Genelec: We must see ourselves in our neighbour

Maria Martikainen

Genelec co-owner and Enterprise Culture Developer

It’s delightful to see the growing awareness of diversity and inclusion in recent years, both in society and the corporate world. What should be a natural and self-evident way of acting can often be difficult for us human beings. Yet we are all equal and have the same dignity, irrespective of background, education, skills, gender or position. So how do we increase workplace diversity and inclusion - and why should we do it?

At Genelec everything starts from our values: belief, enthusiasm, honesty, respect and justice. These values represent the world view and human perception we have as a company and working community, giving us basic guidelines on how to treat each other in our daily work, and be true to ourselves.  

Building a safe space

A company’s success is often measured by its turnover and other financial numbers. They’re of course an integral part of the longevity and continuity of a company. Another angle, and for us at Genelec a very important one, is how diverse we are as individuals. With all the diversity in the company, we must also consider how we can build a safe space for us all to contribute to the shared goals. We know that we have succeeded as a community and company when our people want to stay with us for years, even decades. The deeper value comes from how we treat and take care of each other, and what kind of possibilities we can offer different people to grow as professionals and as human beings.

Our people may have different backgrounds and abilities, but they have the same opportunities to develop their general and professional skills. It’s not only about what people can offer us, but also what we can offer them as a workplace. We encourage and support our people in developing their professional skills and developing and influencing the whole company, its practices and innovations. We have learned to understand that people can have different talents and capabilities that affect their work: we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Some may also have certain restrictions and disabilities. This doesn´t mean their contribution is less valuable. On the contrary, they will have their own strengths. Finding the right ways for people to be able to work and contribute, whether it means working part time, having a personal assistant to help them move around, or a sign language interpreter, is a matter of practicalities that can be solved.

Cultural differences

Anonymous recruitment is one very practical tool. It might not increase your diversity at the end of the process, but you become more aware of the mindset and prejudices that might affect your recruitment practices, and you can develop it further to treat the candidates equally. Anonymous recruitment helps to concentrate on the substance with a subjective-free mindset.

Diversity and inclusion aren’t only about taking account of differences between countries and their cultures or language or gender. Sometimes it might be very difficult to be a neighbour to the colleague who might look the same, but act very differently. Here at Genelec in Finland, there can be major cultural differences between families, or between Western and Eastern Finns. Diversity is about accepting the fact that we are all different individuals, and inclusion is about accepting the fact that we should all be treated and respected equally, no matter how different we are.

Increasing diversity and inclusion in our industry starts with us, our attitudes, and our beliefs. It starts with looking at people, their professional capabilities and their potential instead of their gender, colour or origin. What can this person bring to our community? How can we become part of their life? What can we contribute to each other? It’s also about taking account of different phases of life, such as becoming a parent or aging. Finding ways to adapt and finding flexible ways for people to do their work brings experience and silent wisdom to the organisation. To have a community of people with different ages, background, experience and cultural knowledge makes the working community richer and more resilient. Diversity and inclusive thinking create a solid ground for people to give their best.

The wider society

On a larger scale we need to think how we raise our children, as parents, kindergarten teachers, schoolteachers, coaches and idols. How do we build a society where children can reach for the things they are drawn to, and not the things they are expected to do based on their gender or background? This means supporting children and seeing their potential, encouraging them to find the path that is right for them and building a society where people have as much equal opportunity as possible.

As we are part of the wider society, it’s also important to do our fair share in contributing to that society. At Genelec, this means supporting organisations like The Music Works and Screencraft Works in the UK, working with people with different kind of barriers in life, or launching our own initiatives like G SongLab, where we’ve collaborated with experienced music educators to give young people an opportunity to develop their songwriting skills. Being able to create places where young people can try different things, and find ways to express themselves through the power of music - sometimes even finding their passion - is very valuable for us.

At the end of the day, diversity and inclusion means seeing ourselves in our neighbour!

Vizrt Group: If diversity drives innovation – Why is our industry so far behind?

Anna Nilsson

Global Head of HR at Vizrt Group

It’s undeniable that the demographic of people in the tech industry is not reflective of the diverse world we live in. According to a 2022 report by Edubirdie, 23% of tech director roles are fulfilled by women, which is lower than the already low 29% in the wider economy. Looking at the overall tech workforce, the numbers become even more depressing. Women make up only 19% of the workforce.

Reading these numbers, it’s evident that we have a long way to go, and one can’t help but ask oneself why we haven’t come further. Diversity should be a top priority for business leaders and investors, as a diverse workforce has proven to be good for business. In fact, Edubirdie found that internationally diverse boards, on average, raise 453% more investment than non-internationally diverse boards.

What criteria are investors looking at when determining what companies to invest in? I think it is fair to say that they look at the innovations created by the company. But what does that have to do with diversity? Everything.

Innovation is tied heavily to diversity, meaning the more diverse, the better technologies and solutions created. The question becomes then, why is an industry that heavily relies on innovation so behind on diversity?

So much potential is being lost. Any company that is conforming to the norm and employing mostly homogeneous employees is suffering from diminished creativity and innovation. Many factors have impeded different people from being in the room, having their ideas shared and voices heard. This has been a problem for decades. Therefore, the true cost of where we could be in our industry, and society, is near impossible to quantify.

In the tech world, yes, much has changed in the past several years to diversify the industry. But there is so much further to go and a powerful place to start is in the office. There are many ways in which companies can focus on amplifying a multitude of voices and diversifying teams.

Internal changes can make a difference

In The Wall Street Journal’s first corporate ranking, diversity and inclusion in S&P 500 companies were evaluated, and it found that companies with a higher number of diverse employees performed better. The research concluded that culturally diverse offices are more productive and inventive than culturally similar ones.

Cultivating an appreciation for ideas allows the best solutions to arrive, because every approach brings something different to the table. Our President and General Manager of NewTek, Barbara Spicek, said it best: “The more variety, the better off you are, and the more powerful your solutions will be.”

Unsure how to start driving diversity? Try starting with the recruitment process. At Vizrt Group, we changed the way we work with recruiters and showcase our job descriptions as studies have shown that women are more inclined to apply to a different wording than men.

We’ve also added in a diversity statement in job ads encouraging everyone to apply regardless of background or location. Furthermore, we encourage recruiters to present a 50/50 gender split in the shortlisted candidates presented to us. This is not to ‘tick a box’ but to encourage diverse experiences and perspectives throughout the recruitment process.

Fostering a positive work environment where diversity can thrive

72% of women in tech agreed they have experienced an ambivalent and obnoxious “bro culture” behavior, and 78% feel they must work harder to prove their value in the workplace.

The work environment affects the work experience directly, and knowing how much disempowering office cultures make women feel discouraged and overlooked, investing in maintaining a positive work environment is crucial to encourage and maintain a diverse space.

This year, we have launched a few initiatives at Vizrt Group that have been successful in fostering a positive work environment. In January we adopted a global recognition and appreciation platform for peers and co-workers that collaborate across our regions. We implemented this program to celebrate the big and the small stuff, the successful projects, and the people that live our values of Collaboration, Balance, and Respect every day. Our program had a user rate of over 88% globally.

We also believe that development is key to us at Vizrt Group, so we recently gave all our employees access to LinkedIn Learning which has thousands and thousands of opportunities for certification, to grow new skills and to hone in on existing ones. Since it launched, over 85% of staff have utilized it. On top of LinkedIn Learning, all employees have access to Vizrt Group University to learn about our industry and products, where we host regular courses to sharpen skills for success ranging from cybersecurity hygiene to Microsoft Office skills and more.

Skill development is crucial to career development, and that is important to ensure employees – especially those typically less represented in senior roles – see that their potential won’t be ignored. We don’t want that to be the case with any of our 630 employees from 63 nationalities despite their gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, which is why we provide them the same opportunities for development and success.

To move the needle, we all need to commit to change

Enacting real change in shifting to a more diverse industry starts with dialogue, but changes with action. 83% of corporate directors believe more should be done so company numbers show greater ethnic and gender diversity, and for that to happen, uplifting and encouraging diverse candidates and voices needs to become a practice for all of us.

Organizations like Rise, a champion in global advocacy of gender diversity across the media technology sector, are doing crucial work to draw attention and inspire change. Part of our effort in committing to progress is in our work with them; we have paired up to discuss how to move forward, with plans to develop long-term projects that shift the narrative we see about women in tech today.

Being aware of implicit bias at the beginning stages of hiring practices is integral for diversity, but it is also crucial to create a welcoming atmosphere to retain the diverse talent an organization brings in. We must champion all employees’ strengths and create a space that allows people to feel encouraged to speak up, always.

Building cultural diversity, continuing positive work environments, and supporting initiatives and organizations that are doing incredible work to help bridge the gap in tech, are proven to be good for innovation and good for business, but it also makes us better people. More welcoming, inclusive, open people change society and promise a brighter future. Are you going to wait for others to make a difference? Or take action to change the world yourself?

In Conversation with Telos Alliance

In this IABM TV interview, Scott Stiefel (Co-CEO of Telos Alliance) discusses Telos Alliance’s plans to re-emerge onto the global conference and exhibition landscape by participating in-person with an exhibit booth at IBC2022.

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July Update from Nigel Burtt, Environmental Regulation Consultant, IABM. Click here to view his personal notes for IABM of the Office of Product Safety & Standards Business Reference Panel Meeting held on 12th July 2022 at the BEIS 1VS Conference Centre, Westminster.

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Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill

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Why Responsive Video is becoming the industry standard

Catherine Cywinska

Marketing Manager, Wildmoka

Broadcasters have long been tempted to push their linear TV content to digital platforms in an unchanged format. But we would argue that it is now high time to end this copy-paste approach.

Over the last few years, social media platforms offering new content formats such as Instagram and TikTok have cemented their place in the digital landscape. And, with content delivered primarily via mobile, creators are left with no choice but to offer vertical video to stay on trend.

At the same time, broadcasters’ OTT offerings have evolved from the secondary products of linear programming, and have become the focal point of their strategies. More often than not, they surpass linear TV in terms of the amount and variety of content offered to viewers. Take major sports events like the Olympics or Grand Slam tennis tournaments as examples. In some of our customers’ cases, where only 2 or 3 linear channels could be dedicated to the event’s coverage, they started to use digital to get rid of such TV broadcasting limitations. They are now able to offer up to ten times more concurrent live streams on their OTT platforms, streaming all the games taking place at the same time. And if the fans are not available at the time of the event? Digitally advanced broadcasters can also make clips of key moments, game summaries or even entire game replays available. The immediate benefits are significantly higher user satisfaction levels and better content monetization.

But are broadcasters really ready to cater to the mobile-first audience for whom it’s natural to grab their phone to watch videos - rather than to switch on the TV in the living room (if they are even at home)? These mobile-first audiences deserve content optimized for their devices and the way they naturally hold them while viewing it – and that means vertically!

Delivering vertical content doesn’t mean that broadcasters should now invest in dedicated live production chains for formats like 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5, in parallel to the native 16:9 live format production workflows. It would most certainly be editorially challenging and financially unsustainable. And this is where Wildmoka’s Responsive Video comes into play - using AI/ML engines to automatically transform live broadcast feeds into mobile-first and social media friendly content – in real time.

In order to best respond to different complexity levels in broadcast content, Wildmoka’s Digital Media Factory offers two distinct levels of Responsive Video. An image is worth a thousand words, so let’s demonstrate the power of Responsive Video and the differences between its two levels. We’ll use the following fictional sports news broadcast as an example of the original 16:9 linear TV program.

Responsive Video LEVEL 1

LEVEL 1 Responsive Video is ideal for relatively simple content, which contains graphics and written information that would become unreadable if the frame was simply cropped to the targeted aspect ratio. Instead, the solution crops the best zone of interest from a clean feed and automatically reapplies all subtitles, lower-thirds, bugs or other graphical elements in the best possible positions and at optimized proportions.

This way, multiple variations of the original content can be obtained, all while making sure that the editorial style and the broadcaster’s branding are consistent across all desired  aspect ratios (1:1, 4:5, 4:3, 9:16, 2:3, etc.).

Responsive Video LEVEL 2

Suited to more complex broadcast content, LEVEL 2 Responsive Video (Wildmoka’s award-winning Auto ReZone solution) uses AI/ML to identify all zones of interest in each frame of the live feed in order to rearrange them in real time to best fit the new targeted aspect ratio. This way, the broadcaster can be sure that no information is lost during the transformation of their content. In order to match the broadcaster's editorial requirements, the outcome is fitted into the most adequate layout among a large selection of templates pre-defined in cooperation with editors.

In the following example, the Picture-in-Picture from the original feed gets automatically extracted and placed at the top of the rearranged verticalized stream – the outcome is more sophisticated than that obtained with LEVEL 1 Responsive Video.

Looking forward - new opportunities for Responsive Video

The ability to rearrange different zones of the original feed into a new layout keeps the door wide open to the broadcaster’s creativity. With growing interest in incorporating interactive features such as polls, live chats and gamification into live content on one hand, and the incessant search for new monetization capabilities on the other, Responsive Video could soon incorporate digital-exclusive, contextual features to broadcast content.

A new industry standard?

Responsive Video has proven to be a huge success for several of Wildmoka’s major customers - in both the realm of news and live sports - allowing them to keep raising the bar in digital broadcasting. Recognized for its ability to drive mobile and social viewership across diverse markets in Europe, the US and the Middle East, Responsive Video is a trend that can be expected to become the industry standard in the coming years, as broadcasters strive to attract and retain digital-first audiences.

We may be biased, but at Wildmoka, we believe that once you have tried Responsive Video, you’ll never want to go back to that old school experience of watching a tiny horizontal video strip lost in the middle of a much bigger, useless black surface. So, which experience do you prefer?

Examining the Public Cloud Archive Paradox

A discussion of best practices and alternative cost-effective archive solutions for on-going content protection

Summary:

Many media organizations who have been utilizing public cloud options to archive content are looking for more cost-predictable storage options to meet their budgets, to preserve, protect, and access their valuable digital assets.

Join us for this open and interactive podcast with Alex Grossman and Brian Bashaw, from DataCore, to examine how you are currently managing your digital content archive today, and to learn how you can boost cost-efficiencies and flexibility for the future, for long-term content storage and archival preservation.

During this interactive session we discuss:

Public cloud, tape, and object storage: Understand the different options for large volume archiving requirements and consider what technologies best meet your business needs and budget
Think though your workflows: Will legacy workflows prove impractical and cost-prohibitive going forward for less frequently used (or inactive) files?

Content protection strategies: Understanding that placing your content in the public cloud does not automatically get you a DR/BC strategy.

Zenlayer Global Accelerator White Paper

Zenlayer Global Accelerator (ZGA) is a cutting-edge network acceleration service that is built on Zenlayer’s massive global private backbone network. ZGA transforms the way your business connects to customers and digital services around the world.

Download this free white paper to discover how ZGA guarantees seamless cross-border application acceleration and optimizes your end-user experiences.

This white paper covers:

  • Key product advantages & features
  • Acceleration solution options
  • Successful customer use cases
  • Global accelerator network architecture
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Will broadcasters go fully digital in 2022?


Andrew Bond

Sales and Marketing Director at ETL Systems

Thirty years ago, viewers had a very limited choice when it came to TV - only able to access a handful of channels transmitted via an analogue signal directly into their homes. Just a small selection of live sporting events was broadcast.

Times have changed; take the Winter Olympics in Beijing as an example - held across 13 different locations and spanning three regions. While this is nothing compared to the broadcasting scale of the recent Summer Olympics in Japan, it still presented a number of challenges for broadcasters.

So what are the challenges broadcasters will face in 2022 and where can new technology help?

The Digital IF Interoperability consortium is a working group of experts developing an industry standard for a digital/RF interface. Digitisation will allow broadcasters to move an analogue signal via a digital network. Credit: metamorworks/Shutterstock.com

Doing more with the same or less

During mega-events like the Olympics, broadcasters will be getting a feed from the event organiser, but they will also want their own piece-to-camera shots and to get their own take on the action, live. Yet covering the ever-increasing variety of locations is a growing challenge both practically and financially.

In the 2022 Winter Olympics, there were seven more events in the calendar compared to the previous Winter Olympics. As demand and connectivity grow, there is a seemingly non-stop escalator whereby crews have to cover more without exceeding their existing finite resources.

Away from these global events, once niche sports like cycling are becoming more popular. This too is generating demand for news crews to be sent to a greater variety of locations, but without the expanding budgets to mirror the expanding event footprint, particularly in light of recent world events that have had a significant impact on broadcasters.

The need for speed and control

Ensuring minimal delays in the transmission chain and full control of the signal is high priority for broadcasters. There are four main transmission links we can think about:

1: The camera to the control room
2: Control room to a local hub
3: International transit
4: To viewers in the broadcasters’ territory

At each of these links in the terrestrial network the transmission is routed via switches, which each cause milliseconds of delay. The cumulative impact can result in latency and a poorer experience for viewers - especially those relying on a real-time link.

For this reason, broadcasters continue to choose to skip many of these transmission links by using the satellite network, speeding up delivery and retaining control by not relying on networks operated by third-party countries.

Caption: Broadcasting technology for coverage of events like the Winter Olympics is evolving as demand and connectivity increase. Credit: Paolo Bona/Shutterstock.com

Meeting customer expectations

Meanwhile, customers want and expect the same experience and service from their broadcasters that they get digitally down their gigabit-per-second broadband lines and 5G subscriptions.

Many broadcasters are moving to digital as far as possible as a result. The challenge is that delivering this level of service for customers living in remote locations is just not possible.

In 2020, the US Government’s Federal Communications Commission provided $16bn to its rural diversity fund to get more people connected online. Then, as part of Biden’s spending package in 2021, he added a further $16bn. This gives an indication of the scale of the digital divide in the US, let alone the rest of the world. In the UK, around 1.5 million homes are still not connected to the Internet. This limits broadcasters’ ability to reach the poorly connected or disconnected without RF.

Will analogue ever die?

Satellite links will continue to be relied upon by broadcasters to deliver content to and from a significant number of locations.

A recent article by Eurisy highlighted how satellites and terrestrial networks are working together, with video travelling via satellite and then distributed over fibre to be delivered to the viewer. This mix of analogue and digital is applied elsewhere too, even in the most advanced digital networks like 5G, where signals are still sent over the air to your phone.

The big questions being asked by network architects now relate to how these signals are being converted from analogue to digital and vice versa.

ETL Systems has been collaborating with a working group of experts who are creating an industry standard with the goal of digitizing the RF spectrum. As part of the Digital IF Interoperability (DIFI) consortium, we are working towards creating a standardised interoperable digital interface/Radio Frequency (IF/RF) based on the widely adopted VITA 49.2.

It will enable broadcasters to move an analogue signal from one place to another using a digital network. This exciting breakthrough technology will decouple the network operation centre from the antenna, leading to many benefits for broadcasters.

In 2022, we expect to see this new digital technology providing even better link availability and RF signal quality, plus greater operational flexibility in switching and routing. Over time, operational and capital costs will be reduced, making it accessible to broadcasters with smaller budgets. At the same time, it will be possible to offer stronger digital encryption of analogue signals.

From the conversations we are having with some of the world’s largest broadcasters, the sector is adopting digital technologies wherever it makes sense. But it’s also clear that they will always need satellites and RF signals, with a hybrid of both becoming the new norm.

Even a digitized RF spectrum is really about moving an analogue signal over a digital network. Regardless of the digital and analogue question, technology moves forward at pace to assist broadcasters in 2022 as they continue to strive to do more with the same or less.

Growth Roadmaps within Telecom, Media & Entertainment

Damien Montessuit

SVP Global Sales, MediaKind

The telecom, media and entertainment industry has witnessed more transformation and growth in the past three years than in the previous decade, mainly due to the rapid evolution of audience consumption habits towards on-demand highlights and replays on social media, and streaming to smart devices. With new technologies emerging in tandem that enable these flexible, interactive content experiences, consolidation and investment among media companies is rife. As a result, they must re-consider where their growth strategies lie in the digital age.

In the past year alone, we’ve seen the Saudi Arabian firm Savvy Gaming acquire a whole host of media assets, including the gaming and esports powerhouse ESL and the English Premier League team Newcastle United. France’s Groupe Bouygues and RTL Group merged the leading French commercial broadcasters, TF1 and M6, in a $4 billion deal to form a new European TV giant and subsequent streaming service. And not least, Microsoft sent shockwaves across the media landscape when it acquired games studio, Activision Blizzard, in a $70 billion deal, in a move that equipped it with the “building blocks for the metaverse”, according to its CEO, Satya Nadella.

The market continues to evolve and adapt everywhere you look, bringing immense growth opportunities for all parties. One common thread runs through every acquisition and partnership happening in sports, esports, and entertainment programming today – and that’s streaming. With each movement comes exciting opportunities for growth and transformation across the media value chain. Telcos and media companies must now ask themselves what these growth blueprints look like and how can they ensure they’re making the most of their investment opportunities.

Friends using mobile phone during a tennis match on the TV.

Capitalising on the hot sports ticket for streaming success

The transformation happening within our industry can be contextualised when you consider the changes some of the big broadcasters and production companies have experienced in the past few decades. The English Premier League, for example, was heralded as a major sports asset 30 years ago by Sky Sports for bringing in an audience of 1 million fans. This audience number pales compared to the league’s viewership today – it brings in an incredible 3.2 billion broadcast viewers globally and contributes £7.6 billion to the UK economy, according to a recent analysis by EY financial services. This enormous growth trajectory is now being replicated across many parts of the broader media landscape.

There has always been a close alignment between the broadcast and sports industries. As sports broadcasters, TV operators, and content owners look to evolve their operations and embrace new technologies and platforms, there is limitless scope to grow services and transcend their traditional roles. With investments in streaming technology accelerating, broadcasters and TV operators are finding themselves rapidly evolving from being channel aggregators to service aggregators. This trend is perhaps better known to TV operators and telcos, who started their transformation to the cloud years ago and are more mature than broadcasters or content owners. Regardless, this transformation is happening at every level in all three market segments, each with a different level of maturity.

And this transformation would not be possible in the first instance without the infrastructure and technologies driven by telcos over the past decade. The broadband and mobile networks they have established make live streaming at scale feasible. And the super aggregation of media services by telcos puts even niche streaming channels on consumers’ radars, where they might not have been before. This migration from channel aggregation to service aggregation is setting the bedrock of the future media landscape.

Taking your content ‘direct-to-consumer.’

Content owners are starting to develop media platforms and direct-to-consumer (D2C) streaming services of their own. So urgent is this need to transform that almost all the 40 sports rights-holders surveyed in the MediaKind 2021 Sports D2C Forecast understood the importance of going D2C to reach their fanbase directly. D2C propositions enable all sports service providers and operators to become orchestrators of their services and open the possibilities of new two-way transparent dialogues between brands and consumers. They enable traditional sports to replicate many elements from esports, particularly regarding blending interactivity and bringing virtual effects into the viewing experience.

Building and running a successful D2C service is certainly no easy feat. The recent abrupt closure of Warner Bros/Discovery’s CNN+ - just one month after launching - encouraged many to speculate what might have caused this services’ demise. CNN+’s experience makes it clear that media companies must have their entire rollout strategy down to a tee – including device compatibility, subscription options, content line-up, and brand clarity.

By investing in tools and technologies designed for D2C video streaming, new market segments – like sports content owners and other primary rights-holders – can become TV operators themselves by owning a platform and creating a billing system while managing fans and accounts. They can solve the challenges content owners, broadcasters, and media brands face as the pace of cloud adoption and D2C streaming increases. This level of growth calls for a renewed outlook on the tools and technologies media companies can adopt to propel themselves into the digital future.

Embracing a streaming-first future

One of the most valuable transitions telcos and media companies can capitalise on to grow their business is moving from one-time capital expenditure (CAPEX) deals to recurring revenue subscription-type deals (OPEX). When looking at growth trends in a company’s financial reports or analyst charts, this shift can sometimes appear to be an overall flattening of the market. However, that change in revenue type has huge potential to boost the valuation of media businesses. In other words, if you read between the lines, there can often be a lot of hidden growth.

The transition to the cloud within media workflows enables this type of growth, and it is already well underway. Contribution and primary distribution methods are progressively moving towards the public cloud, with playout and streaming following close behind. Once these workflows become fully cloud-native, we’ll also see content and live production move to the cloud. This means contribution will become much more focussed on moving content from the stadium or arena into the public cloud, and a lot more primary distribution will happen inside or from the public cloud.

Advertising insertion is also growing in line with dynamic ad-insertion. Existing broadcast channels are already adding streaming versions of their broadcast channels and new D2C channels, increasing the global channel count and requiring a greater number of aggregator services. This will accelerate the move towards the cloud for all players in the ecosystem. We’re increasingly seeing TV operators face a crunch with growing content costs and subscriber declines, particularly in the US. Those TV operators will start to look at overall video strategies for new operational models, with big growth expected in the D2C market through subscription or ad-funded subscribers.

Making the most of your media service

As media companies continue to launch new channels and aggregate their services under the streaming umbrella, there are many exciting opportunities for all media companies to drive innovation. The media and entertainment world is at a pivotal moment in this regard. The pandemic accentuated how important an internet connection was to people, often being the only link to the physical world outside of our four walls. This laid the foundations for the mass adoption of technologies that have enabled the first step toward the metaverse. Many companies, including Meta, Microsoft, Epic Games, Roblox, and Disney, are heavily investing in this future.

As media companies tee up their growth strategies in line with technology innovation, it’s clear the future is about delivering a higher level of interactivity and personalization into the consumer experience. By doing so, companies can place themselves front-and-centre in the emerging new media universe. The actions media companies take in the coming months will determine how we all communicate, inform, engage and play in the digital world of tomorrow.