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Online Video Industry > News

The online video industry is an ever-growing ecosystem of technology, service, and platform vendors that run the gamut from traditional broadcast incumbents to disruptive startups.

Here you'll find Streaming Media's coverage of the solutions providers that are enabling the online video revolution.

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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.

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.

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.

Is This the End of the CDN As We Know It?

Recent news, like the shuttering of Edgio, signals to many the imminent death of traditional content delivery networks (CDNs). But does it really?

AI and Entertainment: A Q&A With Hub Research's Jon Giegengack

AI is rapidly changing the way people interact with entertainment, and companies are embracing AI to streamline operations and improve efficiencies in producing, marketing, and distributing content. Hub Entertainment Research released its first study on AI in Entertainment, revealing that while most consumers have heard of generative AI, very few understand how it works or what it's for. Jon Giegengack of Hub Research discusses the report's findings and implications in this Q&A with Streaming Media's Tyler Nesler.

2025 Predictions for Ad-Supported Streaming

The start of a new year is nothing without everyone making predictions, so here are a few that apply to the advertising industry. Advertising in streaming is doing pretty well when we compare it to following ad dollars that have left linear.

The Rise of Automated Translation in the Localization Industry: A Q&A With Maria Castañeda of Lokalise

Lokalise, a cloud-based localization and translation management system, has observed a fascinating shift in how content is being translated and has some intriguing data on the rise of automated translations versus human translations. Their findings illustrate a significant increase in automated translations in 2024. Maria Castañeda, Lead Product Marketing Manager at Localise, answers some questions about these new insights.

G&L CEO Alexander Leschinsky Talks C2PA and Today's Digital Content Landscape

Provenance and authenticity of content have become critical issues as Generative AI-derived content and disinformation flood the digital world. The Coalition from Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) has formed to cryptographically prove content authenticity in today's digital landscape, with an eye to combatting fake content and restoring trust in media. In this interview with Streaming Media's Steve Nathans-Kelly, G&L Systemhaus CEO Alexander Leschinsky discusses the challenges and limitations of C2PA--particularly with live content--and G&L's role in helping broadcasters and media companies implement C2PA standards.

Warner Bros. Discovery the Big Loser in Disney’s Fubo Sports Move

The agreement to merge Disney's Hulu + Live TV with Fubo will not only see Fubo dropping its anti-trust lawsuit against Venu but appears to cast Venu's other main partner, Warner Bros Discovery, out in the cold.

Fubo Debuts Four New Interactive CTV Ad Formats Including Transactional and Gamified Ads

FuboTV, the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform, announced the availability of four new interactive CTV ad formats to further drive audience ad engagement. The personalized and dynamic experiences, including transactional and gamified ad formats, are part of Fubo's ongoing commitment to ad innovation and overall strategy to connect, interact with and convert premium audiences.

Altman Solon Global Sports Survey - A Q&A With David Dellea

Altman Solon's David Dellea discusses the findings from their 2024 Global Sports Survey, with topics including the impact of younger generations' changing consumption habits on live sports, the role of AI in enhancing viewing experiences, the challenges of content fragmentation, and more.

Lost in the Stream: Survey Finds Americans Waste Nearly Five Days a Year Just Deciding What to Watch

In a new survey commissioned by UserTesting, 2,000 American streaming service subscribers revealed that the average person spends 110 hours per year scrolling through streaming services, struggling to find something worth watching — a stark reminder of the "too much content, too little time" dilemma. Bobby Meixner, Senior Director of Industry Solutions at UserTesting, provides insights into these findings and ways providers can help alleviate the frustration and subscription fatigue that plagues many viewers.

Navigating the Shifting Streaming Landscape: Insights from Kantar’s Dominic Sunnebo

In a recent interview I did with Dominic Sunnebo, Global Insight Director at Kantar, Sunnebo shared findings from Kantar's latest Entertainment on Demand (EoD) data, revealing distinct trends in the UK market and their broader implications. The conversation highlighted not only Kantar's insights but also Sunnebo's expertise in interpreting key trends shaping the global streaming market, from the dominance of top-tier services to the rise of ad-supported models and the challenges faced by niche platforms.

Roundup: Streaming Industry Predictions for 2025

In the last few weeks, my own editorial inbox has filled to bursting with unsolicited but much-welcomed season's greetings from a disparate array of industry experts and thought leaders ringing in "End-of-Year Prediction Season" with all manner of prognostications about what's to come in 2025. Here's a quick roundup of the most intriguing, thoughtful, and surprising ones, organized into some rough categories.