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NEWSCASTSTUDIO.COM
Workflow optimization sees big
growth in demand at 2025 show
A clear theme is emerging in the broad-
cast and media sector today: the urgent
need for operational efficiency across all
media production and distribution as-
pects.
With financial pressures mounting and
technology evolving rapidly, broadcasters
and media organizations seek solutions
that streamline workflows while maintain-
ing quality. Ahead of the NAB Show, here
are the trends driving the conversation.
Consolidation and unification
driving operational change
The fragmentation of media workflows
has created significant inefficiencies, with
many organizations operating separate in-
frastructures for broadcast, streaming and
on-demand or OTT platforms. Industry
leaders point to workflow consolidation as
a critical priority.
“Revenue isn’t growing as fast as it
used to, and costs are rising,” said Steve
Reynolds, chief executive officer, Imagine
Communications. “The shift toward multi-
platform distribution has introduced new
expenses, as companies must now pro-
duce, format and manage content across
broadcast, streaming, direct-to-consumer
and mobile services.”
As an example, Reynolds noted that
the initial approach to streaming often in-
volved separate production chains.
“During the early days of streaming,
many companies built separate infrastruc-
tures for each platform, resulting in redun-
dant expenses without driving additional
revenue. Now, the focus is on eliminating
these inefficiencies by unifying production
workflows,” Reynolds said.
This consolidation extends beyond just
technical infrastructure to vendor rela-
tionships as well.
“We see optimizing media operations
through vendor consolidation and cost re-
duction as a key focus for companies,” said
Richard Andes, vice president of product
management, Telestream. “Organizations
are driving efficiency and streamlining
workflows by minimizing touchpoints
needed to prepare media for air when it
comes to traditional supply chains and
creative processes.”
Cloud transitions reshaping
financial models
The shift from hardware-intensive pro-
duction environments to cloud and IP-
based workflows continues to alter how
media companies operate financially,
moving from capital expenditures to oper-
ational costs.
“Traditionally, media companies have
relied heavily on capital expenditures
for proprietary hardware and infrastruc-
ture,” said Kris Alexander, vice president
of product and industry marketing, Zixi.
“However, the current cost-conscious cli-
mate and the move to cloud has shifted the
focus towards operational expenditures
through IP-based, cloud-driven solutions,
reshaping the financial dynamics of the in-
dustry.”
This transition requires a more sophisti-
cated approach to analyzing costs.
“TCO is rarely fully recognized, and in-
frastructure and related costs are often
overlooked when considering hardware
expenses. Cloud and IP-based solutions
demand a broader perspective, as their re-
liance on infrastructure is significant,” said
Alexander. “To truly unlock the potential
of cloud and IP technologies, a more com-
Continued on next page
The fragmentation of media workflows has created
significant inefficiencies, with many organizations
operating separate infrastructures for broadcast,
streaming and on-demand or OTT platforms.
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