Media Companies Show Signs of Technical Progress
As streaming continues to quickly grow, media companies are dealing with a major surge in operational complexity that demands immediate solutions.
Media companies need to distribute content across an increasingly complex network of partners, help advertisers reach fragmented audiences to achieve their KPIs. Deliver cross-channel optimization with transparent reporting that drives profitable growth.
After mostly “kicking AI tires” over the last 18 months, media executives are ready to commit and are looking for solutions that can help them find efficiencies, reduce manual work and automate some of the more labor-intensive processes that are causing a drag on their operation. Current gaps in data and technology, along with recent RIFs at a lot of major media companies left many stretched thin and in urgent need for ready-to-deploy solutions to help them keep up with the workload.
The pivot towards realistic technological advancements signals that media companies are serious about adapting to the new reality of streaming, AI, and automation.
Where Media Companies Face the Greatest Strains
Media companies are dealing with several technology innovations at once, pulling them in many directions. Most critically, streaming has reached a tipping point that forces nearly every media company to reassess their entire business model - from how they distribute content to how they reach audiences and how they sell and deliver advertising.
After years of tech companies urging media companies to prepare for a fractured multichannel future, that reality is finally coming true. Media companies are facing a market where audiences have migrated to streaming channels, advertisers are asking for buying simplicity and seamless delivery across channels, and their current legacy processes and technology simply don’t hold up.
Simply throwing bodies at the problem does not work. Streaming is an addressable channel, which can support a huge variety of personalized content for audiences and audience targeting for advertisers. Add to that the enormous amount of data that is used to manage streaming, and it becomes clear that a team of people simply can’t keep up with the real time requirements of delivering relevant content and advertising to millions of people while also reporting and optimizing it at the same time.
In parallel, many media companies are seeing new competition and are experiencing decreased viewership on legacy channels. This has required many companies to reduce headcount in different parts of their business and shift their focus to emerging business segments.
Where Technology Innovations Deliver Maximum Impact
The good news is that these pressures are driving media companies to take action and solve these needs now. This shift, from hypothetical future scenario planning to tactical problem solving is focused on a few key areas:
- Leveraging AI for efficiency gains: Rather than pursuing broad transformational AI applications, media companies are targeting specific, high-impact use cases. Rather than paying professionals to perform simple data entry, resize thousands of ads, or cut and paste information from one dashboard into another, media companies are looking for AI-driven solutions to do it faster and more cost efficiently. The goal isn’t to replace teams, most companies already went through RIFs and are not looking to reduce more staff - but rather allow the remaining staff to manage the expanded workload.
- Streamline content management: Media companies are deploying automation to address the complex details that slow down distribution and scheduling. The two areas we are seeing of most interest are program rights contract intake automation and schedule creation automation. As media companies find themselves partnering and integrating with a wider variety of companies across the streaming ecosystem, ensuring a scalable and seamless content workflow is critical to delivering great content to audiences.
- Revenue optimization: As linear revenue streams continue to decline, media companies need to find ways to reduce costs and maintain this still very large and important legacy business, while supporting growth on the streaming side. This requires investment in technology and automation that can bridge the two business models effectively. Audiences and advertisers have many options today, so media companies need to bring their A-game, providing access to top content for viewers and delivering quality, value and results for advertisers. This means they need automation all the way from proposal to operations and delivery to reporting and yield management.
Time to Dig In
Maintaining legacy linear business practices is no longer an option. Media companies must adopt an integrated and automated approach. Working closely with technology partners to unify fragmented systems and streamline processes will be essential to optimizing linear operations while supporting fast-changing needs of the streaming business.
Disconnected tools and workflows have historically constrained progress. Media companies need faster execution and better visibility across campaigns and content pipelines. Building bridges between different parts of the business rather than treating them as separate silos, will maximize revenue potential and help keep audiences and advertisers engaged across all channels.
AI-powered automation can help companies effectively manage increasingly complex rights, handle complex scheduling needs, optimize advertising across multiple distribution channels, and simplify reporting. This enables teams to focus on higher-value strategic and creative initiatives. The companies that succeed will be those that invest in practical, proven AI solutions, rather than pursuing speculative applications.
The next chapter of media growth will belong to those who act decisively, collaborate strategically, and leverage technology to enhance both operational efficiency and creative capabilities.
[Editor's note: This is a contributed article from Operatve. Streaming Media accepts vendor bylines based solely on their value to our readers.]
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