How interoperability transforms video experiences and drives industry innovation
Today’s media industry is more dynamic, complex, and evolutionary than ever before. Media companies must reinvent their business to remain competitive, leveraging agile teams and solutions with flexible opex models to stay competitive. The media landscape is progressing too rapidly to invest in capex-heavy infrastructure on an accelerated path to obsolescence.
Addressing market competition with cutting-edge video experiences is a necessity for modern media business strategies. Delivering richer content experiences to audiences can be achieved by streamlining and modernizing workflows across the supply chain.
Addressing market competition with cutting-edge video experiences is a necessity for modern media business strategies.
According to a 2020 research report from EY, over a third of the 358 global media and entertainment executives surveyed said their company would not exist in five years if they do not reinvent their business. Half of those executives surveyed stated they no longer rely on traditional business models. They also said the restructuring of operations remains a top priority for transformation for the rest of the year.
Vertical integration: Business challenge or opportunity?
The pace of change has picked up significantly in the last six months and, as a result, has altered the way content is created, consumed, and delivered. More companies are vertically integrating content and services in a move to remain competitive and relevant. The opportunity to harness technological advances to extend content platforms’ features means organizations are merging into new territory. As personalized content experiences increase in popularity, the challenge for content providers is finding the right technology solutions.
Vertical integration between services and content platforms opens new advertising revenue opportunities for broadcasters and content providers, fundamentally giving them a competitive advantage in the market. Broadcasters and content owners must establish new ways of working to produce more content in the most affordable way.
A forced capex model is something of the past. We see customers demanding solutions that reduce barriers to entry.
A forced capex model is something of the past. We see customers demanding solutions that reduce barriers to entry. The adoption of software-based technology creates a bridge to the future of video, enabling linear and digital teams to collaborate, while creation and monetization units drive coordinated growth.
This year alone, we have seen the successful launches of over-the-top
(OTT) streaming services from the big players, including Walt Disney’s
Disney+, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, and WarnerMedia’s HBO Max. Even niche
providers like esports streamer Twitch or the BBC and ITV’s BritBox have
made an immediate impact by unifying differentiated content experiences with streamlined delivery to their audiences. These media conglomerates manage both sides of the equation, successfully meeting the insatiable desire for content from consumers worldwide.
Offering unique content services that complement traditional products and channels is crucial. To meet this demand and deliver premium content successfully requires experimentation with solutions that can be spun up and spun down as needed across long-form, short-form, social, live, and on-demand content.
Reliable infrastructure solutions critical for live content
Creating live experiences is fundamental in reducing audience churn and engaging viewers across content genres.
These content genres include:
Content providers need to streamline workflows to manage and deliver live content experiences in near real-time, while live and non-live elements of production must merge seamlessly.
Creating live experiences is fundamental in reducing audience churn and engaging viewers across content genres.
However, not everyone wants to consume live content in real-time. There has been an uptick in audiences opting for on-demand services to consume content at their convenience. Some services are even experimenting with communal on-demand watching experiences. Despite cord-cutting, the average US household has continued to spend an almost identical amount on TV services every year — $900 — as they switch from individual high-cost cable and satellite contracts to multiple lower-price SVOD services, according to Ampere Analysis.
Technological transformation from old to new
The opportunities to leverage new technologies are not without their challenges. Strong vendor partnerships are essential for transitioning to and capitalizing on a mixture of accessible, scalable, and future-proof capabilities. The set of solutions needed today must support industry standards with broad and deep interoperability across all aspects of the supply chain. Interoperability between solutions helps drive functionality and streamline processes.
The technological shifts are occurring across:
- Traditional engineering to IT-based systems
- Linear platforms to targeted, OTT, and digital platforms
- Legacy satellite and fiber workflows to scalable internet-based transport
- SDI infrastructure to IP infrastructure
- Fixed capex models to flexible opex models
The power of interoperability and transformation of video
Driven by technology developments and customer needs, the demand for interoperability has grown in recent years. Integrated solutions are necessary to solve industry issues from creation and acquisition through monetization and delivery. End-to-end solutions help to deliver richer content to more targeted audiences, whether on-premises or in private or public clouds.
Integrated solutions are necessary to solve industry issues from creation and acquisition through monetization and delivery.
Transformative video experiences are critical, and solutions that seamlessly integrate creation, monetization, and delivery have the best chance of success. Content creators currently work with a growing array of suppliers — large, small, broad, or niche — requiring more management. Streamlining solutions through vertical integration and interoperability allows for a shift in resources to focus on growth and engagement with worldwide audiences.
Unifying platforms and driving innovation
More than ever, organizations big and small are experimenting with new platforms, new products, and original content. With more popup and niche channels using production facilities in centralized locations, capturing live content from anywhere is where innovation lies.
As the industry transforms, new technology solutions adapt and evolve to market expectations. With more competitive services rivaling for audiences, more organizations will look to innovate their content offerings.
As service providers look to address market competition with the adoption of new technology, the ability to innovate is compelling. The industry will continue to deliver cutting-edge video experiences, and interoperability will remain key to accelerating these changes and evolving the media landscape.