T oday’s consumers are hungry for more diverse content, whether it is bite-sized clips on social media or alternative, unconventional broadcasts. Handling this demand – and doing so at scale – presents a challenge to broadcasters and leagues stuck on traditional distribution methods. According to Andrew Reich, vice president of strategic business development at Zixi, video over “Having a video over IP pipeline and scaling video more affordably will be key,” Reich begins. “Advances in technology mean audiences now see more versions of broadcasts than ever before. This is especially true in sports, with various leagues and broadcasters taking part. “One of my favourite examples is what the NHL did during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final: an alternate broadcast for ASL (American Sign Language),” Reich recalls. “They were able to collaborate to easily create a unique experience that made the broadcast accessible to a broader audience. Four or five years ago, the NHL began creating its own video pipeline, focusing on understanding video distribution. Now, when they need to create more content with ease or create these alternate broadcasts, the pieces fall into place.” Reich also mentions the NFL’s Monday Night Football: “One week, there was a traditional broadcast, an [Eli and Peyton] Manning broadcast – where the two talked about the game and IP is the way forward. Catering to consumers Zixi’s Andrew Reich shares how IP delivery can improve operational efficiency and enable broadcasters to address consumer demand for diverse content
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brought on celebrity guests in a more relaxed environment – and even a Simpsons -themed broadcast catering to a younger audience.” Young viewers were also treated to an alternate broadcast of the Super Bowl in 2024, hosted by CBS subsidiary Nickelodeon. Reich believes that ‘in four or five years, that’s going to be the norm’, as the industry heads towards localisation and hyper- personalisation. “While all these
bells and whistles and cool stylistic broadcasts are awesome,” he admits, “right now, we are still not seeing as many alternate broadcasts on a regular basis, though a scalable video pipeline can help enable this.” Bountiful benefits “Years ago,” Reich begins, “you’d have one version of a broadcast. If you wanted to create another version, you would need a mirrored
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