Brian L. Ring

Amagi Corporation FAST Report #11 Grabbing the remote control: What's on FAST? 🔎 Key takeaways from the report > Discover the three critical pillars of FAST measurement and strategies to optimize them. > Learn how unlocking the potential of O&O FAST channels drives better revenue opportunities. > Zoom in on global Year-over-Year growth in monthly active users, ad impressions, and HOV. > Get a closer view of trending genres across diverse geographies. Here is a link to the full report: https://lnkd.in/dxpzPKBS #fastchannel #revenuestreams #linearnetwork #digitalisation #amagimedia #mediadevelopment #mediatrends #cloudmigration

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So, Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corporation is entering the UK's highly competitive free, ad-supported video streaming market. What should we expect? It's true that with rising costs, the market could be primed for free streaming services, with UK subscribers already spending almost £700 per year on subscription services such as streaming, according to our research https://lnkd.in/eATGVGdj. However let's not forget that originally free ad-supported services like iTVX and Channel 4 eventually moved to a subscription model to help us avoid the ads. On the other side of the market, previously ad-free 'premium' streaming services like Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios and Netflix have introduced ad-supported tiers to cut subscription costs. Is it inevitable that the market moves to the middle? Relying on purely ad-supported content could be risky — will the business case work? On one hand, it widens access to those who have been previously priced out. On the other hand, our data revealed that over a quarter of subscribers have cancelled services due to the introduction of ads onto streaming. Put simply — ads can be a turn-off. Add that to the fact that introducing yet another subscription to an already crowded space might be tricky. Two-thirds of Brits already say there are "too many" subscriptions right now. Good luck, Rupert. You might want to read our European Subscription Wars report for some more insight into this market. https://lnkd.in/evKwbVrZ #Streaming #Subscriptions #UK

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Mobile Wireless Data using TV Signals: A few asked for the link to the calculator demonstrated @ ATSC. https://lnkd.in/eFeWtJ6U

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Were you at InfoComm 2024? There was a TON of LED this year. But did you see Viva Vision, the world's largest LED canopy screen? The Viva Vision screen is 1,375 feet long, 90 feet wide and is suspended 90 feet above the pedestrian mall below. The screen has 49.3 million LED lights and a 600,000-watt sound system. Here's a photo I took from the Fremont Street experience. Captured with the Insta360 X3. After taking the photo you have the option to either share it as 360 or reframe it. Got questions about XR, Virtual Production, or Augmented Reality graphics? Would you like to learn more about Brainstorm solutions? Drop a comment or send a message. twuolle@brainstorm3d.com #infocomm2024 #led #virtualproduction #unrealengine #vfx #gfx #lasvegas

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Jeremy Smith, #CTO of Jellyfish Pictures, says that Jellyfish sees #technology as an enabler rather than a barrier to content creation. #Throwbackthursday For videos, this includes #cloud-based technology like Amazon Prime, Netflix and Paramount Pictures, which are usually considered a means of #content consumption. However, these #platforms are also changing the way content is generated as well. #Visualeffects require a massive amount of #processingpower, giving it many similarities with high-performance computing (#HPC). #CGI rendering and any type of #simulation are closely related to typical HPC tasks like finding vaccines or #forecasting the #weather. The expectation of quality in #mediaentertainment is rising quickly, as are the resources allocated for these tasks. These #trends have created technological challenges in scaling up the compute capability of #VFX tasks. Projects like #rendering use tens of thousands of #cores, which is in the range of classic HPC work. For example, Jellyfish recently did the rendering for a feature #animationfilm that peaked at about 90,000 cores, and that #project wasn’t even in #ultraHD. Be sure to check out this #episode of Data Unchained and more on all your favorite #podcast platforms! YouTube - https://lnkd.in/g5z2vdPr Google Podcasts - https://lnkd.in/giX5CHvn Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3yTKqxe Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3s9IVHs Amazon Music - https://amzn.to/3VAyIkZ

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Harnessing AI for Enhanced Performance: Exploring Llama 3 Meta's latest release, Llama 3, is a testament to the power of advanced AI in complex problem-solving and creative tasks. Dominating the Chatbot Arena with its human-like conversational capabilities and robust performance, Llama 3-70b is not just a tool—it's a revolution in AI interaction. Excelling in open-ended writing and creative challenges, it demonstrates superior performance when compared with its contemporaries in more subjective and imaginative contexts.

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Transparency is a concern for buyers of streaming ad inventory. The challenge often begins with buyers dedicating substantial budgets directly to streaming platforms, marking a departure from the conventional TV landscape where advertisers typically concentrate their buying efforts directly with networks and channels. #FAST #CTVAdvertising https://lnkd.in/g4SPkYW5

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Digital Nomads. So many of us have become wanderers moving from sub to sub based on that hot show and Ian's post unpacks this clearly. I feel that this is a streamer self-inflicted issue. Cost of subs goes up, nomad behavior goes up, cost of content supply goes up, possibly time to examine the fulcrum of diminishing returns and make different decisions/models of subscription? I continue to believe that under these worsening returns, aggregators and new models for additional windows will be what thrives.

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ICYMI check out the in-depth review by PR publication Sword and the Script Media, LLC about why Propel PRM has become the top innovator and smart alternative to legacy (aka mediocre!) PR software In Frank Strong's words, "That said, while I strive to be agnostic, and fair, I don’t dish out praise lightly. Yet now and then a software product comes along and makes an impression. Recently Propel, an Israeli PR software startup, has done just that." https://lnkd.in/d9qPP5Bh #PR #PublicRelations #PRM #AI

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A tie-up between longtime rivals Apple and Meta would've been unheard of in years past. But AI may finally be what creates a new alliance. In Apple's bid to catch up in the AI race, integrating Meta’s generative AI model into Apple Intelligence may be the only way. Who's Darth Vadar and who's Luke Skywalker? Well, in the tech world, partnerships and sometimes unnatural alliances are key, though they don't necessarily need to be exclusive ones. Apple's key entree into the AI space, Apple Intelligence which involves upgrading Siri, is heavily dependent on its partnership with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The idea that Apple is possibly seeking an alliance with Meta may sound a bit off, but it really makes strategic sense. The AI scene right now is like the Star Wars Cantina. Like the early dot-com days to the fleeting flash-in-the-pan Metaverse, everyone and anyone is positioning themselves with an AI play. That makes for an often bizarre plethora of big and small tech companies using AI to get into the word cloud conversation. For Apple, the company which has been an industry leader for so long is facing the risk of falling deep into the non-relevancy AI abyss as Microsoft, Meta, Google and Amazon race ahead. The fastest ways to quickly catch up in the AI race are through acquisitions and partnerships. The company has done a fair share of acquisitions picking up more than 30 AI startups since 2017. But as anyone who's done acquisitions can tell you, getting all those moving parts into any sense of coherency or more importantly, generating revenue takes time and resources, a luxury Apple doesn't have. Pick your best rivals to pick off other rivals. Partnering with Meta would give Apple two advantages: reduced reliance on a single AI provider and a chance to validate Meta's generative AI technology. Another key advantage worth noting is Apple's strong subscription services business. Rather than pay for these partnerships, Apple can offer access to its massive user base through Apple devices, allowing Meta to potentially sell premium subscriptions to their AI services. Let's keep in mind Apple is also working with Google and a host of other AI hotshots. Like a Jedi, Apple has the force. Where Apple can ultimately make a mark in the AI space is in its approach. The harsh truth is much of the AI chatter so far is more hype than reality with little showing of how the technology can improve the lives of the average people. Instead of aiming for a complete overhaul or disruptive changes, Apple is taking a measured approach. Focusing on integrating AI features into its existing products with an emphasis on practicality over flashy features could be the key to widespread user adoption of AI technology https://lnkd.in/g_qwWs4e #artificialintelligence #generativeai #apple #meta #openai #subscriptions #partnerships #alliances #technology

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STREAMING BUNDLES: Is the cable box making a comeback!? Subscriber churn remains an issue for SVOD services – 42% of US streaming subscribers report that they “'regularly subscribe, cancel and resubscribe,” according to Ampere’s Media Consumer survey covering 1Q24. But bundling streaming services can have a significant impact on mitigating the issue. Ampere cites Disney subscribers as an example: Consumers who had previously churned and then returned to take the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle are 59% less likely to churn within 12 months than those who take Disney+ alone, based on 1Q23 sign-ups. Ampere also found that US resubscribers skew younger (aged 18-44), are more likely to be in family households, and are typically avid media consumers. And with that wide media diet, the cohort is 40% more likely than average to exhibit signs of subscription fatigue and 21% more likely to desire unified access to content across different services. Which makes bundles, Ampere concludes, a key strategy in subscriber retention. The cable box is making a comeback! This time, it's on your mobile device$!

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It’s a big day, things are going great, we have tons of subscriptions in the queue ready to run (that investment in subs acquisition has really started to pay off) 🥳 The charges start to hit and the dollars are rolling in, until… failed charge, then another, then another Arguably one of the worst feelings/experiences in subscriptions 👎 Now, your customer can’t get their order AND your store is out the revenue + at risk of losing a loyal subscriber. It happens all the time and we’re over it… and now, you can be too 🌟Introducing: Backup Payment Methods💳🌟 The newest tool from Skio lets subscribers add an alternative payment method to their account that can be automatically charged when a primary method fails or gets declined💸 It takes zero time for subscribers to update and the benefits are huge: 💥Minimize revenue loss: It can take months for subscribers to realize they need to update their credit card which means multiple skipped orders - having a backup on file ensures you don’t miss out on revenue from these orders💰 💥Prevent Passive Churn: Backup payment methods add an extra layer of protection between subscriptions and the tedious dunning process (and for any subscribers who slip by - we’ve got you covered with our Payment Recovery launch from earlier this year😉) 💥Boost Customer Convenience: Avoiding annoying interruptions to ongoing subscriptions means a better experience for your subscribers (and fewer angry messages from customers missing their orders - your CS team will thank you💁‍♀️) 💥Improve Cash Flow Management: Having a backup funding source reduces the likelihood of delayed payments, making it easier to forecast revenue and plan for the future📈 Not sure how to get subscribers on board? don’t worry, we thought of everything😉 ⚡️You can offer discounts to incentivize adding an additional payment method directly within the feature! Ready to back that cash up? Drop us a DM to learn more🤩

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FOX CTO: Why Broadcasters Need to Take the Lead With AI As chief technology officer Fox Corporation, Melody Hildebrandt is leading a major initiative to combat the threat of deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation. It’s a fight that the media needs to take to Big Tech, says Hildebrandt, and she wants broadcasters to unite, fight back and flourish in the new AI economy. “It’s time for broadcasters to actually take the lead in the technical conversation by defining the core architecture about how our industry is going to run in the future.” The media industry needs to take defensive and offensive positions to manage AI, she asserts. https://lnkd.in/gxwxz95B

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Public access TV except way better. The original search for eyeballs started on the television set. YouTube is marking one year as the most-watched streaming platform on Nielsen’s Gauge chart. Content creators are YouTube's secret weapon to winning the TV streaming wars, and it has people spending 10 percent of their TV-viewing time on the service. By the numbers, 150 million people are watching on TV sets each month, totaling 1 billion hours daily. Whether you're watching reruns of Starsky and Hutch and The A-Team, catching up sports highlights for the NBA, NFL or MLB, or checking out original content from the latest Doug Henning magician wannabe, YouTube is essentially the first and the last place you're likely to look. Whether you're in need of a tutorial on how to be a treasure hunter or learning to be a runway model, YouTube is the place. In other words, you can pretty much find anything and everything entertaining. But, YouTube stands out with its vast library of content created by everyday people and celebrities alike, offering a diversity of high-quality videos that rival traditional TV. That diversity of content is what connects with viewers and drives engagement. Think about that. While traditional TV and streaming services might tackle social issues because viewer polls and demographics say so, YouTube offers a unique authenticity. Here, creators are often deeply invested in the topics they explore, having personal experience that fuels their content. The other difference is the real-time audience feedback, which not only provides creators with valuable insight, but engagement opportunities for viewers. At a time when most streaming services are struggling with subscriber churn, and inability and lack clear path to profitability, YouTube is winning the TV streaming wars thanks to creators https://lnkd.in/exCaY62X #youtube #streaming #television #nielsen #advertising #entertainment #contentcreators #digitalmedia

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We are celebrating 10 years of IAB Tech Lab at the #IABTechLab Summit today & tomorrow! Past & current IAB Tech Lab leaders — Scott Cunningham, Alanna Laforet, Dennis Buchheim, and Anthony Katsur — reminisce with Shailley Singh about developing the foundational #adtech #standards and #specs for our #digital #advertising & #media industry and building a #global #community! From taking over the original #technical #standards from IAB to developing new initiatives such as #OpenRTB, #OpenMeasurement, ads.txt, #VAST, #AdvancedTV and #CTV initiatives, #Privacy Enhancing Technologies #PETs, and many other Tech Lab accomplishments. #Kudos to the whole #IABTechLab Team - past and current - over this past decade! #AdStandards #AdTech #CookieDeprecation #Grits #Service #Teamwork

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🔥 Exciting news! 🔥 Grabyo has fully integrated with #Threads so our customers can now seamlessly publish videos directly to #Meta's newest platform. This integration allows for more dynamic and immediate content sharing, making it easier than ever to engage with audiences on Threads. Learn more here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/dXQt_tdR   #Grabyo #Threads #SocialMedia #VideoPublishing #Meta

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Great article by Jan Ozer on what the video codec landscape looks like in 2024. Overview on video codec efficiency, cost, usage and more. #videocodecs #streamingvideo #streamingmedia #broadcast

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The FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels ecosystem is experiencing a paradoxical growth. On one hand, there is an explosion of content and platforms catering to diverse audiences. On the other hand, the ecosystem’s evolution is hampered by the multitude of independent companies entrenched in the current model, each profiting from various aspects of the service chain but at the expense of the broadcaster or content library owner. https://lnkd.in/d75x3WVF

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