FEED Summer 2025 Web

FEED’s 50th issue marks a milestone by spotlighting cloud technology — a driving force in modern broadcast. From editing and storage to hybrid production and cybersecurity, we explore its game-changing potential. This edition also features PTZ cameras in dynamic environments, Latin America’s booming media scene, a sustainability spotlight on Picture Zero, immersive sports tools, and rising visibility in women’s rugby — plus a quirky dive into the world of professional pillow fighting.

feedmagazine.tv | SUMMER 2025

Exploring the future of media technology

CLOUD SPECIAL

Revealed: Why broadcasters can’t afford to ignore the cloud’s competitive advantage THE BACKBONE OF BROADCAST

Premiership Women’s Rugby

Profiling PTZs

Looking into LatAm

Use this QR code to read the interactive version of FEED now!

FEED at 50! t seemed only right that technologies that has had the most profound impact on broadcast. It’s cloud, of course, something that’s proliferated through FEED ’s pages across our previous 49 editions in an enormous variety of ways. Now, for this special cloud edition, Paul Bray takes us up into the digital skyline, highlighting the many forms that cloud takes, to elevate the we celebrated FEED ’s 50th issue by covering one of the ways in which we both produce and consume television. From editing and storage through to cybersecurity and hybrid production, learn how best to leverage its many useful benefits. Elsewhere, we take a closer look at PTZs, learning about their adaptability in a range of broadcast environments – from reality TV to podcasts and streaming. For our Genius Interview, we sit down with the IABM’s new CEO Saleha Williams, whose wealth of broadcast experience and media- tech know-how – combined with her refreshingly positive and open-minded attitude – makes for a promising next chapter for the organisation. I

EDITORIAL

EDITOR Verity Butler +44 (0)1223 492246 veritybutler@bright.uk.com SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Join us on page 58 as we travel across the globe to learn the latest broadcast trends in the flourishing sector of Latin America, for this issue’s regional focus. Also, in our sustainability spotlight, we meet the team behind Picture Zero, a film and TV consultancy spearheading greener action when it comes to the carbon- pumping process of production. Meanwhile, this issue’s Xtreme takes us behind the broadcast of the pro Pillow Fighting Championship. No, you didn’t read that wrong, pro pillow fighting actually exists, and is so popular in fact that demand for its coverage is very much on the up. We also look into the immersive tools used in sports broadcast to take fan experience to the next level on page 82, as well as exploring the expanding visibility for women’s rugby – and what the team at Limitless are doing to support that. A final note to say thank you as we mark our 50th issue – and what with some exciting new developments taking place here at FEED HQ, we look forward to what’s coming next for this funky, chunky magazine!

Katie Kasperson FEATURES WRITER Oliver Webb

CHIEF SUB EDITOR Matthew Winney SUB EDITORS Zanna Buckland, Minhaj Zia CONTRIBUTORS Paul Bray, Neal Romanek

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CONTENTS SUMMER 2025

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SPORTS REPORTER All the latest headlines and launches from the thriving sports media space

BEHIND THE BROADCAST Yes, pro pillow fighting exists, and we’ve got an exclusive look inside this feathery world

NEWSFEED The latest scoops in media tech, featuring everything from fresh product launches to major mergers

90 PREMIERSHIP WOMEN’S RUGBY Coverage catches up, as IMMERSIVE SPORTS Step inside the game as we reveal the immersive tech revolutionising sports TV women’s rugby gets the stage its athletes have long deserved

CLOUD SPECIAL Cloud-first broadcasting is well and truly here. We break down the innovative technology behind it

PTZ CAMERAS We uncover the transformational impact of pan-tilt-zoom cameras on broadcast and streaming

GENIUS INTERVIEW Our 50th Genius Interviewee is the new CEO of IABM, Saleha Williams: a media-tech force to be reckoned with!

SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT This issue’s green showcase

highlights Picture Zero, a TV and film consultancy spearheading eco action

MASTERCLASS: LESSONS IN LATENCY Live means now: insiders explore latency challenges and solutions for real-time broadcast and streaming

REGIONAL FOCUS: LATAM This issue’s geographical deep dive divulges the key media-tech trends flourishing in the LatAm region

START-UP SNAPSHOTS 31 MTH Studio 34 Highfield AI 47 Upit

This month’s cover was designed by Carl Golsby at Bright Publishing

NEWSFEED

SOCIAL MEDIA

TikTok tests Footnotes

ikTok is trialling a new feature called Footnotes, similar to Community Notes

on X (formerly Twitter). The platform revealed that Footnotes will let users add extra context and relevant details to videos to help viewers better understand them. The trial is initially launching in the US. TikTok explained that the feature will work alongside existing tools like content labels and fact-checking, unlike Meta’s Community Notes, which replaces its fact-checking system. Similarly to X and Facebook, Footnotes employs a bridging- based ranking system to encourage consensus among users with differing viewpoints. Users with opposing opinions can submit and rate footnotes based on their usefulness. Only those deemed ‘helpful’ become visible to the wider community, who can then vote too.

NEWSROOMS

EVS lands major deal with Al Jazeera

new contract will see EVS deliver its content management solution Mediaception to five key Al Jazeera bureaux. Mediaception will provide Al Jazeera with a unified workflow designed to manage and edit live and near-live news content. Each bureau will have capabilities to ingest multiple live feeds, browse, edit and share news packages A

from a centralised storage system, as well as seamlessly playout news as events unfold. Ahmad Al Fahad, executive director of technology and network operations at Al Jazeera Media Network, said: “Deploying Mediaception will not only enhance operational efficiency, but also bolster our ability to deliver high-quality, timely content to our viewers around the world.”

INDUSTRY EVENTS

BROADCAST ASIA 27-29 May Singapore

AD TECH

Programmatic powerhouses

ANGA COM 3-5 June Cologne, Germany

agnite and Samsung Ads recently revealed an expanded global partnership,

INFOCOMM 7-13 June Orlando, USA STREAM TV SHOW 11-13 June Denver, USA PLASA SHOW 7-9 September London, UK

following the double-digit percentage gross revenue growth on the Magnite Streaming SSP seen by Samsung Ads from 2023 to 2024. “Alongside the rapid growth of our ads business, Magnite has been an instrumental partner in helping us build custom technology to improve our programmatic monetisation,” said Joe Melaragno, head of channel sales at Samsung Ads. “Our collaboration with Magnite has led to several breakthroughs, including simplified genre targeting to support contextual advertising,

improved forecasting capabilities and a significant reduction in timeouts to complement our rapid viewership growth on Samsung TV Plus.” To bolster audience addressability in streaming, Samsung Ads will leverage the Magnite Access product to better manage behavioural data across Magnite platforms.

IBC 2025 12-15 September Amsterdam, Netherlands

DELIVERING MAJOR STORIES IN MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY

CYBERSECURITY

Scattered Spider hits UK retailers T

he cyber-criminal group known as Scattered Spider has emerged as a primary suspect in the ongoing investigation into a series of cyberattacks targeting UK retailers, including Marks & Spencer (M&S), according to law enforcement officials. The group, a loosely organised network of English-speaking hackers, is believed to be behind recent breaches involving M&S, the Co-op Group and Harrods. On 21 May, M&S revealed that the breach

is expected to cost approximately £300 million in lost profits. The National Crime Agency (NCA), which handles major cyber crime cases in the UK, confirmed that Scattered Spider is under close scrutiny as part of its inquiry. “We’re actively investigating the group known publicly as Scattered Spider,” said Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, in an interview with the BBC. “That being said, we’re exploring multiple lines of inquiry and will let the

evidence lead us to those who are truly responsible.” It has been reported that the hackers used a ransomware called Dragon Force in a Ransomware-as- a-Service operation where hackers use another group’s malware and infrastructure in exchange for a cut of any financial proceeds from the attack. Ransomware attackers demand a sum, usually paid in cryptocurrency, in exchange for unlocking any hacked files and returning stolen data.

AUDIO

Android phones gain hearing aid feature

oogle recently revealed that Android smartphones will soon support Auracast, a

Bluetooth technology that allows hearing aids to connect to audio broadcasts in busy or noisy places. With Auracast, compatible earbuds and hearing aids can stream audio straight from sources like PA systems in train stations or live event sound feeds. Google highlighted that users can apply personalised hearing aid settings to these streams for a tailored listening experience. Initially, this feature will be available on Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 7 and Google Pixel 9 phones using the latest Android 16 beta. It supports LE Audio-enabled hearing aids from manufacturers such as GN Hearing and Starkey. Google also introduced a new convenience for Pixel 9 users: they can join audio broadcasts by scanning QR codes.

ncompass Digital Media is leading a transformation of the BBC: Bye to satellite E

establishment of a global IP distribution network for BBC World Service using the Encompass Altitude Connect platform, while integrating Zixi’s industry- leading IP delivery technology with Altitude Media Cloud, Encompass’ global broadcast cloud platform. Nigel Fry, director of distribution for BBC World Service, stated: “With the support of Encompass and Zixi, we’re ensuring that BBC World Service continues to deliver its trusted news and information to audiences, wherever they are, with an even greater reach and more security than ever before.”

BBC World Service’s global distribution from satellite to IP-based delivery. The initiative, which Encompass is delivering in partnership with Zixi, offers unparalleled flexibility, scalability and cost-effectiveness. The first milestone – the full transition to IP distribution for BBC World Service partners across Europe – was reached at the end of March 2025. Now follows a rolling programme of transformations across the other continents. The contract awarded to Encompass involves the

INDUSTRY

Sequel brings strategy to streaming sector

he recently launched Sequel is formed of leadership from HBO

Max/Warner Media. Sequel will tackle streaming challenges, such as fragmented ecosystems and shifting audience expectations, with AI-driven insights and personalised experiences to help business stay ahead. The team, which already includes co-founders Aksel van der Wal and Rutger Pinas, will be joined by Scott Joslin to drive innovation in data strategy. Sequel will provide customers with next-gen UX, multi- platform app development, robust cloud integrations and more.

CONTROL ROOMS

Studio Berlin reconfigures control rooms

irect Out is a provider of high-end audio solutions, and has recently extended

utilised an OB truck, but with an increasingly busy schedule and less control room movement, the truck was replaced to create two new, permanently installed facilities. The upgrades provide reliable, robust network conversions between the Ravenna network and other audio network protocols. The Andiamo units convert analogue signals to digital and vice versa, while Prodigy. MP enables all other conversions.

its coverage at Studio Berlin, a Germany-based studio operation and television production company. Studio Berlin installed two Prodigy. MPs, one Prodigy.MX and three Andiamos to provide conversion and redundancy solutions for its brand-new control room upgrades in Hamburg. The company previously

GEAR

Mini camera, mega impact

ream Chip Technologies, a leader in miniature and point-of-view cameras,

perfect for body-worn ref cams. Weighing just 55g, including lens and stereo microphone, it’s perfect for mounting on a miniature drone. The Atom Two is the smallest global shutter camera available on the market. It’s vital in high-value productions like sports, where a rolling shutter creates visible distortions and disturbances. “During the Atom Two’s development programme, we had experienced users come in to put the camera through its paces,”

recently launched its latest innovation, the Atom Two camera. Building on the success of the widely used Atom One series, the Atom Two brings a new level of quality and convenience to the sports and production market. In a package just 29x29x33mm, the new Atom Two offers a huge dynamic range. The integral 4.5mm lens provides a 90˚ field of view,

said Jan Peter Berns, CSO & CFO at Dream Chip. “They could match it to a system camera so well, it was hard for even an expert shader to tell which was which.”

PLAYOUT

PRODUCTION

Producing from your pocket

Pebble powers playout for SRF

ebble has completed the development and implementation of the playout functionality for Swiss national broadcaster SRF. The project

ightcraft Technology has announced a major update to Lightcraft Jetset, a production-proven mobile app that lets anyone create what’s in their

involved collaboration with multiple vendors to achieve seamless workflows in the all-IP environment. SRF has relocated to a purpose-built headquarters in Zurich. A key element of the project is to take advantage of next-generation workflows and operational practices by leveraging modern, standards-based technologies. The result is one of the largest media environments using interworking SMPTE ST 2110 equipment in Europe.

head without the costs that drag productions down. With the update, Jetset introduces live cinematic compositing, Gaussian splatting support and new integration with Aximmetry that provides a fast path to Unreal Engine, for everything from YouTube and live-to-tape to LED wall- based productions. With Jetset, users can access VP at any stage of the creative process – from the earliest story hacking sessions to the final few days of post.

PODCASTING

New podcast demystifies virtual production S

tarting Pixel, a global community dedicated to the future of filmmaking,

filmmaking departments, marketing teams, brands and influencers. These audiences might know they need to upskill and better understand new developments, but want to avoid being overwhelmed by complex terminology or technical jargon. Established in 2023, Starting Pixel’s community of VP specialists and enthusiasts has now grown to more than 1000 members, spanning 70+ countries. The podcast is hosted by founder Rob Chandler and guest co-hosts, with new episodes dropping weekly. “In my mind, VP is a whole movement; not just a technology, but a fundamental, disruptive approach to creating compelling stories at speed,” explained Chandler.

has launched The Starting Pixel Podcast , a weekly podcast series aimed at informing and inspiring a wider creative audience about advancements in VP. The podcast seeks to broaden the conversation beyond the common assumptions around VP technology and approaches. With an honest, open conversation format, it features creative and technical professionals discussing their experiences and real-life learnings. The series is designed to appeal to anyone who is inquisitive about the future of visual storytelling, which includes traditional crews and

Facility Connect simplifies IP

et Insight has launched Facility Connect, a new solution designed to enhance multi-facility broadcast workflows. It seeks to provide a robust and efficient way to connect broadcast facilities, opening doors for IP-based production between locations. Facility Connect integrates advanced media transport features for efficient IP media management and to support modern workflows, based on multiple 100G connectivity. By adhering to SMPTE RP 2129 and ST 2110 standards, it ensures seamless interoperability and high-performance connectivity across broadcast centres. N

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INDUSTRY

SUBTITLES

GEAR

DIGITAL NIRVANA ENHANCES AVID Digital Nirvana has announced a global Alliance Partnership with Avid, bringing advanced AI metadata capabilities into Avid’s media and production asset management ecosystems. The collaboration is built on the proven integration of Digital Nirvana’s Metadata IQ with Avid’s Media Central Production Management for faster workflows.

MULTILINGUAL SUBTITLES MADE EASY OOONA has launched its Multilingual QC tool, a powerful addition to the company’s toolkit. Designed to support media localisation professionals, the Multilingual QC tool streamlines the quality control process for timed text assets by enabling the validation and editing of subtitles across multiple language streams simultaneously.

CANON TARGETS CONTENT CREATORS Canon has released two new products designed specifically for content creators to elevate their filming experience. The Powershot V1 is a pocket-sized camera with built-in ultra-wide lens for great performance without the bulk. The EOS R50 V is an interchangeable-lens camera built with advanced filmmaking features to unlock creative potential.

NEWSROOMS

New cameras for WPLG Miami

PLG (channel 10) TV station in Miami recently selected Ikegami HDK-X500 cameras to populate a new production studio at its headquarters in Pembroke Park. Four complete systems have been purchased, each including a BSX-100 base station and OCP-300 operating control panel. “Ikegami cameras have performed well for us in our transition from analogue to digital, SD to HD and even with our W

second generation of HD cameras,” commented Darren Alline, director of engineering at WPLG. “Upgrading to HDK-X500 models gives us extra features, including the ability to help eliminate moiré on LED walls and capture content in HDR. We produce a wide variety of local news, weather reports and sports coverage, on air and online. High signal quality, versatility, ease of operation and long service life are essential for this.”

lobal provider of video streaming software and services Accedo has launched a specialist XR consultancy offering, supporting video service providers to create and launch cost- and time-efficient XR video-centric experiences. With this new offering, Accedo will enable content providers, broadcasters and rightsholders to draw on its vast video and XR industry expertise, as well as its strong industry network and market- leading XR software and services. Accedo is a market leader in helping broadcasters establish impactful OTT services, leveraging a broad portfolio of specialist software and services. The XR consultancy offering leverages Accedo’s 400-person-strong professional services team and 20+ years of experience navigating video distribution across various platforms. With strategic initiatives that put it at the forefront of XR development, including the formation of the XR Sports Alliance in June 2024, it is well positioned to provide XR advice that is grounded in real-world experience and expertise. XR consultancy by Accedo is launched G

TEST & MEASUREMENT

Leader Electronics supports Disguise R&D

est and measurement innovator Leader Electronics of Europe

suites, with regard to the SMPTE SDI and ST 2110 IP standards. Disguise senior embedded software engineer Jack Cripps confirms: “We use Phabrix products extensively. QxL sits at the heart of our network rack and helps test and benchmark our IP video format conversion (IP- VFC) 12G-SDI and ST 2110 cards throughout their development.”

has announced that Disguise has invested in a new Leader Phabrix LPX500 and multiple Phabrix QxP, QxL, Qx and SxE T&M solutions. The new equipment will be used to validate the video outputs of Disguise’s hardware products and to support the development of automated test

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RADIO

INDUSTRY

APAC

RADIO REPUBLIK INDONESIA EMBRACES IP Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Indonesia’s national public broadcaster, has modernised its studios with state- of-the-art Lawo solutions, installing three 14-fader crystal mixing consoles and a Power Core router. In two steps, this enhances operational efficiency, streamlines workflows and establishes a future-proof, fully IP-based infrastructure.

UNIFIED STREAMING SUPPORTS ITV ITV, the British media and broadcasting company, has announced it is expanding its long-standing tech collaboration with Unified Streaming, the Amsterdam- headquartered video delivery software company. New projects in ITV’s pipeline, developed in partnership with Unified Streaming, will help bolster ITV’s tech evolution and refinement.

RIEDEL’S ASIA-PACIFIC PUSH Riedel Communications has announced the opening of a new office in Hong Kong. This strategic expansion underscores Riedel’s commitment to enhancing its presence in the Asia-Pacific region and providing superior support to its growing customer base. To mark the occasion, Riedel hosted an All-Asia Partner Conference at the new office in March.

CELLULAR BROADCAST

Ghanaian election coverage success M

ajor broadcasters across west Africa relied on Dejero Engo mobile video

transmitters and Live Plus mobile apps to deliver uninterrupted live coverage of Ghana’s 2024 elections, broadcasting from crucial locations including Accra and the Northern, Western and Ashanti regions. Leading Ghanaian broadcast facilities provider Bahamus Limited equipped top networks with Dejero technology to ensure reliable connectivity, even in areas with limited infrastructure. Bahamus Ltd deployed seven Dejero Engo transmitters, each equipped with six SIM cards that could blend multiple networks to create a secure, high-bandwidth transmission path. Additionally, 30 Dejero Live Plus mobile app licences enabled reporters to broadcast live video directly from their smartphones.

LIVE PRODUCTION SBA taps Grass Valley for Makkah makeover

rass Valley has unveiled a new partnership with the Saudi Broadcasting

news, cultural and entertainment programming to domestic and international audiences. Its Makkah facility is a primary hub for live religious event coverage. This latest deployment is part of a long-term SBA project to upgrade its broadcasting capabilities with more scalable, robust systems to deliver world- class media content across TV, radio and digital platforms. The new system is based on 12G technology, offering improved performance, significantly higher capacity and futureproofing for SBA’s growing production needs.

Authority (SBA) to provide a major technology upgrade for its broadcast facility in the holy city of Makkah (also known as Mecca). Delivered in partnership with First Gulf Company (FGC), the new installation marks a significant leap forward for SBA’s live production capabilities, particularly for supporting round- the-clock online broadcasts from the Grand Mosque. SBA is the Saudi state broadcasting body, providing

NEWSROOMS

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AUDIO

NEXT-GEN STUDIO FOR VPM Zero Density has revealed its project to implement its solutions into the news studio of Virginia Public Media’s (VPM) newly built facility, in partnership with Broadcast Management Group. This new facility is a vital step towards delivering high-quality broadcast and digital media services to enhance VPM’s capabilities and better serve its community.

AI COURSE FOR MEDIA PROS IABM has launched a brand-new online introduction to AI course, designed for business managers, production teams and tech providers across the media and technology industry. The new, expertly curated AI course provides a fundamental understanding of AI key concepts, types, applications, implementation, as well as ethical considerations.

INTRODUCING VIZ CONNECT AUDIO Vizrt has released Viz Connect Audio – its first dedicated audio connectivity and monitoring technology product. It adds the ability to manage any and all NDI sources on a network. “Viz Connect Audio guarantees professional-quality and easy- to-configure live productions,” said Steve Taylor, chief product and technology officer at Vizrt.

A cloud of possibilities

GREAT STRIDES During the Belgian Cup football final, Sony, NEP Europe and Citymesh set up the first 5G broadcast test in the country

Behind the scenes of broadcast and streaming, the cloud is quietly reshaping how teams create and deliver content – making it easier to collaborate and keep up with demand around the world

Words by Paul Bray

M aybe it’s no accident that ‘cloud’ is an anagram of ‘could’ – because the cloud, it seems, can do almost anything. It can be a time-saver, a cost-cutter and a world-shrinker, a flexible friend and a business tiger. Above all, it is an enabler of rapid expansion, smarter working, content discovery, laser-sharp targeting and a myriad of other solutions to the kinds of issues that keep denizens of the C-suite awake at night. “The cloud has become a Swiss Army knife for production, taking the workflows that traditional broadcasters have used for decades and making them nimble, lightweight and easy to turn on and off,” says Ben Hayes, director of client services at Bitfire. “Cloud-based workflows in broadcast and streaming now span the entire production pipeline.” If you can name it, you can probably do it in the cloud. Creation, ingestion and editing content, asset management, personalisation and regionalisation, live production, transcoding and delivery across multiple platforms – all are available at the flick of a switch, or at least the ping of a payment. Fashionably late The IT world embraced the cloud years ago, and most of us use a raft of cloud-based applications – from Google Docs to Microsoft Teams – without a second thought. But broadcasters have come late to the party, and some are only now waking up to the possibilities. What has changed, according to Dominik Birgelen, CEO of Oneclick, is a confluence of technological maturity and commercial urgency. “A decade ago, cloud technology wasn’t mature enough to support professional media workflows. But today, cloud vendors have upgraded their media-specific capabilities, offering GPU-accelerated processing, near-lossless compression, high- throughput data transfer and ultra- low-latency streaming pipelines. “In parallel with that, broadcasters are now under pressure to serve

REMOTE POSSIBILITY Bitfire’s cloud switcher being used at a technical director’s home on one coast for a live show on the other

fragmented audiences, support multi-format delivery and operate more flexibly, especially in a post- pandemic world where remote collaboration and virtual production are business necessities. And the dramatic rise of AI and cloud-native media tools have made cloud an integral part of a broadcasting ecosystem. It’s no longer a matter of if cloud fits broadcasting, but how fast companies can transform to remain competitive.” Cloud applications are not necessarily new. “In most cases, they’re the same trusted software platforms that media professionals already rely on, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Autodesk Flame,” says Tim Burton, managing director of 7fivefive. “What changes is the delivery model. These applications are now hosted on powerful virtual workstations in the cloud, connected directly to users. Cloud resources can be scaled and tailored to different creative functions, therefore editors, colourists or producers can work

» The cloud has become a Swiss Army knife for production, making workflows easy, nimble and easy to turn off «

THE CLOUD’S SILVER LININGS

The cloud is not just for big brands. It can also be a godsend to start-ups, like Warsaw-based company Klik Lekarz. “We use a mix of cloud-based tools across the production pipeline,” says the firm’s content creator, Natalia Szubrycht. “For collaboration and feedback, we rely on Frame.io for real-time video review with sponsors and editors. For remote editing and media storage, Blackmagic Cloud allows shared project files and timeline syncing across locations. For live events, we use cloud encoders and virtual production tools to stream directly to YouTube, Twitch and branded platforms – managing overlays, graphics and viewer interactions from the cloud. “Cloud services dramatically reduce the need for high-end local hardware and allow flexible collaboration. I can onboard new team members instantly, scale up production without investing in new infrastructure and work from anywhere with a stable connection. Turnaround times are shorter, and it’s much easier to maintain version control on shared assets. Making more with less “Professional remote multicam editing and live streaming with dynamic overlays would have been unthinkable without a full crew and studio just a few years ago. Now, I can produce high- quality branded content and live events from a laptop.” Szubrycht finds that the primary challenges of the cloud are bandwidth and data security. “Large media files require fast upload speeds, so we’ve invested in redundant internet connections and cloud-optimised formats to streamline uploads. For security, we implement two- factor authentication and cloud encryption, and limit access privileges to those who need them. Training collaborators on secure file handling is also

crucial. We’ve also upgraded our network set-up and added a local NAS system as a hybrid backup.” Overall, the cloud has made the company’s production pipeline far more nimble and scalable. “It enables real-time content creation and distribution for brand partners – which is a major competitive edge. It’s also allowed us to take on more ambitious projects with minimal overhead, expand globally without opening new offices and diversify by offering remote production services. In a fast- paced digital media landscape, this flexibility is key to staying relevant and profitable.” One piece of advice for newbies? “It’s a mindset shift,” concludes Szubrycht. “You need to think of the cloud not just as storage, but as the backbone of an agile production ecosystem.” » I can onboard new team members instantly, scale up production without investing in new infrastructure and work anywhere «

with media from wherever they are, without needing local high-end hardware or duplication of files. By offloading rendering to the cloud, artists and post-production teams can free up time to work on other tasks while rendering what happens in the background.” Andrew Lokenauth, an analyst and consultant, recently set up a virtual production system for a studio. “It’s an entire green-screen environment rendered in real time through the cloud, where directors can adjust scenes on the fly,” he says. Because data can be anywhere, so can people. “The cloud enables the sending of live feeds to a broadcast team anywhere in the world,” notes Helen Matthews, senior market analyst for pro video at Futuresource Consulting. “A good example is Riot Games, which hosts esports events across the globe. It has three identical remote production studios – in Asia, Ireland and North America – and all its events are produced in one of these. It means no one has to work unsociable hours, and teams

don’t have to spend time and money travelling to each event.” Moving beyond storage Although there is now far more to the cloud than just data storage, this ‘classic’ function is still important, especially at scale. The BBC, for example, has migrated a whole century of content to Amazon Web Services (AWS), amounting to 25 petabytes of data. “We were able to retire half the archive’s physical infrastructure,” highlights Mark Glanville, senior technical architect in BBC Archives Technology and Services. “This frees up a huge amount of technical space and power in precious real estate in central London.” Whether archived or newly minted, once content is in the cloud, it can be analysed, indexed and reprocessed by a whole battery of AI-based tools, making it searchable and reusable to an astonishing degree. “Cloud-native AI integration can enable automated transcription, facial recognition and metadata tagging – tasks that were once manual and time-consuming,” explains Sam Peterson, COO of

Bitcentral. “This means hours of content can be processed in near real time, significantly improving asset discoverability and enabling producers to find and reuse content that would otherwise go unseen.” “AI-assisted tools can deliver tailored advertising and automate multilingual subtitling at scale, which would otherwise be prohibitively expensive or impossible,” adds Venu Iyengar, COO for digital at Planetcast. “While real-time dubbing for live footage still has some way to go, using AI-driven voice cloning and near real-time dubbing for file-based content has made the output not just faster, but creatively superb.” Lokenauth, too, is seeing huge advances in cloud-based AI for content creation. “I’ve been testing some tools that can automatically create highlight reels based on crowd reactions and player movements, for example. It’s wild stuff.” Another area that has benefited enormously from the transition to the cloud is playout and distribution. “This is seen in more efficient and widely implemented video-on- demand services and, more recently, live streaming of events,” observes

» Cloud-native AI integration can enable automated transcription, facial recognition and metadata tagging «

TOC OF THE TOWN The view of the Technical Operations Center (TOC) from inside Riot Games’ Remote Broadcast Center powered by AWS in Seattle, WA

in a far shorter turnaround time, and content could be downloaded in three different resolutions, facilitating usage including linear, digital and social media.” A multicamera replay system provided 360°, frame-freeze slow- motion replays. “Footage was sent to the cloud, where Alibaba Cloud’s AI-driven computing capabilities enabled live spatial reconstruction and real-time 3D rendering,” notes Guo. A cloud-based, AI-powered media archiving solution also provided enhanced visual searches, auto categorisation of multimedia content and video highlights. complement the event-driven nature of sport. Only by using the cloud, and thus software-defined workflows, was Sky able to deliver this without increasing the subscription cost.” News providers – for whom speed and quality are of the essence – have embraced the cloud with a will. “It’s never been more difficult to make money through news, and there’s more pressure than ever on news organisations to monetise their programming and platforms,” says Koji Andachi, head of media solutions marketing at Sony. from terrestrial broadcasting to online streaming. “Among the big names aiming to do this are France Télévisions and the BBC,” says Otto. “Under its internet-only programme, the BBC intends for some of its channels – including children’s service CBBC and arts/culture network BBC Four – to become completely digital platforms during this year.” The cloud can even enable media companies to spin up entirely new channels without breaking the bank. “Sky Sports+ launched last year, increasing the quantity of live sport produced by Sky by 50%,” explains Scott Kewley, CEO of Techex. “The launch was rapid, and the scale-up in workload, Sky states, was only possible by leveraging the cloud, using its on-demand nature to

No task is too large for the cloud, it seems. At last year’s Olympic Games in Paris, cloud became the main method of remote distribution to broadcasters, displacing the satellite technology that had dominated for 60 years. “The system fully realised the benefits of cloud technologies, including operational scalability, cost efficiency, improved sustainability with enhanced remote working capabilities and effective real- time workflow collaboration,” says Dongliang Guo, VP of international business at Alibaba Cloud. “It also meant less equipment and OLYMPIC PROPORTIONS Erik Otto, CEO of Mediaproxy. “A leading example is Amazon Prime Video’s move into live sport, notably Premier League football. With more live programming, streaming services will become more capable of taking on linear broadcasters. Two major advantages of cloud-based playout are the ability to scale a facility’s equipment and infrastructure to fit the number of channels – particularly in terms of adding a new, temporary service for a special occasion – while also managing the content over different platforms.” Supporting the streamers The cloud is supporting a tectonic shift in the opposite direction too,

SEEING IS BELIEVING The Mediaproxy low-latency IP multiviewer delivers real-time confidence monitoring for cloud- based channels

» It’s never been more difficult to make money through news, and there’s more pressure than ever to monetise platforms «

resources, shorter set-up times and more flexibility for broadcasters.” During the Games, two-thirds of booked remote services, across 54 broadcasters, used the OBS Live Cloud, which transmitted 379 video and 100 audio feeds. “OBS’s Content+ content delivery platform – hosted on Alibaba Cloud – simplified remote production workflows and ensured seamless content delivery, including live sessions, athlete interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and social media content,” adds Guo. “Broadcasters could create their own highlights from any location

SWITCH CRAFT! Seamless switching between different encoders in Techex

“IP connectivity and the cloud have become crucial to everyday workflows, providing the scalability and accessibility needed to take more of a story-centric approach to news production and address the multichannel consumption habits of today’s audiences. Complex tasks such as reformatting and tagging are now being simplified, so creating and distributing media content across multiple channels at once is becoming easier – from news channels and streaming platforms to social media and podcasts.” At Reuters, Sony’s Hive news production platform lets bureaux around the world collaborate on stories across different time zones. “In the past, news production has often been quite siloed,” reveals Rob Lang, global production editor at Thomson Reuters. “You have a team in a bureau with the infrastructure around them, producing content and sending it into the centre.” Aside from the obvious costs and complexity of building and maintaining disparate systems, this fragmentation can cause bottlenecks both for dispersed journalists and any production teams wishing to access and share content. “We wanted to move away from the idea of having satellites and a centre to create a global newsroom, where once content has been

shot, it’s immediately available for everyone who needs it to start working on,” explains Lang. “That’s why we went for a cloud-based production system.” The Hive system allows Reuters news crews on the ground to focus on getting the story and shooting the content, without worrying about the ‘bureaucracy’ of metadata tagging, creating scripts, verification etc, and quickly feeding it into the global newsroom for immediate use. Championing sports An equally eager adopter of the cloud is sports. As part of a larger cloud migration, for example, Sky built a software-defined encoding (SDE) platform based on Amazon’s Elastic Kubernetes Service. It replaced three separate, on-premises, appliance- based pipelines used by Sky teams in the UK, Italy and Germany to prepare content for distribution to a wide range of channels (satellite, terrestrial, OTT etc), which were proving cumbersome and expensive. “Handing off Kubernetes cluster management to AWS allows our team to focus more time on the video application layer,” remarks Davide Gandino, Sky’s head of group distribution. “We’re also able to pay only for the tools we’re using, which is huge. We can scale up and down in minutes, which is very cost-efficient and allows us to quickly execute new ideas. For instance, we can prepare hundreds of different camera angles for audience consumption, as we recently did with Formula One.”

» Complex tasks such as reformatting and tagging are now being simplified, so creating and distributing media content across multiple channels at once is becoming easier «

CLOUD TO CROWD Sony’s focus on story-centric workflows addresses modern news consumption habits

BUILDING A HYBRID INFRASTRUCTURE

Multiple camera angles present an opportunity to give audiences more control over how they view content – one of the holy grails in today’s ever- tougher war for eyeballs. “We want to give audiences exciting new features that put them in the director’s chair, and having a cloud-native SDE platform frees us from traditional hardware constraints,” adds Gandino. Being a multi-regional deployment, the new platform also serves as a disaster-recovery solution. Previously, on-premises set-ups took minutes or even hours to spin up; now, recovery is near-instant, according to Gandino. It is now feasible to broadcast professional sports matches entirely from the cloud, as the National Hockey League (NHL) proved last year when the Washington Capitals took on the Carolina Hurricanes in Washington DC, using technology from AWS. “We’re abstracting the truck from the broadcast and sending camera feeds to the cloud,” reports Grant Nodine, the NHL’s SVP of technology. “Live cloud production (LCP) allows you to have an unlimited number of outputs, just governed by how much compute you want to dedicate to it. “It enables us to break down the components of a broadcast and realise some of the ancillary benefits, particularly replay. There’s no reason I can’t cut near-live melts and have them available instantly to anyone from the cloud. We can produce a crafted highlight for each game that’s shared on every platform – digital, social or broadcast. We can make content available on one platform and have all these components talk to each other in near-real time, without having to buy most of the actual hardware.” The inaugural live broadcast feed was produced from a temporary control room in the NHL Network studios in New Jersey, while another team cut the stats-enhanced feed with live studio talent from a control room at the NHL headquarters in Manhattan. Just one AWS employee was present at the game to help co-ordinate feeds and troubleshoot technical issues. A live sports production of this size would typically require at least one production truck

Eventlive Pro, which specialises in livestreaming private events, has a cloud-native platform designed from the ground up to combine the scalability, flexibility and global reach of cloud with the transcoding performance of dedicated hardware. “Content delivery networks are a key component – global networks of computers that cache your content and bring it closer to your users worldwide,” says Eventlive Pro’s CTO, Mark Sergienko. “We use a blend of Cloudflare, BunnyCDN and Amazon Cloudfront.” For video storage and archiving, the company uses Amazon S3. “It’s a gold standard for object storage on the internet with unmatched reliability and a standard price of $23 per TB per month,” continues Sergienko. However, in order to reduce egress costs, Eventlive Pro also

uses compatible alternatives for different asset classes and secondary backups, including Amazon S3 Glacier, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Digitalocean Spaces and Vultr. “Choosing the right CDNs and object storage is critical to balancing cost, performance and reliability in video streaming, optimising for affordability and global reach,” adds Sergienko. Not all of Eventlive Pro’s infrastructure is in the cloud, however. “We did use cloud servers for their flexibility (on-demand provisioning, autoscaling and per-minute billing) and still use them for non-transcoding needs,” says Sergienko. “But they couldn’t match the performance per dollar you get with dedicated hardware, so now we rely on dedicated, ‘bare-metal’ servers for transcoding live streams.”

and 20 people on site, generating more than two tonnes of CO2, so the cloud production was greener and saved on travel too. By combining LCP technology with advanced analytics, the NHL is able to enhance the fan experience, providing more insight, information, analysis, camera views and statistics during the broadcast.

“We’re going to take one NHL game and create multiple broadcasts to address all fans interested in more of a lifestyle experience, or those looking for a stat-heavy production,” expresses David Lehanski, the NHL’s EVP of business development and innovation. “Cloud production is going to be at the fore of our fan development around the world.”

After decades of pioneering in media, entertainment and technology, Saleha Williams is stepping into a new high-profile role: CEO of the IABM. A natural leader and lifelong learner, she΄s not afraid of a challenge, ready to navigate the ever- evolving industry through technological advancements and diverse ways of doing business. Her positive, open-minded attitude is more than refreshing; it΄s exactly what the world needs right now. We sit down with Williams to explore her past, talk about her present and ponder the future.

Interview by Katie Kasperson

FEED: Tell me about your background. How did you end up in the media-tech industry? SALEHA WILLIAMS: I always knew that I wanted to be in media, and I always loved technology. While I was at school, I went to work for my local newspaper on Saturdays as a runner, which was somebody who ran the ads between the art department and the printing presses. Media has always been incredibly important, whether it’s news, communication or the art of storytelling, and so it was something I knew I wanted to be a part of from a young age. I also loved computer science. I tried at one stage to get into the Navy as a Wren – WRNS being the female group of the Navy. Having started as a Saturday runner, I went on to work with News International, just as News Corp was launching Sky (then BSkyB) and was part of the team that ran the very first direct response TV ads in the United Kingdom. That was incredibly exciting. I went on to work with British Telecom in their advanced technologies area, which covered all of their R&D, looking at network architecture for distribution and monetisation of media and content. Over the last 30 years, I’ve been lucky enough to live and work all over the world. I’ve been based in Singapore, India, the US and all over Europe, having worked for some amazing broadcasters, media, film companies, but also on the tech side with Google, Cognizant, Siemens and Cisco, bringing all of that together in the media-tech industry. It’s been a phenomenal journey, and something I’m thrilled to have done. I still enjoy it as much today as I did when I first started at 15 years old. You ΄ ve recently taken over as CEO of the IABM. First, can you explain – in your own words – what the IABM does? What excites you about this job? IABM stands for the International Trade Association of Broadcast and Media, and effectively it is a

TAKING CHARGE Saleha Williams (right) interviewed at a Meet the IABM CEO talk

» Everything the IABM does is for its members, enabling them to flourish across the media and technology industry «

there? What subjects need to be addressed? The first thing to say – and this comes as no surprise, I’m sure – is that it’s a really tough time out there. It doesn’t matter who you are or which region of the world you’re in. There are so many complexities that need to be navigated. We’re seeing from our members, and from the industry as a whole, wider business transformation, new revenue models and new buying models – how customers are actually buying tech as well as engaging with it. These are the relevant themes I think we’re going to see across this whole year. There’s also the democratisation of the media and the wider market opportunities. We see this as a big opportunity for our members – the ability to look at vendors who can expand their audience and their markets in non-traditional media and film technology markets that they have not previously been in, whether that’s going into houses of worship, corporate markets, retail, etc. Of course, AI is also presenting another fantastic opportunity, but with huge opportunity also comes responsibility. The business side is as relevant as the tech side – being able to harness the power of new technologies like AI, and

trade association. Our mission is to advance the interests of the global broadcasting technology industry. We do that through our members, and our mission is focused around three key pillars – to connect, to support and to inform. We connect our members through events held by us, networking events, trade shows like NAB and IBC and many others. We support more than 14 shows all over the world, not just in the United States and Europe. We provide support for our members at trade shows, whether that’s use of our lounges and networking areas, special events we put together or brand amplification. We strive to highlight our members and their thought leadership, products and services and innovations, at and around shows. We support and inform our members, with our CTO office delivering standards information and industry working groups – and also via our business intelligence unit (BIU), which provides independent, data-driven industry insights to improve decision-making. What do you see as the biggest themes in the broadcast, M&E and tech industries today? What opportunities are out

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