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www.satellite-evolution.com | September/October 201832
Broadcasting: Adapting to Change
Photo courtesy of Piksel
Keeping up with the industry – whycompanies need to adapt or faceextinctionThe broadcast industry is rapidly changing inthe wake of increasingly advancedtechnologies, and an almost unending numberof options. To stay in the same, existingbroadcasters need to meet the demand ofconsumers, adapting and changing to maintainrelevance. Kristan Bullett, Joint ManagingDirector at Piksel, describes how broadcasterscan do just that.
The broadcast industry is going through a seismic shift.Major deals and new service launches are common asindustry players drive to keep up with consumer demand forthe latest in viewing experiences. Technologies such as 4K,voice control and seamless interfaces are becoming keydifferentiators for broadcast companies looking to deliver onexpectations. To stay competitive in this environment,broadcasters need to be able to rely on their technology tomake sure they have the means to adapt to demand at paceand continue to deliver the services that keep consumerstuned in.
A recent study found that Netflix has become the mostpopular platform for watching entertainment on TV, ahead oflinear broadcast, YouTube, cable, and other streamingservices in the US. This degree of success sets the bar high
and other broadcasters must consider what they are doingto compete. As industry titans such as Netflix, Amazon andHulu enjoy a varied viewership and invest in more originalcontent, other broadcasters seek to adapt and follow suit.
The driver for this need to adapt and differentiate is clear.Much of the change in the industry has been driven byconsumers, who are now accustomed to having access tocontent how, when and where they want it. The big challengefaced by the broadcast industry is keeping up with thesechanging demands.
Keeping up with the timesHow can broadcasters rise to the challenge of matching, orexceeding the pace of change? Whilst new and diversecontent strategies and offerings undoubtedly play a significantpart in meeting the challenge, this can only be delivered withagility and flexibility on the technological systems andservices which underpin the business.
It’s no secret that the success of the Internet-born mediaand entertainment powerhouses has been built upon theiradaptability and agility in both their flourishing content andtechnology strategies.
Many traditional broadcasters are encumbered by legacyand bespoke systems, workflows and processes that are theresult of many years of development. Silos are common, withanalogue and digital processes separated. This has a directimpact on efficiency, and the ability to react rapidly to shiftsin the industry and to bring new business propositions tomarket. Without streamlined and integrated back end systemsand process in place, broadcasters can struggle to quicklydeliver the new experiences and services that consumersexpect. Broadcasters old and new need to consider the
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www.satellite-evolution.com | September/October 201834
Broadcasting: Adapting to Change
Kristan Bullett, Joint Managing Director at Piksel
technology that they are using to deliver their content andofferings from the ground up.
The key to achieving the necessary adaptability and agilitylies in an integrated approach to metadata management. Themetadata domain is not just about the title, description andrating of a piece of content; it goes far beyond offering‘discovery’ to viewers. It also enables workflow automationand smarter operational insights. Each step in the supplychain creates, acts on, or produces, metadata of some form;be that technical metadata, descriptive metadata, rights, offeror schedule data. Therefore, an integrated approach enablesan automated, data-driven supply chain automation that
delivers the agility, speed and scale required in both existingbusiness streams and bringing new business offerings tomarket.
Content owners can optimise the value of every asset intheir media library by focusing on consolidating, organising,and enhancing the quality of their metadata.
In conjunction with this is the need to quickly deploy andefficiently scale technology services. Cloud-nativearchitectures offer the necessary speed, flexibility, scalabilityand most importantly the adaptability to underpin and delivera modern content supply chain environment. From a purelyfinancial perspective, when done correctly, cloud-nativearchitectures will reduce CAPEX investments and throughauto-scaling will vastly improve the OPEX model for a givenservice.
Finally, any technology selection must also avoid vendorlock in. Technology and service suppliers should be evaluatedon their support for open standards and specifications, theirability to demonstrate openness via modern APIs and SDKsand their future roadmap direction.
Adapt and changeBroadcasters must adapt and change tactics to best keepup with their competitors or risk succumbing to the challengesof the industry. By making investments in the right technology,companies can deliver their business and content strategiesto reap the rewards of larger audience numbers and moreengaged viewers, who will in turn become natural advocatesfor their brand. High-quality viewing experiences and moresophisticated content, as well as exclusivity, are all key factorsthat companies need to prioritise when assessing theirstrategies for the future. Being able to confidently react tomarket changes and the constant evolution of consumerexpectations should be central to modern broadcasters – bothincumbent and challengers.
Photo courtesy of Piksel
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