Playback

Recorded live at NAB 2025, this episode explores the findings of the latest industry study on Streaming Analytics in the Age of AI, led by Mrugesh Desai (VP North America) and Professor Serguei Netessine (The Wharton School).

Guest speakers David Guinan (Major League Table Tennis), Kirby Grines (Founder & CEO at The Streaming Wars), and Jesús Herrero Valverde (Co-founder at Jump AI Technologies) share their real-world experiences and discuss how leading video streaming platforms are currently leveraging data analytics to enhance the viewing experience.

They discuss the current analytics landscape (2:54), challenges in live sports (4:58), KPIs and data quality (7:54), how AI is influencing decision-making (12:55), quality of service metrics (16:35), the shift toward real-time analytics (21:00), inefficiencies in analytics tools (24:35), the evolution of personalization (27:10), and what’s next for AI in streaming (32:20).

Pernilla Wraneus and Sadie Groom take the stage in this special episode celebrating Women’s History Month. The conversation highlights the importance of mentorship, inclusive leadership, and industry-wide efforts to create equal opportunities for women in media and technology.

They discuss Sadie’s career journey in the media tech space (1:15), the inspiration behind Rise (9:18), what companies can do to support women into leadership roles (14:55), strategies for achieving workplace diversity (19:10), and the qualities of a good mentor (22:35).

Learn more about Rise here.

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In this episode, Neil van Zyl talks to Chris McNair, Head of New Business & Strategy at Accedo, and Paddy Buckley, Business Development Director at Accedo, about how publishers can no longer wait with implementing a video-first strategy, taking cues from broadcasters and the wider media and entertainment industry. The discussion centers around themes such as the importance of owning the entire customer journey, how long-form video opens up new routes to monetization, and how big screen applications are a powerful complement to a publisher's existing web and mobile presence. The guests also share their top UX best practices as well as insight into how video can be used to boost both user satisfaction and ad revenues.

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In this conversation, the guests Tommy Flanagan and Mrugesh Desai cover key themes such as the focus on profitability, innovative monetization strategies, the impact of AI and personalization, lessons from Netflix's success, device expansion strategies, and the ongoing fragmentation in the TV OS landscape. 

The dialogue also explores the rise of multi-view support, insights from CES, the shift towards managed services, and the importance of personalization in streaming experiences.

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Will Pickett and François Polarczyk discuss the multifaceted aspects of sustainability in the streaming business, emphasizing the importance of assessing the impacts of companies on society and the environment. 

They explore the complexities of emissions reporting (3:00), the DIMPACT initiative aimed at reducing emissions in digital media (6:04), and the ECOFLOW project focusing on energy consumption in the streaming supply chain (10:00). The conversation also highlights carbon offsetting (27:07), and the role of AI in sustainability (32:35).

Learn more about the ECOFLOW project and Accedo’s sustainability initiatives.

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In the latest episode, Neil Van Zyl had the honour of hosting Kirby Grines, founder of 43Twenty and The Streaming Wars, and Mrugesh Desai, Accedo's VP of North America, to discuss the evolving landscape of the streaming and OTT industry. They explore the importance of user experience (5:20), the challenges media companies face in adapting to new technologies (11:44), and the need for collaboration over competition (18:03). The conversation also touches on the significance of cost efficiency (27:24), SEO strategies (41:27), and the future outlook for the industry amidst ongoing changes.

Check out The Streaming Wars.

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The conversation with Chris McCarthy, Industry Solutions Lead, New Relic, and Steven Kopec, Head of Service Management, Accedo, sheds light on the vital role of observability and metrics, the proactive nature of observability tools in resolving platform issues, and touch on key trends such as generative AI and the integration of diverse data sources.

To learn more about how to tackle observability challenges, download this ebook.

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In an insightful conversation with Vishal Parikh, CPO, LiveLike, the episode discusses how interactivity can help retain users(2:00), increase revenue opportunities, and capture valuable user data. Vishal highlights how sports and entertainment brands leverage engagement and interactivity (7:00) and how LiveLike's platform, with its unique features, enables audience engagement and gamification with loyalty and rewards programs (14:31).

The discussion also includes the crawl-walk-run approach to implementing engagement and interactivity features (19:07) and the exciting developments at LiveLike, including the rewards platform and mini-games. (22:35)

Check out LiveLike.

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In Episode 12, our host, Neil van Zyl and guest Eric Tang, CTO and founder of LivePeer, discuss the high-performance and cost-effective video streaming platform and the benefits of blockchain and decentralization in the video ecosystem (1:47). They also explore the potential for alternative revenue streams for creators and the concept of digital scarcity (2:55). Tang also highlights the use of blockchain technology for content authenticity and the importance of choosing the right infrastructure for live streaming (5:44). He shares insights on the challenges of monetization, the rise of interactive live streaming, and the need for content segmentation and operational efficiency.

Check out https://livepeer.org/

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In the latest episode, our host Neil is joined by Siva Natarajan, SVP, Amagi, to explore the dynamic world of FAST. Tune in on your favorite podcast platforms as they dive into the rise of original content in FAST (6:06) and examine how big media brands are making strategic moves into this space.

Siva also shares why Single IP Channels have succeeded (9:50), and invaluable advice for content owners looking to enter the FAST market (19:50) detailing the essential steps to prepare assets and businesses for a successful transition.

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Michael Lantz, founder and CEO of TV app specialist Accedo, buries the hatchet with some contentious coverage on the pages of Faultline from years gone by.

Fast forwarding to the present day - managed services, personalization, acquisitions, and the "new media" customer all come under the microscope in this exclusive interview.

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In part 2 of our UX series, continuing our conversation with Nikki Perugini, our host, Neil van Zyl, delves into the trends and predictions in UX Design that we foresee in the upcoming period.

Tune in to the episode to gain thought-provoking insights on Content Discovery and how to end the pain point for users (1:30), how interactive video is growing (8:12), and what are Super Apps and why is it popular in Asia? (14:30).

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In episode 10, part 1, of Playback, Nikki Perugini and Sonia Lafontaine, explore what UX in OTT entails and how it goes beyond aesthetics- functional design, intuitive navigation, and accessibility across devices (1:06).

They also share insights about the advantages of user research (5:16), the considerations for designing a high-quality UX (11:58), the common design pitfalls (20:20), and the role that automation plays for UX designers (25:07). 

Tune in to the full episode, which delves deeper into how a focused UX strategy can provide actionable insights for your product growth.

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In this episode, we explore the critical aspects of OTT that have changed, improved, or remained constant over the last decade. From the rise of Roku as a dominant force in the streaming device market (3:11) to the emergence of ad-supported streaming models (5:30), the OTT space has seen substantial shifts. 

The conversation also delves into how user expectations and their viewing experience have led to high-end UX enhancements (7:20), the proliferation of sports OTT services due to advanced tech (15:41), and how the strategic use of contextual/dynamic ads can interact with users while bringing in revenue (24:07).

Read more on BNS Inc.: https://boldnew.com/

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Dive into the near future of the OTT and the streaming industry with our latest podcast episode, straight from CES 2024. Our host, Neil van Zyl, and our guests, Mrugesh Desai, Ashley Desatnik, and Pritesh Modi, dissect the trends and innovations unveiled at the event (3:59), the changes in consumer behavior, and the essential strategies OTT providers need to adopt for both immediate and long-term success (8:29).

They also share their bold predictions for the year (24:17), highlighting the emergence of new sports digital services, shoppable experiences, how bundling services can provide value to users, and more. 

Episode 7 of Playback is a conversation with industry expert, Michael Chan, focused on considerations and tactics for delivering a best-in-class OTT application. 

Our co-hosts, Stanley Auger and Neil van Zyl, discuss what the discovery phase entails (4:35), the challenges with project timelines and how to manage it (11:30), the importance of QA automation (28:59), and how to determine the scope and evolution of a streaming service post-launch (26:52).

https://www.accedo.tv/event/ces-2024

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Whether you are a sports fan or just in the world of sports in any capacity, our latest episode is a must listen.

With digital sports delivery gaining traction in a myriad of ways, our co-hosts, sat down with industry expert Michael Shewchenko, VP of Digital Operations, Anthem Sports & Entertainment, to discuss how sports OTT has the potential to reach an increasing number of fans and bring them back to the stadiums through engaging video experiences (7:02). 

The conversation further delves into the biggest challenges that the industry faces (11:25), streaming and distribution rights acquisition for NBA (15:55), the latest tech innovations integrated into sports experiences to delight users (21:49) and the marketing potential that docuseries offers (35:33).

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Today, we release a special episode of our podcast -  Playback! Our co-hosts sat down with the founders of Accedo, Michael Lantz, CEO, and Fredrik Andersson, VP of Products, to learn about Accedo's genesis story (2:20), the challenges they faced (11:08), and the guiding principles we've employed to continue our 20-year journey in the video streaming industry (6:12). 

They also reveal how many IBCs they’ve attended over the years (it could be a record…), why they are excited about IBC this weekend (30:48), and the innovations they look forward to being a part of in the next 10 years (40:53). 

If you are attending IBC, meet the team at booth 5.F40.

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In the latest episode of Playback, our co-hosts discuss Apple's Vision Pro and how the headset has reignited the XR industry with our expert guests - Lucy Nguyen, Business Development Director, Accedo, and José Somolinos, Solutions Strategist & XR Lead, Accedo. The discussion delves into Apple's foray into spatial computing, how Apple Vision Pro creates immersive experiences for the mass market, and the headset's impact on media and entertainment services. With the OEMs making waves and discussing strategies since the headset's launch, the guests highlight why it is crucial for content providers to build an XR strategy now and understand how the enhanced experiences are what the end-user expects. Read more on this topic in Lucy's blog: 

Apple Vision Pro and its impact on the media industry

If you'd like to share your thoughts/questions, please write to: [email protected]

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For our latest podcast episode, our co-hosts Stanley and Neil, dive deep into Online Video Platforms (OVPs) with Brightcove's Director of Sales Engineering, Carl Rutman (1:45).

Since OVPs are a core part of the video ecosystem and with many vendors in the market, Carl shares vital factors to consider when selecting an OVP and how Brightcove's underleveraged features (27:25), flexibility, and Context Aware Encoding (CAE) reduce the complexity of deploying and managing a profitable video service. 

Also, learn about a CDN's role in delivering seamless streaming. And, how are OVPs going to use generative AI to increase user engagement and viewer retention (34:35)?

If you'd like to share your thoughts/questions, please write to: [email protected]

Feel free to check out Brightcoves Website

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