Sneak Preview: How to Leverage AI for Captioning and Localization

On Tuesday, February 25, Steve Vonder Haar of IntelliVid Research will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "How to Leverage AI for Captioning and Localization." The rapid evolution of AI has created vast new opportunities for content owners and creators to cost-effectively make their content accessible across more territories and to more audiences than ever before. The potential for this kind of technology as it proliferates is tremendous, since it makes it far cheaper and easier to customize a platform's content not only to a region but even to a specific group of users. But it also raises new ethical regulatory issues. As the tech leaps forward while the guardrails slowly take shape, how can content owners balance the opportunities and concerns to maximize the promise of AI for captioning, translation, and localization? Confirmed panelists include experts from Google Cloud, Vevo, Interra Systems, and MultiChoice Group Company.

Sneak Preview: How to Meet the Challenges of New Codec Adoption and Deployment

On Wednesday, February 26, digital video expert Jan Ozer will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "How to Meet the Challenges of New Codec Adoption and Deployment." Many of us want to see new codecs such as AV1 and VVC/H.266 succeed rapidly and bring the efficiencies and savings they were designed to deliver, but the reality is more complex. Codec adoption doesn't just depend on innovation; it's a marathon involving hardware readiness, market penetration, and achieving a 30% device compatibility threshold. This panel assembles transcoding experts from Evolution, Radiant Media Player, United Cloud, and AOM.

Netflix Turns to Vodcasts and Creators to Keep Audiences Plugged In

Netflix views video podcasts as an inexpensive way to expand and diversify content, increase ads revenue, and boost engagement--in particular to stem churn between series. In doing so, the streamer is taking a leaf out of the YouTube playbook, including tapping creators to create new formats or simply port existing shows to its platform.

Sustainability Slips Down Industry’s Agenda Says Bitmovin Video Developer Report

The latest Video Developer Report compiled by Bitmovin shows sustainability slipping down the list of priorities, a casualty of the search for short term profit. The report made clear the industry's top priority is monetizing content more effectively with ad tech, which can be attributed to the huge spike in AVOD and FAST business models.

Sports Streaming Trends: How Digital Platforms Are Changing the Game

BB Media's report on the 2025 Super Bowl explores how sports have become the dominant force in niche streaming. With 133 specialized sports platforms in the U.S., the industry surpasses other categories like reality TV, science, and news. The Super Bowl's digital expansion in 2025 further highlights this shift, with Fox streaming it for free on Tubi for the first time. As platforms experiment with ad-supported models and interactive features, sports continue to redefine the streaming landscape.

Roku Data Cloud Arrives—Is Data (Finally) Becoming More Transparent?

Roku is betting on their Data Cloud to provide better, more targeted advertising for media, agencies, and brand customers and more valuable advertising budgets to Roku. In this interview with Roku's Miles Fisher, we discuss why Roku created the Data Cloud and what it will provide in terms of measurement and data.

Sneak Preview: Beat the Clock - How to Deliver Five-Nines Sports Streams at Scale

On Tuesday, February 25, Jason Thibeault of Streaming Video Technology Alliance will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "Beat the Clock: How to Deliver Five-Nines Sports Streams at Scale." When large-scale sports streams fail to meet expectations, folks can't stop talking about it. Any sports streaming workflow is only as strong as its weakest (or least-tested) link. The more lucrative the license and massive the stream, unfortunately, the larger the opportunity and the smaller the margin for error. So, what do the experts say about the architectural demands and challenges of maintaining five-nines uptime and broadcast quality when the stakes are too high to let either suffer? And what solutions do they recommend? Confirmed panelists include experts from Akami, YouTube, The Switch, Swerve TV, and EZDRM.

Sneak Preview: LLMs on Air - Gen AI Use Cases for News, Sports, and Entertainment

On Wednesday, February 26, leading industry expert Brian Ring will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "LLMs on Air: Gen AI Use Cases for News, Sports, and Entertainment." Large language models (LLMs) are making inroads everywhere in the streaming world. As a text-generating subset of Gen AI that stands apart from audio and video creation but is nonetheless having a significant impact on how broadcasters deliver content and how viewers experience it, how will these LLMs get commoditized? This expert panel addresses a host of issues around LLMs and streaming, from aggressive data scraping to metadata-driven discovery and more. Confirmed panelists include experts from Sinclair, Play Anywhere, and evision.

Sneak Preview: OS Wars - The New CTV Playing Field

On Thursday, February 27, Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "OS Wars: The New CTV Playing Field." From live linear to FAST, AVOD, and all flavors of free streaming, how are the OEM and OS wars transforming the way TV is distributed and monetized? As the global battle for TV interface dominance persists, and powerhouse OEMs increasingly assert their role as content gatekeeper, are we moving toward a closed society when it comes to CTV? Confirmed panelists include experts from Revry, Hartbeat, Shout! Factory, and Whale TV.

Sneak Preview: FAST Forward - How FAST Platform and Infrastructure Providers Can Better Serve the Market

On Thursday, February 27, leading industry consultant Brian Ring will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "FAST Forward: How FAST Platform and Infrastructure Providers Can Better Serve the Market." As with any other type of streaming delivery, FAST needs to "just work" to support publishers' monetization goals, but that's nowhere as simple as it sounds. This panel examines essential infrastructure challenges and key emerging strategies for better FAST delivery. Join us to learn about manifest manipulation vs. encoded playout; optimizing and maximizing "Be Right Back" slots as in-house inventory; using GenAI to program the channel; solving the context/genre madness with LLMs and captions; advanced graphics for background, tune-in, and monetization; QR code execution, a must-have skillset; and how to execute picture-in-picture content programming. Confirmed panelists include experts from A+E, Plex, Revry, and Freemantle.

Super Bowl/John Stamos Ad Unveiled for Hyperlocal Streaming Service Zeam

Zeam Media, the company powering the industry's most successful live OTT solutions as well as hyperlocal streaming platform Zeam, announced that it is again collaborating with John Stamos on a Super Bowl spot that will air on Fox stations in top markets across the country during the big game. Jack Perry, CEO of Zeam Media, discusses Zeam's hyperlocal approach, its creative and content strategy, and the economic and logistical hurdles of doing local advertising versus national.

How Brands are Transforming TV Content in 2025 - A Q&A With Joe Perello of Props

With a potential TikTok ban still looming and platforms competing for relevance, one big question looms for brands: where should their content go next? Joe Perello, founder and CEO of Props, believes brand content will break free from mobile and desktop confines to take over connected TV as the next big stage. In this Q&A, Joe discusses how brands can redefine success by creating engaging, trust-driven content that works in the living room.

H.267: A Codec for (One Possible) Future

H.267 should be finalized between July and October 2028. If history holds, this means H.267 won't see meaningful deployment until 2034-2036, long after I hang up my keyboard. Here's a brief description of what the standard is designed to deliver and my free and totally unsolicited advice to the committees and technology developers that will create it.

Fox Sports Breaks Down Superbowl LIX Coverage From New Orleans 'By the Numbers'

Ahead of the network's 11th broadcast of "The Big Game" on Sunday, Feb. 9 (6:30 PM ET, FOX), FOX Sports kicks off Super Bowl LIX week from "The Big Easy" with a by-the-numbers overview spotlighting coverage, broadcasters, production, technology and more.

Can Sticky Screensavers Save the Streaming Biz?

Can Screensavers play a critical role in the Future of TV? If so, what does that mean for the future of streaming? Is Roku City a disaster in the making? Is Photostream a secret weapon that no one fully appreciates? Read on to find out.

Sneak Preview: App, Crackle, Pop: What a Video App Really Needs

On Thursday, February 27, Chris Pfaff, the leading new media and technology producer and strategist, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel " App, Crackle, Pop: What a Video App Really Needs." What makes streaming apps pop? Support across multiple platforms is a critical feature, of course. But when it comes to building sound, seamless, and satisfying user experiences, what are streaming users really asking for? How are expectations changing in the age of AI and in an increasingly fragmented consumer streaming market? Confirmed panelists include experts from Plex, Crunchyroll, and Tubi.

What's Next for CTV Advertising: Comscore's State of Programmatic 2025 Survey

Comscore's State of Programmatic 2025 offers survey-based data that reveals where advertising budgets are going in 2025 (think CTV), how quickly marketers are turning to cookie-free (48% cookie-free by the end of 2025), and what CTV ads do well (branding) and not so well (performance). It's a free download and well worth your time to retrieve and digest.

Sneak Preview: Will Programmatic Advertising Overtake Brand Advertising in 2025?

On Thursday, February 27, Alan Wolk, one of the industry's most influential thought leaders, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect debate "Will Programmatic Advertising Overtake Brand Advertising in 2025?" The ability of digital media advertisers to deliver targeted messages through automated platforms—aka programmatic advertising—has enabled them to buy audiences, rather than space or time as in traditional brand advertising. In streaming and CTV, this creates the potential for substantially lower CPMs. But such a hands-off approach also raises considerable brand safety concerns, and its effectiveness remains comparatively untested. So, is the programmatic ad revolution really upon us? Confirmed debate panelists include leading industry figures from Roku, Philo, Vevo, and Fremantle.

What to expect from FAST in 2025

The rapid growth of FAST channels in 2024 shows no signs of slowing, with ad-supported streaming set to dominate as its popularity rises worldwide and the gap between ad-supported and ad-free tiers widens. But with the space evolving so quickly, one question lingers: how long can this momentum last? FAST Channels TV has just released its What to Expect from FAST in 2025 Trends Report, and Russell Foy, CEO of FAST Channels TV, outlines how FAST platforms can remain competitive in this rapidly developing streaming space.

Revenue Opportunities in an Unpredictable (Weather) World

New research study shows monetization opportunities for weather-related streaming content