Technology is set to play a crucial role in the fight against climate change by helping us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and promote sustainable practices. Is there potential for AI to also play a part in this? Google DeepMind certainly thinks so and is using the latest AI developments to help fight climate change and build a more sustainable, low-carbon world. But although AI has received a lot of attention since the launch of the large language model, ChatGPT, last year, AI and machine learning (ML) are not new concepts. Content creators, technology vendors, and service providers in the video industry have been using ML for some time. The difference now is that generative AI models have become more advanced, and are now being used by a wider audience. If organizations like Google DeepMind aim to use generative AI to fight climate change, can the video industry also use generative AI to optimize systems, create more sustainable consumption habits, and reduce the industry’s carbon impact?
Edgio – How the buy vs build challenge can be leveraged for success in today’s market
The current economic situation has meant many viewers are looking carefully at how much they’re spending on subscriptions, which has a knock-on effect on the whole industry. At the same time, media companies are facing an increase in the cost of creating content. These challenges are forcing them to re-align their business models to prevent operating spend and maximize average revenue per user (ARPU); the latter leading to experimentation around varied monetization methods, such as subscriptions, ad-funded, free ad-supported TV (FAST) syndication methods and in many cases a hybrid approach. They must also identify any optimizations in their technology stack to find cost savings for the escalating cost of buying or creating high-value content and drive cashflow-positive business models in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Cleared for landing: The smoothest route to linear/digital convergence – Imagine Communications
Traditional linear television has been around for more than 80 years, and in that time audiences have got used to its look and feel. They appreciate a lot of what it gives them: there are values in linear television that appeal.
Programs are shown at appropriate times. There are regulations around the amount of advertising and the way it can be presented.
The linear advertising experience is the result of all those years of striving to deliver for both audiences and advertisers. It is in everyone’s best interests if spots are not repeated too often as audiences will disengage. Choosing the right commercials for the program ensures that audiences are likely to be receptive.
Scheduling and commercial campaign placements have become core skills in running a successful linear channel. We tend to call this superior experience the “broadcast premium.”
But new entrants to the market, like the digital-first providers, now see the broadcast premium as something they aspire to. They want to give audiences the convenience of watching when and where they like, but still with the qualities associated with linear channels.
In simple terms, digital and linear media services are converging. This is an inevitable, inexorable process. But it does throw up three big issues that need to be addressed.
Combining Media Evolution and Revolution – Codemill
Media and entertainment is a well-established industry, with a heritage to be proud of. But maintaining a pivotal role in the consumer landscape for several decades comes with a unique set of challenges. As media and broadcast has evolved from a handful of linear channels through to a multi-platform ecosystem, more content needs to be reformatted and repurposed to reach an increasingly fragmented audience.
To IP or not to IP? That can’t be your only question – Three Media
It is worth stating, at the very beginning, that there is nothing inherently exciting, engaging or sexy about the cloud. Or about IP media connectivity. They are, in the very best sense of the term, enabling technologies.
What they enable is a massive cultural shift in the media industry. This is the opportunity for a completely fresh look at how we do business, how we satisfy our viewers and subscribers, and how we make money.
And now for something completely different – Spicy Mango
You don’t need to be Nostradamus to work out that linear TV will one day go the way of Monty Python’s parrot: it will cease to be. The timing, however, is less predictable. Because unlike Python’s Norwegian Blue, scheduled TV continues to provide meaningful company in our living rooms. It will inevitably fall from its perch, but with a sizeable audience still feeding it, there’s plenty of life in the old thing yet. As legacy media inches towards a digital-only world, the prolonged squawk of scheduled TV is a major complication. Companies need to deliver for today while planning for a different tomorrow.
Digital Transformation: Staying Relevant in the Digital Age – Red Hat
The media industry has evolved over the past century, from inventions to disruptions in communication and new-age technologies. In the early 1900s, radio was the crucial link to information, followed by television which by the mid-1900s became the most potent medium for news and entertainment. The late 20th century introduced the internet, and service & media providers entered a new evolution of connectivity. Websites and social media platforms flood the market, providing more choices than ever before. In the 21st century, smartphones are standard, and content consumption requires anytime, to any device, and anywhere access. The traditional television model is disrupted with streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and social media becomes a primary source of news and entertainment with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
How FAST Enables Creative Collaboration and Transformation Across the Industry – Amagi
The demand for free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) has exploded over the past few years, with virtually no sign of slowing. Variety Intelligence Platform (VIP+) Analysis predicts that FAST ad revenue will rise from between $3.5 and $4 billion in 2022 to between $5.3 and $6.1 billion in 2025. Moreover, Amagi’s most recent consumer report found that nearly one-third of American households said they would cut their TV subscriptions first in an economic downturn, with almost two-thirds of that group saying they would switch to FAST.[1] The reason is simple: When subscription rates and pay-TV services chip away at already fragile consumer budgets, consumers will simply turn to platforms that stream their favorite content free-of-charge, yet with ad support.
Balancing Monetization and Sustainability – Accedo
Advertising is a crucial source of revenue for video service providers. In 2023, global ad spend on TV and digital video is projected to reach $210.2 billion. Just as video providers look to increase advertising revenue, there is a simultaneous drive to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. How does the TV and video industry’s drive for monetization, which so often includes advertising, square with the need to make video operations more sustainable? What responsibility do TV and video service providers have to reduce emissions from advertising that they show and how can positive change be achieved? Before answering these questions, we first need to better understand the relationship between advertising and emissions.
Tips from A+E Networks EMEA on moving to a cloud-native media supply chain – Ateliere
Cloud-based asset management, post production and distribution are now the norm in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry. If you want to stay competitive, you need more than a technical partner who simply recognizes your business demands. You need a partner who inherently understands how cloud-native architecture provides unique benefits and possibilities that can keep your company ahead of the curve.