Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo
There’s been a big towards live sports streaming with several of the large VoD services securing sports rights and bundling live sports into their SVoD subscriptions. Prime Video, Apple TV and Netflix have all been experimenting with adding sports to their offering, in the hope of attracting a new cohort of consumers, and to profit from the growing appetite for live sports streaming.
Netflix’s move into live sports is perhaps the most interesting because in the past, the streamer has always been quite outspoken about having zero interest in live sports, yet it secured one of the biggest sporting rights deals in the US – the multi-million-dollar Christmas Day NFL game. Much like when Netflix introduced its advertising-funded business model, which was swiftly followed by the rest of the industry, its decision to move into live sports is an indicator of an industry wide strategy change.
Live sports have certainly helped drive revenue growth for streamers over the last year. However, while live sports are proving effective at attracting a certain group of viewers, it is a costly way to add value to the service. Sports content is highly valuable, and so naturally, the associated rights come with a huge price tag. Another challenge is the fact that viewer attraction to the service tends to diminish when the service no longer holds the sporting rights.
Eric Gallier, vice president, video solutions, Harmonic
In 2024, AI-driven workflows took the industry by storm, with real-world applications such as auto-captioning, translation and personalised recommendations optimising costs, enhancing user experiences and unlocking new revenue streams for service providers and broadcasters. Additionally, hybrid workflows became standard.
Another key trend was live sports streaming. Platforms like Peacock excelled in managing high-demand events, highlighting the complexity of scaling from 20 million to 200 million concurrent viewers. Furthermore, the industry saw a shift from satellite to IP distribution, enabling service providers to reduce costs, and improve personalisation while maintaining exceptional video quality with low latency. Finally, media companies involved in delivering large-scale streaming services pivoted from growing the service at all costs to making it profitable. These trends are redefining how video is delivered and consumed.
Looking ahead, the impact is clear: streaming platforms are prioritising technologies and features that drive viewer interaction and retention. Beyond increasing ad loads, which are already near their limits, innovation is focusing on smarter monetisation strategies. For example, in-stream advertising utilising split-screen ad formats is revolutionising monetisation strategies for live sports streaming, offering a seamless blend of content and advertising to ensure an uninterrupted viewing experience while unlocking new revenue opportunities for service providers. These changes reflect a maturing industry, where success depends on blending viewer satisfaction with business sustainability.
In 2025, live sports will continue to dominate as a key driver of streaming growth, with media companies doubling down on acquiring rights and improving the scalability of infrastructure for large-scale event delivery. The number of live sports events streamed to massive audiences is set to grow, with platforms investing heavily in technologies to scale reliably for tens or even hundreds of millions of concurrent viewers.
Russell Johnson, director of Hitomi Broadcast
2024 marked the widespread adoption of SMPTE ST 2110 for major sporting events, as the industry gained confidence in IP-based production. We’ve also seen a pragmatic shift towards HDR at HD resolution rather than 4K UHD, offering quality improvements without excessive bandwidth demands.
These developments are enabling more sustainable remote production workflows, reducing the need to transport equipment globally. Production companies can now deliver higher production values despite tighter budgets, though managing timing accuracy in complex IP environments has become increasingly critical.
Throughout the new year, we expect to see more ‘native’ ST 2110 installations replacing hybrid SDI/IP setups, particularly in major sporting events. The focus will be on developing broadcast engineers’ IT and networking expertise to manage these complex systems effectively.
Sports organisations will increasingly explore hybrid models, combining traditional broadcast partnerships with direct-to-consumer streaming capabilities. The industry will also focus more on precise timing verification as productions become more distributed across multiple locations.
Peder Boberg, product owner at Intinor
5G networks are being rolled out at pace, and in some regions, the jump from 4G to cutting-edge 5G has been transformative. This has been a game-changer for television, particularly in remote production, where 5G’s low latency is simplifying workflows. At the same time, SMPTE ST 2022-7 RTP over SRT has delivered the reliable redundancy needed for remote production over public internet, while the push for better image quality has made HEVC and 10-bit workflows increasingly essential to meet audience expectations.
The common factor in the adoption of 5G, RTP over SRT and 10-bit is the need to push quality up while keeping costs down. SMPTE ST2022-7 and 5G allow productions to move away from expensive dedicated fibre and satellite links, allowing for greater agility alongside the cost benefits.
Broadcasters and producers of live sports and events see the clear productivity and efficiency benefits of remote production, but have been wary of the technology. Adoption of standards and interconnectivity means that there will be a step change towards remote production in 2025, with a range of solutions that can be tailored to the needs of each event.
Quality delivered to the viewer will always be the watchword. Along with increasing reliability and stability through RTP redundancy, that means an increasing use of 10-bit colour and HDR, which we now recognise delivers a real perceptual boost in detail and definition.
Paddy Taylor, head of broadcast, MRMC
The use of remote production and remote acquisition certainly grew significantly in 2024, and the maturing and wider adoption of IP workflows is gaining momentum. Broadcast studios, most notably US current affairs and news outlets, are increasing the use of motion in their shows, more jib shots, more robotics and more Steadicam shots to try to keep the audience engaged with the broadcast and not distracted by second screens.
The PTZ market is slowing but that is only the mass market. The adoption of the higher-end cameras doesn’t seem to be affected, and I believe this will continue in the next 12 months. What I think will happen is a surge to centralise the operations of cameras. This is less common than people often think, where a studio in one location is controlled from another. The benefits are numerous and it lends itself to the adoption of robotics or PTZ cameras. Remote acquisition where cameras are permanently installed at a venue and then just activated for an event is starting to find itself coming into the mainstream and I believe this model will grow significantly in 2025. It allows a remote camera to be managed by a rental company but only paid for when it is providing content.
Paul Tapner, executive director at Pivot Productions
In 2024, a significant trend was the continued move by sports events and individual venues to broadcast their content behind exclusive paywalls. While this approach is effective for locking in dedicated fans, it risks excluding casual viewers and limiting audience growth. Initially seen as a solution to generate revenue, this strategy appears to have reached a point where audience numbers are not meeting expectations. The post-pandemic willingness to pay for multiple subscriptions has tapered off, forcing many organisations to reassess their approach.
The shift towards paywall-first models, particularly in sports broadcasting, has created challenges for audience growth. Younger and casual viewers, who may be less inclined to pay for niche content, are often excluded, leading to a narrower pool of engaged fans. This risks stalling long-term audience development and limits the potential for future growth.
However, there is a growing recognition within the industry that collaboration, rather than competition, could be the key to overcoming these challenges. By working together, broadcasters and rights holders have the opportunity to reach broader audiences and increase accessibility. Rights holders and sports event organisers are starting to realise the drawbacks of placing their content solely behind their own exclusive paywalls. While this approach initially helped secure dedicated fans, it’s become clear that it limits access for wider audiences and risks stalling audience growth.
In 2025, we expect to see more collaboration between stakeholders in this space. This might take the form of shared platforms or channels which are more generic making content more accessible to a wider range of viewers. The challenge will be to balance exclusivity with accessibility, ensuring core fans are still satisfied while creating opportunities to attract new ones.
We anticipate a growing focus on production setups that combine PTZ cameras with traditional manned broadcast cameras. Currently, productions tend to be oriented largely towards one or the other, but integrating both can unlock significant benefits. This hybrid approach—bringing together the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of PTZ cameras with traditional manned camera setups—has the potential to improve both operational efficiency and production value.
Sergio Ammirata Ph.D., founder and chief scientist, SipRadius
Remote production stood out as a key trend in 2024, reshaping how broadcasters approach live and multi-location events. The shift away from traditional on-site workflows is driven by the need for greater flexibility and efficiency, enabling teams to work collaboratively from distributed locations. This trend has pushed the industry to reimagine production processes, making it possible to produce high-quality content without the logistical and resource demands of centralised setups.
This evolution is not only transforming how broadcasters work but is also influencing the types of stories that can be told, with smaller teams now able to cover more diverse or dynamic events from distributed locations. The trend is fostering greater collaboration across creative teams, breaking down traditional silos between production and distribution. It’s also accelerating the adoption of flexible workflows, where content is created, edited, and delivered in near-real time to meet audience demands for immediacy.
In 2025, remote production workflows will become more integrated and efficient, with a sharper focus on synchronising media signals across distributed locations. Simplifying synchronisation will be key to reducing complexity and ensuring reliable, high-quality outputs in decentralised workflows. These advancements will enable broadcasters to scale remote production with greater confidence, enhancing agility and creativity in live and multi-location events.
This year, we anticipate the rise of truly decentralised production hubs, where shared environments—whether cloud-based, on-premises, or hybrid—become the backbone of production workflows. Instead of treating remote production as an extension of traditional setups, this trend will redefine how teams collaborate. Centralised hubs will integrate feeds from multiple remote locations, enabling entirely remote management and real-time monitoring through technologies like WebRTC. This evolution will shift the focus from managing individual sites to orchestrating fully interconnected systems, offering new possibilities for scalable, distributed production models.
Jon Finegold, CMO, Signiant
A huge amount of post production work has moved away from LA to other markets. Economic pressures continue to force production teams to find different ways to create content so tapping into a more global workforce has been one way to do that.
Companies are also looking to simplify their technology stacks as another way to keep costs down and simplify operations. There had been a trend of build it yourself but now media companies are turning to off-the-shelf products that can get them up and running quickly and at a fraction of the cost, even if they have to adapt their processes in order to get those efficiencies. Companies are starting to think differently, evaluating their suppliers and finding ways to do more with less.
After a slow 2023 in terms of content creation, 2024 did see a bounce back and we expect that to continue through the new year, albeit with different approaches: continuing to leverage a global workforce, using off the shelf technology and moving away from custom-built solutions. Content creation will continue to grow but cost and efficiency will be top of mind for everyone involved in the supply chain.
AI is on everyone’s radar screen right now and there’s lots of experimentation going on. While generative AI is getting a lot of buzz, AI tools that help create operational efficiencies are where we expect to see more traction and that will grow fast in 2025.
Kieran Phillips, director of sales & marketing at CJP Broadcast Solutions
In 2024, the most significant trend was the mainstream adoption of virtual production (VP) across multiple sectors, including education, corporate, and entertainment. In the UK particularly, VP is not only being embraced by cinematic studios but also by universities and corporate clients. The efficiency and creative potential of VP have proven invaluable for producing high-quality content while addressing sustainability goals, reducing costs, and streamlining workflows. This trend has stood out because it combines technological innovation with practical benefits that resonate across industries, driving rapid adoption and growth.
The media and entertainment industry is undergoing a transformation, largely driven by virtual production. VP is enabling studios to achieve faster turnaround times while maintaining creative control, which is especially important in high-demand content cycles. Additionally, universities are equipping students with VP skills, creating a new generation of professionals who are ready to meet industry needs. This convergence of education and industry is closing the skills gap and fostering innovation. VP also supports more sustainable production practices, a priority for an industry under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact.
In 2025, we anticipate VP technology becoming even more accessible due to continued advancements in the technologies available. Applications like LED volumes, motion capture, and real-time rendering will become more integrated, reducing barriers to entry for smaller, more agile pop-up studios. Cross-disciplinary applications in education and corporate sectors will grow, with VP being used not just for media production but also for fields like business training, product design, and immersive marketing campaigns. This expansion will cement VP as a fundamental tool for creativity and innovation.
We foresee a greater emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility in the technology space. There is an increasing awareness that diverse talent pools, including those with disabilities, bring unique perspectives and skills to the industry. Companies will invest more in accessible technologies and adaptive work environments to support this shift. Additionally, we expect advancements in AI-assisted creative workflows and a deeper integration of augmented reality (AR) into VP, offering new possibilities for storytelling and audience engagement. These trends will ensure the industry remains dynamic and responsive to evolving societal and technological demands.
Francesco Scartozzi, vice president of sales and business development for the broadcast and media group (BMG) at Matrox Video
With the industry having overcome the initial challenges of implementing ST 2110, broadcasters are now unlocking its full potential. This includes unprecedented flexibility in video formats, enabling video rasters as large as 32K x 32K and support for any aspect ratio—ideal for applications like large-scale video walls. ST 2110’s precision time protocol (PTP) ensures synchronisation across complex networks, addressing one of the most critical challenges in IP environments. ST 2110 has had an impact on the media and entertainment industry by fundamentally shifting how broadcast facilities are designed and operated. Its adoption has paved the way for IP-based workflows, empowering broadcasters to transition away from traditional SDI systems.
Additionally, we are seeing a significant increase in virtual production, which is proving to have an impact on how long-form content is created. For example, volumes as large as 4×9 stories of video wall technology displaying pre-rendered scenes are now replacing traditional green screens as the go-to alternative to filming actors on location. ST 2110 is increasingly being adopted for these types of applications as customers seek to streamline their workflows by connecting video wall processors directly to render nodes.
In the next year, we foresee an explosion of virtual production workflows, with ST 2110 firmly at the centre. The advantages it brings—scalability and synchronisation—make it an indispensable standard for virtual production. If a production demands additional rendering power, more nodes can be connected to the network without compromising frame rates. This scalability is critical for projects that range from intimate productions to complex scenes requiring panoramic, immersive environments.
The precision timing provided by ST 2110, especially through its support of PTP, ensures deterministic and flawless synchronisation across all components. This timing accuracy is essential for virtual production workflows, where the integration of camera movements, render nodes, and video wall displays must occur without latency or misalignment.
In 2025, we expect that broadcasters, driven by shrinking budgets and the opportunity to increase revenue, will finally test software-centric, dynamic media facilities. The objective is to be able to respect all the broadcast first principles of quality, latency, and redundancy while not being forced to buy bespoke, specialised gear that can only be used a fraction of the time. With a software-centric dynamic media facility, broadcasters can use what they want, when they want, and pay only for what they use.
The trend toward decentralised and IT-enabled workflows will accelerate. This approach reduces operational costs while fostering innovation in content creation, including personalised viewer experiences.
Olivier Bovis, head of media solutions, Sony Europe
With multiple global events occurring last year, it was the perfect opportunity for those in the industry to try out new technologies, seeing what sticks, and what doesn’t. An example of this can be seen in the way the potential benefits of AI and cloud technology completely dominated conversations around workflows in 2024, as people began to realise the technologies’ ability to cut down on both time and resources during the production process. AI in particular is still a technology that is yet to find its full range of possible applications, but the future looks hopeful.
The growing use of IP-based, and software-defined workflows in place of legacy hardware-based workflows was another major example of trying new things. 2024 saw the emergence of a transitional phase, in which legacy systems have coexisted and slowly been replaced by IP systems. This development started to change how the M&E industry goes about capturing and producing content. Previously what took an entire hardware setup to do can now be achieved with software. Couple that with multiple successful trials that tested the use of 5G for live transmissions at big live events around the world, meant 2024 saw some promising new ways to produce live content.
Traditionally, the M&E industry has heavily been impacted by the process of upgrading workstations. Hardware-based stations would take a vast amount of time and resources to upgrade, as new hardware would have to be shipped in and installed, while the old workflow would have to be removed and disposed of. However, software-defined broadcasting is starting to make the process of upgrading far more efficient. Outside of upgrades, the trend of trying new things also rapidly increased workflow efficiencies, meaning broadcasters can now automate certain tasks and dedicate more time to the ones that require creativity.
The countless important political and sporting events that took place around the world last year meant those in the M&E industry used those opportunities to explore/trial and harness the possibilities offered. Comparatively, 2025 will be a quieter year, one of consolidation – making these changes tangible, rolling them out, embedding them more broadly in day-to-day operations.
We anticipate that 2025 will be the year that virtual production will take the leap from being a tool that is primarily used in cinema and advertising, to an all-around comprehensive solution to all of those in the M&E industry. We are seeing this trend emerge even now, as broadcasters are beginning to tap into virtual productions potential for time efficiencies, which is of course a critical benefit for an industry that aims to deliver news as quickly and effectively as possible.
