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viewer or device; tight integration across
ad tech workflows; and ensuring ad breaks
are delivered fluidly via perfect stream
stitching.”
As subscription models mature, how-
ever, companies must reduce churn and
maintain customer relationships.
“Churners will keep on churnin’! That
is, if broadcasters don’t get ahead of it,”
said Gilles Domartini, founder and CEO
of Cleeng. “No business in any industry
is immune to churn. Those who embrace
advanced technologies like AI-powered
analytics and data insight tools to inform
retention strategies will be more success-
ful at achieving revenues and loyalty from
subscribers on an ongoing basis.”
Short-form content and new
engagement strategies
Platforms are increasingly leveraging
short-form video content to boost engage-
ment and create new monetization oppor-
tunities.
“As streamers look to accelerate their
short-form content production to offer
more compelling and refreshed content
offerings, it is important to couple it with a
proper short-form windowing strategy, as
a first step,” said Paul Pastor, co-founder
and chief business officer of Quickplay.
Artificial intelligence is playing a crucial
role in this transformation, enabling the ef-
ficient creation of short-form content from
existing assets.
“Leveraging AI tools, trained on various
use cases like sports and video on-de-
mand content, accelerates time-to-market
and increases the velocity of publishing
through features that identify key mo-
ments, cut, verticalize and publish short
form content derived from live, freshly
premiering, and archival content,” Pastor
said.
The strategic implementation of short-
form content can significantly impact au-
dience retention and create additional
revenue streams.
“Short form video offers more moneti-
zation opportunities with ad inventory and
shoppable experiences, and represents
a massive opportunity to maximize sub-
scriber loyalty, reduce churn, and own the
complete consumer story,” Pastor added.
Sports streaming monetization
The high cost of sports rights acqui-
sitions is driving innovation in how live
sports content is monetized.
“An important trend is the evolution of
monetization for live sports streaming,”
said Eric Gallier, vice president of video
solutions at Harmonic. “The rising costs
of sports rights acquisition have intensi-
fied the need for innovative monetization
strategies in live sports streaming — ensur-
ing revenue growth without compromis-
ing fan engagement.”
Technological advances are creating
new opportunities for targeted advertising
during sports broadcasts.
“We’re seeing advancements in auto-
mated in-stream advertising and the auto-
matic insertion of SCTE-35 markers in live
content, including sports,” Gallier added.
“These technologies are empowering ser-
vice providers to better monetize high-
and low-action moments.”
The re-emergence of context in
advertising
After a period where impression-based
advertising dominated the conversation,
the industry is rediscovering the impor-
tance of context in advertising effective-
ness.
“We’ve seen the pendulum swing toward
an impression-based model, where every
ad placement was treated as interchange-
able, leading to a race to the lowest price,”
said Reynolds. “But now, the industry is
shifting back, recognizing the importance
of advertising in context and the value of
premium programming. Advertisers and
content owners are rediscovering that
where an ad appears matters — not just who
sees it.”
This shift reflects a growing understand-
ing that not all impressions deliver equal
value.
“One key trend is the merging of linear
and digital strengths — what we at Imagine
Communications
call
‘re-linearization,’”
Reynolds added. “Digital platforms are now
enabling mass audience reach while offer-
ing data-driven insights and attribution,
creating a hybrid approach that blends the
best of both worlds.”
Infrastructure evolution enables
new business models
The transition to IP-based and cloud in-
frastructure creates opportunities for more
flexible business models.
“At this year’s NAB Show, we’re excited
to see how IP-based distribution is opening
up new monetization opportunities and en-
abling more flexible business models with-
out the high costs associated with legacy
infrastructure,” said Clarke. “We’re particu-
larly watching how cloud-native workflows,
such as those enabled by our Livelink IP
video delivery platform, are helping con-
tent owners rapidly deploy, scale, and mon-
etize live feeds across multiple platforms.”
As the NAB Show approaches, the in-
dustry’s focus on monetization reflects the
fundamental challenges and opportunities
facing broadcasters and media companies
today.
The conversations in Las Vegas will like-
ly center on finding the right balance of
revenue streams, leveraging technology
to enhance advertising effectiveness, and
creating sustainable business models that
meet the needs of both audiences and ad-
vertisers in an increasingly complex media
landscape.
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