How can IP help overcome broadcast challenges?

Bruno Teissier, Senior Vice President of Sales Vitec, lays out the challenges facing the broadcast industry in 2024 and the role that IP technologies will play in helping to overcome them.

As the capture and distribution of video content continues to evolve, broadcasters are reviewing their workflows and business models in order to streamline processes and improve its competitive position in an increasingly complex market.

He Internet Protocol (IP) video could play a critical role not only in optimizing workflows and reducing operational expenses, but also in creating new proposals for television networks to distinguish themselves and compete with new media providers.

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Challenges in 2024 and beyond

The demand for video live and on demand has increased considerably with the evolution of new video capture and distribution technologies. These new tools have opened the door to new players (especially streaming service providers) striving to satisfy a increasing demand, which represents a challenge for television networks to offer new and improved services while maintaining their operating costs.

Television production teams across the industry are taking steps to meet the specific demands of the markets they serve, but overcoming these challenges is not easy. Each geographic market has its own needs, objectives and limitations when it comes to managing everything from network latency and content quality to optimizing financial performance.

If the chains do not attend to the demand of local and national content, other players will do so, as video-focused platforms (such as Instagram y TikTok) crean opportunities for consumers to access more distribution sources and video formats than ever.

Consequently, industry leaders must focus on keep taking steps forward combining proposals from existing and new value, while reducing operating expenses, maintaining sustainability (now a major priority for an increasing number of broadcasters) and working within the parameters of limited networks.

Meanwhile, almost all categories of the broadcast sector continue to produce a huge amount of content. Companies like ESPN, for example, are covering more local, national and international events than ever to meet the mass-market and niche demands of their audiences. In the same way, Bally Sports se is proposing specific regional sports coverage in the US, and TV2 Norway is taking personalization to the next level in school games with its MyGame platform, dedicated to grassroots and youth sports.

All of these agents are aware that, if the chains do not meet these demands, other actors will do so, since the video-focused platforms (as Instagram y TikTok) create opportunities for consumers to access more distribution sources and video formats than ever before. Therefore, the industry's most prominent players must review their current operations, addressing emerging demand and investing in new processes and technologies that allow them to compete profitably in this environment.

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New technologies to face new challenges

Almost every aspect of broadcasting operations has become more complicated. There are more devices than ever to capture, process and distribute content. The audience is increasingly fragmented, which creates a demand for new formats (including long and short content) that can be viewed on televisions, mobile phones, computer screens and tablets, all of which are very important when targeting a young audience.

Normally, the appearance of greater complexity entails high costs. The challenge for broadcast companies to have technologies to manage complexity and satisfy the growing needs of their markets without this entailing a proportional increase in the number of employees or operating expenses.

The adoption of new technologies intelligent, automated, energy efficient and sustainable es fundamental.

At this point, the adoption of new technologies intelligent, automated, energy efficient and sustainable It is essential for the broadcasting industry. As broadcast companies modernize and renew their technology investments, they must not only focus on optimizing operational costs, but also on improve technical performance reducing latency throughout the distribution chain.

Therefore, it is important that industry executives take a hard look at the next generation of video compression standards y codecs, as it will play a critical role as broadcasters meet strategic, operational and sustainability requirements in a highly competitive environment.

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The need to optimize the experience

There are many changes that must be taken into account. Traditional broadcast environments have some high overhead compared to new players (including streaming providers and social media platforms) that have already established themselves in the video distribution and consumption market.

As a result, the legacy business models must be reviewed. Managers must review all aspects of your broadcast operations: from travel, daily expenses and human resources costs, to the technologies located in the studios.

Los managers should review all aspects of his broadcast operations: since displacements, daily expenses and the human resources costs, even the technologies located in the studios.

Like many other industries, broadcasters must determine how to do things like transfer non-essential personnel to work remotely, so they can reduce overhead y operational maintaining (if not improving) the quality.

Integrating the public internet infrastructures and the company information technology (IT), radio and television may replace redundant networks, los Dedicated teams and workflows, which represents an opportunity for radically reduce broadcasters' operating expenses.

Bruno Teissier

Senior Vice President of Sales Vitec