers – but flexibility is just as important. Our open and connected Network strategy underpins customized, interoperable workflows that seamlessly integrate with DW’s existing hardware, software, and technology investments.
Keeping up with instantaneous and fast-moving distribution demands requires best-in-breed technology. Media outlets like DW need to be able to acquire content in one format and subsequently deliver that content in a multitude of different formats to various platforms and protocols as required. Partnering with LTN means brands like DW can design workflows around their existing technologies and delivery protocols such as SRT and RIST while achieving guaranteed reliability and peace of mind through the LTN Network.
LTN’s open and agnostic managed IP network provides the foundation for live media workflows at scale, regardless of first and last-mile technologies, while managing and controlling the complexities of internet transport. Media organizations looking to kickstart the transition to IP need technology partners that can support a full range of transmission methodologies to fit their hybrid needs and existing infrastructures. Only then can they seamlessly bring their live video content from one source to multiple endpoints cost-efficiently, reliably, and with maximum quality and scalability.
Tailored foundations for a customized future
The shift to IP is a question of when, and not if, for forward-thinking players in media and entertainment. IP transmission unlocks a myriad of opportunities, providing the foundation for greater multi-platform reach, reliability, and monetization. Underpinned by IP infrastructure, broadcasters and rightsholders can turbocharge viewership through content customization and versioning. Customization has never been as crucial as it is today — media owners need to reach audiences with tailored and locally relevant content to drive subscriber retention, global reach, and value. But traditional satellite transport technology limits the number of possible channel variations, holding organizations back and curbing creativity.
Embracing managed IP transmission is the answer to unlocking customization at scale and driving growth. However, moving to IP isn’t a one-size-fits-all task — and it isn’t always straightforward. LTN understands this, and our partner-led, customer-centric approach is designed to help our clients migrate to IP as seamlessly and flexibly as possible. Eliminating complexity and enabling growth for our customers is at the core of the LTN Network, and it’s what empowers creative media powerhouses like Deutsche Welle to reach more viewers across the globe and thrive, today and in the long run.