Program

Streaming Media Connect 2024 this February 19-22 offers practical advice, inspiring thought leadership, actionable insights, and lively debate. You'll hear the innovative approaches that the world’s leading organizations and experts are deploying in live streaming, OTT, content delivery, content monetization, and much more. We are excited to offer this series of web events, and look forward to continuing to provide our industry with cutting edge information and education that you can't get anywhere else.

Monday, Feb 19

Online Sessions

 

MON1a. Keynote: No Quarter—Separating Fact From Fiction in M&E Q4 Earnings Reports

01:00 PM2024-02-192024-02-19

Monday, February 19: 1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. (PT)

Major media and entertainment companies’ quarterly earnings calls ought to pull back the curtain on what’s really happening in the industry, but they routinely bury unflattering numbers in expert spin, and the press on hand rarely asks questions tough enough to draw out the real story. With 4Q earnings calls putting a bow on 2023, M&E industry cartographer Evan Shapiro pulls no punches in this real-time response, digging deep into the data to hold the spin doctors accountable, giving Streaming Media Connect attendees an unvarnished view of the industry that they won’t get anywhere else.

Speaker:

, Owner + Cartographer, ESHAP

 

MON1b. Discussion: The M&E Universe in 2024

01:45 PM2024-02-192024-02-19

Monday, February 19: 1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (ET) / 10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (PT)

A panel of analysts responds to Shapiro’s take on the 4Q earnings calls, what the numbers tell us, and how we can expect premium streaming, OTT, and the M&E landscape to evolve in 2024.

Moderator:

, Owner + Cartographer, ESHAP


Speakers:

, Senior Analyst, Dataxis

, Co-Founder/Lead Analyst, TVREV

, Principal and Founder, Hub Entertainment Research

, Principal, Erickson Strategy & Insights

Tuesday, Feb 20

Online Sessions

 

TUE1. Bit Players: Which Streaming Codecs Will Take Center Stage in 2024?

10:00 AM2024-02-202024-02-20

Tuesday, February 20: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (ET) / 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. (PT)

The battle for supremacy among streaming codecs is as old as streaming itself, and even as the acronyms change, the benefits different codecs promise to deliver—from minimal bit usage to maximum playback compatibility—remain as critical as ever. The latest projections show old warhorse AVC entering deep decline, with AV1 and HEVC on the rise. Choosing transcoding options isn’t so much about the latest codec flavor of the month as it is about conserving bits, keeping costs down, striking a practical cloud/on-prem balance, improving sustainability and energy efficiency, and maintaining high-performance and playability on the broadest range of platforms. Which codecs are moving to the forefront in the early months of 2024, and what do content providers need to know to make sound encoding decisions that will still look good in 2025?

Moderator:

, Founder, Help Me Stream Research Foundation


Speakers:

, Head, Video Strategy & Market Development, AECG, AMD

, Senior Research Scientist - Video Algorithms, Netflix

, Technical Program Manager, Video Infrastructure, Meta and Software Coordinator, AOM

, Senior Product Manager, Streaming, United Cloud

 

TUE2. Keynote: Understanding Audiences: How Disney Advertising Leverages Data Science and Insights to Empower Advertisers

11:30 AM2024-02-202024-02-20

Tuesday, February 20: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (ET) / 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (PT)

The ability to identify and reach the right audiences has always been essential for advertisers, and it’s one of the key benefits for brands in streaming and CTV. Disney Advertising’s access to first-party data from across its media portfolio puts it in an enviable position for audience targeting, but it's the company's innovative use of data modeling to arrive at a deeper understanding of its audience that may well take addressable advertising to a new level in the streaming world. In this fireside chat with Streaming Media's Nadine Krefetz, Dana McGraw, Disney SVP, audience modeling & data science, discusses Disney Advertising’s data modeling strategy and how it is transforming the way brands reach and engage viewers on Disney platforms. Whether you’re a publisher, distributor, or advertiser, this engaging keynote will help you understand how Disney has discovered advertising magic at the intersection of premium content, its proprietary Audience Graph, and a scaled Addressable footprint.

Moderator:

, Consultant, Reality Software and Contributing Editor, Streaming Media


Speaker:

, SVP, Audience Modeling & Data Science, Disney

 

TUE3. Low Latency, High Stakes: Delivering Real-Time Streams at Scale

01:00 PM2024-02-202024-02-20

Tuesday, February 20: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (PT)

For a great deal of media consumed online, latency is irrelevant, as most media is archived and served by request, with virtually every viewer’s start time occurring asynchronously with another’s. And with much live content, however, perception of immediacy often matters more than immediacy itself. But as soon as rapid-fire interactions, along with transactions like bidding and betting and sales, come into play—increasingly the case with today’s high-stakes, large-scale live streams—time is of the essence, and ultra-low latency approaching real time becomes paramount. What does it take to deliver real-time (or ultra-near real-time) streams at scale in 2024, what are the persistent challenges, when is prioritizing ultra-low latency a must, and what are the trade-offs of doing so?

Moderator:

, Founder, Help Me Stream Research Foundation


Speakers:

, Manager, Live Programming & Streaming, LinkedIn

, Chairman & President, WTFast

, CEO, nanocosmos

 

TUE4. Targeting, Measuring, and Scaling Connected TV Advertising

02:30 PM2024-02-202024-02-20

Tuesday, February 20: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (ET) / 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (PT)

In terms of overall ad spend, connected TV (CTV) advertising is projected as the fastest-growing segment of the media landscape over the next year (even if CTV advertising isn’t growing as fast as CTV viewing as a percentage of overall viewing time). As CTV and FAST ad inventory grow, how is the CTV ad opportunity evolving and maturing for brands to leverage it effectively in terms of cost-effectiveness, measurement, targeting, brand safety, and more? Is co-viewing proving as advantageous for CTV advertisers as traditional linear TV? Are there specific types of advertising that are proving particularly effective with CTV? Are there specific types of programming, such as major sports events and elections, where CTV is likely to grab more attention and ad spend in 2024? How do those factors contribute to the overall landscape?

Moderator:

, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech Media and Producers Guild of America (PGA), VR AR Association (VRARA)


Speakers:

, VP, Media & Distribution Marketing, Vevo

, SVP, Advertising Sales, Atmosphere.TV

, VP, Ad Sales, Fubo

, VP, Future Today Marketplace

, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research

 

TUE5. Mind the App: Streaming UX Design Best Practices

04:00 PM2024-02-202024-02-20

Tuesday, February 20: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (PT)

Content is king, but in a crowded and competitive media ecosystem when churn is always a few easy clicks away, delivering a smooth, reliable, and appealing user experience (UX) across a range of devices in the world of OTT and FAST is just as critical, both in terms of customer retention and product differentiation. What defines a cutting-edge streaming app in 2024, one that is functional, easy to use, and contemporary in look and feel, but still distinctive enough to stand out from the crowd? And what are the challenges of troubleshooting, updating, and maintaining the functionality of a top-notch app in today’s premium, niche, and long-tail content climates?

Moderator:

, Consultant, Reality Software and Contributing Editor, Streaming Media


Speakers:

, Senior Director of Product Management, Crunchyroll

, Chief Product Officer, MagellanTV

, Head of User Experience, YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels

, Director, Product, Vevo

, Product Designer, Philo

Wednesday, Feb 21

Online Sessions

 

WED1. Licensing, Scale, and the State of Sports Streaming

10:00 AM2024-02-212024-02-21

Wednesday, February 21: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (ET) / 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. (PT)

Competition for licensing high-profile sports events is hotter than ever these days, with the world’s largest media companies vying for sports rights and adding sports streaming tiers. While not every prime-time plunge into sports streaming has gone swimmingly, scale and spending continue to grow. It seems like more and more streamers have some skin in the sports game today, and the demands of scale and rising expectations for individualized experiences increase the pressure on sports streamers large and small to deliver a flawless experience. This panel of sports streaming experts and sports (and esports) stakeholders takes stock of the current sports and streaming scene and looks at what to expect as the stakes climb higher.

Moderator:

, Partner, Altman Solon


Speakers:

, Head of Sports, Global Professional Services, AWS

, VP Global GTM Strategy, ViewLift

 

WED2. FAST Track: Measuring FAST Success in 2024

11:30 AM2024-02-212024-02-21

Wednesday, February 21: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (ET) / 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (PT)

FAST has been the Next Big Thing in streaming for a couple of years now, and reports of the FAST market’s ongoing growth and maturation from a vehicle for mostly legacy and long-tail content to a viable platform for a broad array of niche and premium content continue to roll in. But how measurable is its success, and who is making it big in FAST these days? This session takes a no-nonsense look at FAST’s purported runaway success and may tap the brakes on some of the wilder claims.

Moderator:

, Owner + Cartographer, ESHAP


Speakers:

, Founder & CEO, Ashling Digital

, SVP Global FAST Channels, Fremantle

, Chief Business Officer, Fuse Media

, Head of Content Acquisitions & Partnerships, Tubi

 

WED4. Tech Talks

02:30 PM2024-02-212024-02-21

Wednesday, February 21: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (ET) / 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (PT)

Industry leaders discuss and present the latest cutting-edge solutions and strategies to help you maximize efficiencies and minimize costs in your streaming video workflow. ATTEND FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


Tech Talk: Introducing OBSBOT Tail Air and Tiny 2 (Live Demos)

OBSBOT develops AI-enhanced cameras that help AV and streaming professionals efficiently create stunning live streams. The flagship Tail Air 4K PTZ streaming camera combines exceptional visual quality, outstanding low-light performance, NDI HX3 support, and flexible connectivity in a compact form factor, while the Tiny 2 4K camera has ushered in a new era of webcams. This session includes demos of Tail Air and Tiny 2 and explores how they fit into the streaming ecosystem.

Attend this presentation for your chance to win an OBSBOT Tail Air AI-powered 4K PTZ streaming camera. Must be present to win.

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


Speaker:

, CTO, MVD (OBSBOT Distributor)

Tech Talk: No Code. No Kidding: Simplify Your Live Streaming With Norsk Studio

Norsk empowers users to easily build even the most complex live media workflows in days or weeks, rather than months or years. Going beyond simple “source in, ABR ladder out” scenarios, Norsk enables dynamic source switching, picture-in-picture, data overlays, multi-language audio, DRM, and more. With the new no-code Norsk Studio, even non-programmers can build complex, dynamic live streaming workflows. Join us for this demo of Norsk Studio to find out just how easy live can be.

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


Speaker:

, CEO, Norsk

Tech Talk: TBA

Check back soon for more details.

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


 

WED5. Reality Check: AI’s Role in Streaming

04:00 PM2024-02-212024-02-21

Wednesday, February 21: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (PT)

While AI seemed to explode onto the scene in 2022 and 2023 with the rise of ChatGPT, LLMs, and Open AI, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have been making inroads in streaming for several years now. And contrary to what you may have heard, neither is coming for your job. But AI and ML do play an ever-larger role in the recommendation engines in premium OTT platforms like Netflix. AI also powers efficient encoding solutions that lower costs and improve viewer experiences by minimizing buffering and enhancing image quality and enables workflow optimization at multiple stages. This panel explores how AI is currently impacting streaming production, delivery, and playback experiences; how we can expect its role to continue to evolve over time; and how you can leverage AI’s benefits in your streaming efforts, whether your offerings are live or on-demand, and whether you’re creating content, distributing it, or both.

Moderator:

, Senior Analyst, Intelligent Video & Enterprise, IntelliVid Research


Speakers:

, Chairman & President, WTFast

, Executive Director of Software Development, Starz

, Machine Learning Engineer, Gcore

, CTO, Media & Entertainment, Worldwide, Microsoft

Thursday, Feb 22

Online Sessions

 

THU1. Cloud Control: Innovative Workflows for Cloud-Based Streaming

10:00 AM2024-02-222024-02-22

Thursday, February 22: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (ET) / 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. (PT)

The most effective streaming workflows are flexible enough to scalable both upward and downward to adapt to variable viewing demands and deliver the high QoE viewers expect and the brands which underwrite premium streams demand. Migrating some or all elements of your streaming workflow to the cloud is increasingly regarded as the most effective way to maximize scalability and agility while also managing costs. What types of innovations are today’s most successful cloud streaming practitioners implementing in their workflows to optimize their streams? Tune in to this session for practical and actionable insights on cloud streaming workflows that deliver and scale.

Moderator:

, Media Solution Specialist, Eyevinn Technology, Sweden


Speakers:

, Media Technology Director

, Digital Products, Platform and Adtech Manager, Globo

, Head of Broadcast Tech Sweden, ESL FACEIT Group

, VP, Strategic Account Development, Zixi

, Webcast Producer, Social180Group

 

THU2. Last Mile First: Solving Global Streaming at the Edge

11:30 AM2024-02-222024-02-22

Thursday, February 22: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (ET) / 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (PT)

Optimizing streaming’s last mile is critical to maximizing streaming QoE, and the challenges only multiply when viewership scales and scatters around the globe. Leveraging traditional CDNs—and even a multi-CDN strategy—only takes you so far in addressing these challenges; moving the distribution point as close as possible to the end user is essential. But the edge point is still a moving target, bridging the last mile to the end user. What are the latest strategies content providers, CDNs, and ISPs are deploying to achieve and ensure last-mile optimization, and how do these complement each other to achieve the best performance possible?  

Moderator:

, Chairman, CDN Alliance


Speaker:

, Senior Engineering Manager, Video Platform, Warner Bros Discovery

 

THU3. 5G, ATSC 3.0, Streaming, and the Future of Broadcast Media

01:00 PM2024-02-222024-02-22

Thursday, February 22: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (PT)

News of “5G Broadcast” trials brightened the future prospects of traditional OTA TV in 2023 with the promise of viable UHF spectrum delivery to mobile devices. Meanwhile, ATSC 3.0-based NextGen TV carried mixed signals amid patent licensing challenges that drove LG out of the NextGen game as local stations pushed forward with ATSC 3.0 plans and the opportunities for user targeting, customizable interactive options, and immersive audio that earned the format its “NextGen” rep. At the same time, the ongoing, massive growth of linear streaming services presents a formidable challenge. What will define the next generation of broadcast TV, particularly when it comes to OTA’s traditional areas of strength like news, weather, and sports?

Moderator:

, Principal Strategist, Dillon Media Ventures


Speakers:

, Vice President, Emerging Platform Content, Sinclair Broadcast Group

, President, Advanced Television Systems Committee Inc.

, VP, Strategy & Business Development, E.W. Scripps

 

THU4. Case Studies

02:30 PM2024-02-222024-02-22

Thursday, February 22: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (ET) / 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (PT)

In the streaming industry just as elsewhere, nothing succeeds like success! Learn about real-world problem-solving with cutting-edge streaming solutions as key industry vendors and their users share in-depth stories of successful implementations and applications. ATTEND FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


Designing Streaming Infrastructure for a Massive Music Festival: A Conversation With Teradek and BC Live Productions

Check back soon for more details.

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


Speakers:

, Product Manager, Teradek Live

, Product Manager, Teradek Live

, VP, Encoding & Digital Strategy, BC Live Productions

Making Cloud-Based Remote Editing an Operational Reality: A Case Study on A+E Networks’ Journey to Total Supply Chain Transparency and Visibility

Join us for an insightful session as we delve into the remarkable transformation journey of A+E Networks, where the company reclaimed control of its media supply chain by bringing content management workflows in-house. Learn how A+E Networks collaborated with TMT Insights and leveraged the Polaris operational management platform to revolutionize broadcast and VOD edit workflows, streamlining processes, and automating manual tasks. Discover the benefits achieved, and gain valuable insights into the strategies employed, challenges overcome, and lessons learned in accelerating the optimization of a cloud-based remote edit implementation.

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


Speakers:

, Vice President, Strategic Media Solutions, A+E Networks and SMPTE, DPP

, CEO & Co-Founder, TMT Insights

 

THU5. Successful Strategies for Growing and Monetizing Your Streaming Service

04:00 PM2024-02-222024-02-22

Thursday, February 22: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (PT)

What's the best way to draw subscribers and viewers to your streaming service and maintain the audience numbers that keep subscription services profitable and satisfy brands? What’s the secret sauce for content selection and monetization that sets successful services apart from the crowd? Tune in to this panel of OTT innovators to learn about strategies that have helped them succeed across numerous platforms, from connected TVs to handheld devices.

Moderator:

, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech Media and Producers Guild of America (PGA), VR AR Association (VRARA)


Speakers:

, Chief Digital & Streaming Officer, Estrella Media

, Senior Vice President, Content Distribution, NBCUniversal

, Director, Streaming Video Research, Parks Associates

, Senior Vice President, Panel Strategy, Comscore

, SVP, Advertising Sales & Brand Partnerships, pocket.watch