COLUMBIA, Md.—The World Surf League (WSL) is expanding its relationship with LTN to include content versioning for worldwide distribution this year, bringing a wider range of tailored live events to international audiences.

The expanded relationship builds on the WSL’s use of LTN services, including remote production, monetization and distribution technologies. LTN enables the surfing group to deliver year-round coverage from coastal locations in multiple languages and across global broadcast, digital and free, ad-supported TV (FAST) platforms, the video vendor said.

The multiyear deal with LTN will enable the WSL to deliver more than 1,000 hours of live content per year to millions of global viewers across the surfing circuit’s digital platforms, social media and broadcast and streaming partners, including expanded coverage on ESPN+ in the U.S. and Disney+ in Latin America and the Caribbean, it said.

“We want to bring as many live surfing events as possible to our fast-growing global fan community—on every continent and any platform,” Rob Hammer, WSL senior vice president of broadcast and studio operations, said. “LTN enables us to reliably deliver live feeds at low latency from remote venues and customize content at scale for downstream partners, all within one connected IP video distribution ecosystem. Our partnership gives us the flexibility to produce more high-quality live events and engage new audiences worldwide.”

The WSL relies on a full suite of LTN intelligent IP video-distribution technologies, including live video acquisition, routing, ad signaling, master control and playout, to enable reliable connectivity in challenging coastal locations while delivering live events across all platforms.

To engage global audiences with language-tailored live experiences at scale, WSL uses LTN’s live event versioning solution, LTN Arc, to seamlessly create multiple versions of live-event feeds for domestic and international distribution, including remote local-language commentary in Spanish and Portuguese, tailored graphics, closed captioning, subtitling and custom ad-trigger insertion for localized advertising, it said.

The WSL 2025 Championship Tour began Jan. 27 at surfing’s spiritual home of Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii. The tournament schedule includes 11 regular-season events, including the debut of Surf Abu Dhabi and the return of iconic venues Snapper Rocks, Australia; Lower Trestles in San Diego; and Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. For the first time, Fiji's legendary Cloudbreak will host the WSL Finals to determine the 2025 world champions in late August and early September, the WSL said.

Alongside immersive live coverage of the Championship Tour, LTN enables the WSL to offer global audiences a diverse range of live surfing events across its full-season calendar, including the Longboard Tour, Big Wave surfing in Nazaré, Portugal, and Championship Tour qualification via the Challenger Series and Qualifying Series.

More information is available on LTN’s website.

In the dynamic media landscape, strategic models around profit optimization, audience engagement, and long-term business sustainability are both paramount to success and under construction. As content distribution strategies evolve, many media companies are capitalizing on the surge of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels. These channels are a gateway for new monetization streams, aligning with consumer preferences for affordable, lean-back content experiences.

FAST platforms have emerged as a leading television source for digital audiences. In 2023, Kantar’s research highlighted FAST as the fastest-growing streaming tier in the US, with 47% of American households utilizing a FAST service weekly. As subscribers seek cost-cutting measures and streamline their video services, integrating a FAST service becomes an increasingly economically attractive option.

At the same time, live sports rights investment and the transition to streaming for premium live events present both challenges and opportunities. The sports broadcasting competition has intensified, with streaming giants and traditional broadcasters vying for viewers’ attention. Live sports now occupy a central position in the content strategies of media businesses, driving innovation and reshaping the competitive landscape. 

Navigating success in the live sports revolution
Amid constant change in media, live sports rights have remained a key driver for audience attention—and more importantly—audience retention. At the same time, the rise of online video consumption and affordable streaming technology has democratized access to niche sports content.

The attraction of major live sports events is undeniable, drawing in massive audience numbers across traditional broadcasts and streaming. While live sports events, predominantly NFL games, accounted for 96% of the most-watched TV broadcasts in the US in 2023. This year, the NFL’s first streaming-exclusive playoff broke streamed event viewership records with 23 million viewers.

The surge in demand for high-value live content poses challenges and opportunities for streaming players like YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+. Originally designed for on-demand video, these platforms must now adapt their infrastructure to deliver global-scale live sports events. Meanwhile, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox have collaborated on a new sports streaming platform, bridging digital and linear TV audiences. This has meant that major content rights owners face the delicate task of catering to diverse viewers across platforms.

Meanwhile, traditional linear broadcasting continues to hold its ground for major live events. Super Bowl LVIII had a 30+ second delay on digital platforms compared to conventional cable. In this dynamic arena, striking the right balance ensures optimal monetization across multiple viewing platforms. Audiences don’t just want to have the same high-quality and low-delay experience on FAST platforms. They also wish to access content that is new and fresh and have the option to watch with friends regardless of the viewing platform.    

How FAST channels are pioneering the path to uncharted growth
FAST channels are evolving rapidly, driven by localization, live news, and sports. As media companies adapt and innovate, they pave the way for engaging, relevant, and revenue-generating content experiences. This year, we can expect to see the market mature, with media companies generating more revenue from FAST channels as their audiences expand and their content offering becomes more focused — and increasingly geared around valuable live content. 

One of the key opportunities around FAST and digital linear channels is the ability to deliver geographically tailored content experiences to local audiences. This localization ranges from local and regional sports coverage to local news, enhancing audience engagement and strengthening platform loyalty. 

Live news is emerging as a critical component in the FAST ecosystem, enabling media companies to grow their digital audiences and unlock new monetization streams. Content and channel creators find that delivering live news helps media organizations engage younger, digital-first viewers who may have drifted away from traditional subscription services but are actively engaging with content on alternative platforms. 

Live sports are increasingly becoming key to retaining audiences for FAST channels and digital platforms, with as many as ​​118 million in the U.S. expected to stream their favorite sports by 2025 according to eMarketer. SVOD churn was at over 30% in 2023; appointment viewing content like live sports creates consumer stickiness. It also opens up new advertising opportunities, as advertisers can target younger demographics at scale. 

The two key challenges of live news and live sports on FAST and other digital platforms are a) being able to create platform-specific versions in real-time, inexpensively, and at scale and b) delivering high-quality and low-delay consumer experience. 

It makes business sense to integrate a robust tech stack that can be leveraged for live sports and that delivers geography-specific versions in real time while being cost-efficient. The right technology can empower content creators to easily spin up rich channels for any platforms that attract new audiences with relevant, customized content experiences while providing valuable opportunities for advertisers.

Unlocking the key to success with real-time customization
In today’s dynamic landscape, the ability to distribute content at an unprecedented scale while maintaining cost efficiency has become more crucial than ever. Content owners grapple with seamlessly delivering their offerings across multiple distribution channels while adhering to tight budgets and limited resources.

Real-time customization and content versioning are intricate processes, growing in complexity as the scale of content distribution increases. This complexity stems from the need to tailor content for different regions, languages, and platforms, all while ensuring maximum monetization via localized, targeted advertising. Live versioning is incredibly demanding, particularly in high stakes scenarios when dealing with live sports content.

Powered by advances in automation, innovation in content versioning is simplifying multi-platform distribution for live sports, ensuring that content is seamlessly prepared with platform-specific video requirements for multiple subscription OTT, digital, and FAST platforms. Media brands can utilize cloud-enabled versioning tools to deliver custom ad profiles and tailored graphics, audio, and local language commentary to meet the diverse needs of a global audience. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for leagues, conferences, broadcasters, and rights buyers to scale their distribution and monetization capabilities without heavy CapEx investment or additional headcount. 

Content creators and broadcasters who master real-time customization and versioning will thrive, seeing substantial benefits around audience engagement and global ROI on high value sports properties.

Securing FAST success with IP-based technology
Predicting what's next in the evolving media world is never easy, but one thing will always remain: the power of live content. Live sports, news, and events will be pivotal drivers of success for major organizations in 2024, captivating audiences, fostering platform loyalty, and drawing in ad buyers in a crowded digital space.

Delivering live content effectively and reliably requires robust, global and distributed IP-based infrastructure while supporting innovative content versioning technologies. The ability to tailor live events and linear channels provides content owners the peace of mind they need while unlocking next-generation possibilities. 

Major players are fighting hard to build and evolve a powerful live content strategy, but just doing the basics right won’t cut it anymore. To meet the level of global scale required today, winning players will need to pivot their approach to customize and deliver more live sports, news, and events than ever before via future-ready, distribution strategies ready to deliver valuable content to consumers wherever they are. 

COLUMBIA, MD—LTN has announced a multi-year agreement with MSG Networks to use its terrestrial IP-based, live video transmission solution LTN Wave to transition MSG from satellite to terrestrial IP-based distribution The transition is also a key component to enhance the live sports experience on MSG Network’s MSG+ streaming service coming this summer, offering access on a direct-to-consumer subscription and authenticated basis.  

LTN will distribute the MSG Networks channels delivering live coverage of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres to fans while future-proofing the organization's distribution model and harnessing the full benefits of the LTN Network.

David Schafer, SVP Product, Technology & Operations at MSG Networks, said: “LTN is trusted across the broadcasting and live sports industry. Our partnership with LTN provides us with mission-critical reliability. An IP-first approach to content distribution delivers the foundations for success, with greater business agility and a host of new revenue opportunities. We are truly excited about this next phase of IP-powered content distribution.”

Built on LTN’s intelligent, multicast-enabled, fully-managed IP transport network, LTN Wave provides a flexible, scalable, and reliable video transport solution that de-risks satellite migration with end-to-end management and automatic stress-free changeover while supporting next-generation possibilities such as content replacement and custom ad triggers, according to the company. Wave can seamlessly integrate within existing infrastructure while harnessing other solutions such as third-party encoders, decoders, and hardware or software. LTN’s open and agnostic network strategy means customers can acquire content in a single format and deliver in multiple formats, common third protocols, and in and out of public clouds, as needed.

“The media industry is steadily moving away from satellite, but mission-critical channels cannot afford to rely on the open internet with billions of dollars in revenue at stake,” said Chris Myers, EVP, Chief Revenue Officer, LTN. “Customers like MSG Networks need the managed network that LTN offers along with the peace of mind of a 5 nines reliable SLA and a 24/7 TOC.” 

For broadcasters and media companies that rely on satellite distribution, 2023 will mark a significant change in tides. The FCC is on course to take the 5G spectrum below Transponder 14 offline by the end of the year. This means that every Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) headend will be re-fitted to some degree, and spectrum repurposed for 5G. At the same time, sharing C-band with 5G may worsen the risk of interference.

However, disruption brings opportunity. Moving to IP is more advantageous than ever before. For industry players, a “lift and shift” approach will not be enough to fully harness the benefits of more flexible, efficient, reliable transmission methodologies. What will be required is a shift in mindset. IP is revolutionizing the media landscape, with deals that were never before practical on satellite becoming possible. Transitioning to IP opens up innovation and global growth opportunities for your brand. So, how can you make the shift to IP work for you? 

Traditional IP solutions don’t cut it
Traditional IP technologies without true multicast capabilities and smart business rules management come with challenges that prevent organizations from capturing today’s digital opportunities. This is because when creating multiple channels in the cloud or an array of derivative versions from a primary channel, you need a mechanism to deliver them from the cloud in a targeted way.

In order to reach increasingly segmented audiences across platforms, countries — or indeed continents — you need to be able to regionalize, customize, and distribute content versions efficiently and at scale.

Carrying out this level of content versioning with unsophisticated IP solutions will cost you a lot of money. It just really isn’t practical to do at scale. Each version drives up egress and processing fees which drives costs up very quickly. In many ways this mirrors the pricing structures of satellite distribution, and in today’s mediascape, it’s too costly a model to follow. 

Another challenge for unicast IP networks is reliability. Some networks may have their own protocols to distribute a channel over IP but lack the mechanism to re-route feeds across the vagaries and complexity of the Internet. 

Consider reliable IP as navigation software—Waze or Google Maps—that automatically reroutes you to avoid traffic jams and get you to your destination faster. Reliable IP needs to route across various carriers, data centers, and other networks on a packet-by-packet basis. The potential risk of delays and increased and unpredictable latency, and dropped signals is not acceptable for high-value content.

Another area that IP simple point-to-point protocols are lacking in is business intelligence. With digital workflows, distribution, customization, and regionalization are all happening simultaneously. These basic protocols rely on extra user-installed hardware or technology at first and last-mile endpoints because they do not have the built-in capabilities and the intelligent network in the middle to carry out these functions on their own. These add-ons from third parties complicate workflows, incur unnecessary expenses, and increase the risk of failure while decreasing supportability.

Given today’s market conditions, creating multiple channels at the same level of investment you used to create the primary channel isn’t feasible. Media companies need cost-efficient, reliable ways to distribute channels. They need to achieve more with less.

Thinking beyond the way it’s always been done
Although IP transport technology may appear to be the same at a distance, we have discovered that the ideal method for creating, customizing, and distributing multiple channels of primary, high-value content is an intelligent, multicast, fully managed network. 

The right multicast network does more than just mimic the conventional capabilities of satellite in a more cost-effective way. It’s designed to future-proof an organization by providing reliability, interoperability, and an ecosystem of end-to-end solutions that can maximize the value of content in a digital landscape that is rapidly evolving.

There is no definitive answer to what 2023 will bring for media organizations. Our industry moves at breakneck speed. But one thing is for sure, the IP transition will accelerate, and it will enable more intelligent, scalable, and efficient broadcast workflows. 

By moving to IP-based transmission, media businesses can truly focus on content over technology, relying on game-changing versioning capabilities to reach new global audiences without breaking the bank. This year is set to be an incredibly creative year in media, and kickstarting the right IP transition is the smartest way to make it happen.

LONDON—Playout has always been a crucial element in the broadcast distribution chain but it is becoming even more so due to changing requirements and technological capabilities.

Broadcast technology developers like to talk in terms of evolution when it comes to advances in equipment and operational practices. The area of broadcasting that has perhaps evolved in the true sense of the word is playout. Over the years it has moved from being based on videotape—initially played out from banks of individual machines and then later automated carousels—within a broadcaster’s headquarters to third party facilities, with the further shift to file and server-based distribution.

That evolution has continued with the advent of the cloud, where files may be located outside the control center, with the most recent advancement being the further shift to remote or from-home working. 

While the adoption of virtual techniques were largely foisted on the TV sector due to the Covid outbreak, they were already being used in some circumstances and were only going to become more widespread in the future. The coronavirus, as with so many things, compelled broadcasters to bring their plans for this kind of implementation forward.

Comfort Level
“Generally speaking, media companies are more comfortable following pandemic-forced virtualized workforces with virtualized workflows,” said Rick Young, senior vice president and head of global products at LTN Global. “It feels like the industry jumped three-to-five years ahead in terms of location-agnostic production, playout and media management.” 

Pre-pandemic, virtual playout was dominated by channels containing only pre-recorded, non-live programming, according to Young. “That is not the case today, as channel creators are beginning to understand what is possible when mixing live and non-live programs.”

Young adds that audience tastes have also driven a change in how services are organized and presented, with a growing demand for live and more targeted broadcasts. “This evolution is crucial as consumer expectations for FAST [free ad-supported streaming TV] and OTT platforms are trending towards live, regionalized and fresh content, not just a string of re-runs delivered in a linear fashion.”

Mat Shell, head of sales at Pebble, acknowledges that the various lockdowns and resulting shift to working from home increased the need for “secure remote access” to playout systems. 

“System implementations obviously had to change,” he says. “The majority of broadcasters are still commissioning bare-metal systems as they contemplate their transitions to more flexible IP-based technologies,” he said. “But, regardless of whether it’s a playout solution deployed on premises or is virtualized or a mixture of both, what has driven the most change is the need to control those systems remotely in a secure way.”

Web-based monitoring and control systems enable broadcasters to run channels either within a traditional transmission control area or from an outside location, which includes other premises or an operator’s home. As for other requirements, Shell says broadcasters are “likely to want their linear channels or playout facility” to feed any OTT platforms they operate. 

“They may also wish for linear channels to feature on YouTube, complete with unique branding,” he says. “Broadcasters additionally want the ability for playout systems—both on the ground and virtualized—to cater for pop-up or event channels, specifically for OTT streaming.”

Linear, OTT Commonalities
Streaming services, notably for video-on-demand, were included under the general heading of “broadcast” but there was the impression that more conventional TV organizations with roots in the linear world still viewed their OTT rivals as being in a different category, both in terms of audiences and technology. 

These two areas are now much closer together, particularly, observes Martin Whittaker, technical product director for MAM and automation at Evertz, on the technical side. 

“Both groups—broadcast and OTT, DTC [Direct to Consumer] and digital applications—want to create playout channels quickly and easily for the lowest cost possible and control/monitor these systems from anywhere,” he said. “This in turn generates the largest possible return on investment. Overall, customers are looking for systems that give them extreme flexibility, agility and adaptability to optimize content monetization for the lowest possible cost.”

While the market is still polarized, Sanjay Duda, chief operating officer at Planetcast Media Services, views the divide as being between big broadcasters with a large number of channels that feel responsible for delivering content and information to their viewers or subscribers; and “decentralized content generators” that distribute minority interest programming for a set period of time. 

“As a playout operator, you need to be able to cater to both sides,” he said. “You have the long-term solutions on one side but you also need to have pop-up or niche channels.”

Another element in the playout equation, Duda continues, is the commercial imperative, although this has to be considered in relation to technology.

“There’s a huge push towards how this is monetized, [which could be] by creating multiple feeds from the same playout for various platforms. Those are very important features as are being able to push in any last minute ads. In the U.S., FAST channels are taking the whole place by storm because it’s become a revenue-generating model where you create a stream and deliver it on to Smart TVs. 

“It’s ad-supported and the ads are delivered completely through technology,” he added. “Achieving high fill rates is critical to success, but for that, ad insertion technology is not enough. We also need to have good tools that decide which ad to insert for which customer or Smart TV to get the best value for the ads.”

Transparent to the User
At one time this kind of capability would have been delivered by highly sophisticated and complex equipment. Today, says Phillip Neighbour, chief operating officer at PlayBox Technology, broadcasters, content providers and facilities want simplicity, while also benefiting from the latest technologies. 

“They expect a high degree of automation, now supported by machine learning and artificial intelligence,” he said. “The whole system, from ingest to playout, has to be controlled from a single, intuitive user interface that tells the operator when an action is needed but which generally handles everything to the planned schedule.”

All playout functionality, Neighbour explains, can now be implemented in software, with modern design principles utilizing microservices that can be combined as necessary to provide the required functionality for a particular channel.

“Channel-in-a-box is not a new concept,” he says, “although with modern software techniques it is extremely efficient and function-rich. Because of virtualization, broadcasters and media companies are rapidly moving towards channels without a box, either in data hubs in the machine room, a corporate or shared data center or in the public cloud.”

After a relatively long and steady progression, playout as a technology area appears to be going through an accelerated evolutionary period right now. Whether that slows or increases in pace appears to depend not only on the ambitions of broadcasters and streaming services but also the viewing habits of their audiences. 

SAN FRANCISCO—At its outset, it was touted as a revolutionary technology, a solution that could streamline and simplify each piece of the intricate, confusing and complex advertising process and bring in more ad dollars along the way.

It has matured since those early days as it mastered real-world hiccups like mismatched transfer rates, inconsistent measurement and problems with scalability.

As time has progressed, however, so have the capabilities inherent in modern advanced advertising technologies. What has emerged is a set of road-tested solutions that manage to meet several lofty goals: reaching the right viewers at the right time, thriving in time-sensitive cycles like an election year, managing orders as well as customer relationships and more. .

Political Ad Windfall
“Advanced advertising has always been about reaching the right person at the right time with the right message,” said John Gee, consultant and chief business development officer at LG Ads. “As new technologies, ways to view television, personalize, discover and experience content and advertising evolve, it will be easier to deliver the right message to the right viewer efficiently,  in a way that keeps them engaged and is the least disruptive to their viewing experience.”

One of those “baptism by fire” moments awaits the industry later this fall. According to a report by BIA Advisory Group, the 2022 political season could potentially generate $8.4 billion in local advertising dollars, with local television receiving a large share of that spend in the leadup to the November 2022 midterms. 

“Political spending is anticipated to be very large this year and other bright spots are surfacing that will affect ad revenue across the country for all media channels,” said Tom Buono, BIA CEO and founder, adding that many business verticals in 2022 are expected to exceed 2019 levels after the pandemic-based drop in 2020 and 2021.

Stations expecting to capture part of that burst of advertising dollars must consider the advertising realities that exist in the fast-paced political space, particularly in the last few months before the midterm elections on Nov. 8, 2022. 

How to do that? The bottom line is that broadcast and digital sales departments need to be responsive. This is a particularly true for sales staff at broadcast TV and radio stations, said political strategist Bud Jackson who, alongside another political strategist and BIA Advisory Services Managing Director Rick Ducey, was a panelist during a recent webinar on focused on how broadcast stations can earn a greater portion of political advertising dollars during the upcoming election season. 

“One of the downfalls of TV vs. digital is getting creative in or out in a timely manner,” Jackson said. “Being available on the weekend somehow in the last couple of weeks is huge.” He recalled a political strategist’s nightmare story of a time when an incorrect advertising spot ran over and over during a weekend — because he couldn’t get anyone in the sales department on the phone after 5 pm on a Friday.

The lesson learned: since advertising customers are going around the clock, so must you. 

Know Your Customers
That type of round-the-clock customer focus is a key benefit of advanced advertising systems. It is customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities in advanced advertising systems that allow a sales team to more adroitly manage active customer accounts and make changes quickly, such as during an active political season. Advanced systems track accounts, monitor active proposals, keep tabs on standing orders. Keeping tabs on sales is a key feature of the Marketron REV system, for example, including detailing status of an order, keeping tabs on the review process as well as providing key metadata on final orders. 

“It’s important that you understand your customers because buyers right now are going around the clock,” said Evan Tracey, senior vice president of National Media as well as a professor and political strategist, during a recent political webinar. “Be really mindful. Their responsibilities are huge. And problems will arise. The ones the at fix it the quickest will be remembered fondly. The ones that are out on a Friday in November, not so much.”

Advanced advertising technologies have also proven themselves when it comes to smart pricing. Some systems, like the REV, tout the ability to use advanced algorithms and historical data to automatically set spot prices based on open blocks and fill rates. Some can set rate curves as well as floor and ceiling rates down to a 30-minute time block. 

One of the features that advanced advertising has long touted is the ability to provide advanced targeting and a richer engagement for viewers. Depending on the system, the technology can deliver ads to a household level, offering to get the right inventory to the right audience. Systems like the LTN Target universal signaling system allow for linear channels to run national addressable ads at scale during live linear broadcasts. 

According to LTN Global, the type of responsiveness that can be found in a digital advertising setup can also be recreated within a broadcasting’s traditional linear set up, resulting in several improvements. The system can format and insert watermarks, handle SCTE 35 cue tone markers within an MPEG transport stream, and use key metadata for addressable ad decisioning and replacement during live, linear programming, regardless of the distribution platform. 

That addressable piece of the puzzle is key. Traditional TV reaches a massive audience but lacks the addressable capability of digital. And there’s much to be gained by making that transition. A recent report from Deloitte Global predicts that addressable TV advertising — allowing different ads to be shown to different households watching the same program — is expected to generate about $7.5 billion globally this year. 

Who’s Watching?
To grab a larger share of that market, broadcasters and content creators must first answer one key question: who is actually in the room watching the TV? “I think [that is] the most important area that ad tech needs to solve,” Gee said. “Several companies are working on how to do that in a privacy centric way, including LG Ads. We’ve developed speech technology that can be trained to recognize all the individuals in the household. It can be used by TV OEMs to control the TV, provide highly personalized viewing experiences for content and ads and ways to interact with both, keeping viewers engaged.”

Keeping viewers engaged is a big part of user-centric dynamic ad insertion, a feature touted for its ability to provide an engaging viewing experience with the viewer while enhancing the monetization of the related ad inventory. A solution like PRISMA from MediaKind connects a content owner’s ad inventory to advertisers via an ad decision server or server-side platform integration (SSPI) system.

Through an SSPI system, advertisements can be personalized on a per user or audience basis in a live or near-live scenario or non-live situation. In live programming, dynamic ad replacement of an entire ad break is possible, as well as on a spot-by-spot basis. The same can be accomplished in a non-live VOD, personal video recording or catch-up TV service.

Telestream is another company using dynamic ad insertion to monitor quality and avoid lost revenue. The company’s iQ video monitoring solution watches for quality issues in each step of the delivery chain including identifying missing SCTE-35 ad placement markers and tracking ad behavior. Other features include visual validation of successful ads, alerts for ad-related issues and the ability to track fluctuations and errors.   

Ad Insertion Platform, a 15 year-old Swiss-based developer of products geared towards monetization in the streaming and broadcasting industry, offers DAI Connect, an SSAI platform that can be used to create user targeted ad pods or ad breaks. A feature called “Manifest Manipulator” inserts a created ad pod in at the manifest level for each end user so that content can be transcoded on the same profile to preserve required video quality. The AIP Optimizer enables unified headers so that open inventory can be sold programmatically at the best price. 

The Power of Programmatic
One company that has invested in an advanced advertising solution from AIP is Spanish technology company TVUP Media Telecom, who is using the technology to help monetize its advertising inventory. Using AIP, TVUP is able to programmatically sell video ad inventory and enable server-side ad insertion. The combination of AIP’s advanced ad serving capabilities and the ability to insert dynamic ads into video content is helping the company optimize the value of its inventory.

“Thanks to AIP’s programmatic ad sales services, we can increase our ad revenue and maximize fill rates,” said Eudald Domènech, CEO of TVUP, adding that the technology also allows for seamless stitching of video ads within the company’s complex digital infrastructure.

The company also recently inked a partnership with the software-as-a-service platform company Veset to manage SSAI for live and on-demand content on Veset’s playout platform. 

 “We’re making it easy for broadcasters and content owners to create a seamless, sophisticated workflow for originating and monetizing their linear and streaming channels,” said Igor Krol, CEO of Veset. 

The Cloud’s Role
Other companies have taken their solutions to the cloud. The cloud-native platform Imagine Aviator enables content creators to plan, make and monetize premium-quality linear and OTT content from one unified platform. 

The goal is specific, according to Brad Herman, senior vice president of product at Imagine Communications. “The primary goal for media companies today is to increase eCPMs and operational efficiency of monetizing CTV inventory — to maximize revenue while lowering operational costs,” he said. 

Imagine calls the system a converged solution that delivers linear programming and VOD content with ads, with associated triggers for local and dynamic ad insertion. And that linear-like control of connected TV monetization is key in delivering a broadcast-quality viewing experience, Herman said. “This results in more advertisers being comfortable running campaigns, which ultimately increases eCPMs of CTV inventory. A better viewing experience can also lead to increased viewing times, which then generates more ad opportunities. And delivering a broadcast-quality ad experience enables media companies to satisfy linear under-delivery on CTV.”

The company announced at the NAB Show that it plans to expand the platform’s capabilities to allow media companies to sell their own ad inventory rather than connecting to a demand-side platform to fill available inventory. Inventory can be sold by audience, context or by spot with additional functionality that can adjust for hard-to-plan scenarios like breaking news and live sporting events. 

 “As consumers find more ways to watch, the efficiencies of [the] cloud play an important role, making it easier for media companies to address broadening advertising opportunities and create highly impactful and dynamic channels with genuine appeal to viewers,” said Rob Malcolm, chief product officer at Imagine Communications when the solution was released just prior to the 2022 NAB Show.

And there is more to come, whether that’s improving reach to micro-audiences or new opportunities as stations convert to NextGen TV. Or even virtual and augmented reality, Gee said. 

“VR/AR has the potential to be a real game changer for both advertisers and content producers,” he said. “It can be ‘always on,’ it’s a deeply engaging way to experience content and ads, and it’s truly one-to-one, the ultimate in being able to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.”

When it comes to advanced advertising, that’s exactly what we’re looking for. 

TV stations worldwide are currently missing out on potentially billions in revenue  by not taking full advantage of the benefits of ATSC 3.0 technology. ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, is rapidly evolving the broadcasting landscape, with sales expected to soar to 4.5 million in 2022 and 11 million in 2023.  It should come as no  surprise that such numbers when the standards of this technology provide the infrastructure for newer technologies. ATSC 3.0 is an IP-native data pipe that functions in broadcast TV frequencies. 

The current possibilities created by ATSC 3.0 emphasize why the scale for monetizing is potentially massive for TV stations. Ensuring that they adopt effective strategies will be vital to securing their future in an incredibly competitive market. 

What are ATSC 3.0’s Capabilities?
ATSC 3.0 has marked a significant shift in the future of television since the launch of ATSC 1.0 in 1996. It gives operators the flexibility and robustness they have been craving for a long time. This greater operational efficiency is achieved through state-of-the-art encoding and modulation technologies, warranting a more effective use of the limited spectrum resources. As a result, it provides the capacity to transfer UHD video content and immersive audio content via terrestrial channels with little effort, time, or cost. All of this is made possible by IP technology in its baseband.

Its capabilities also enable more effective public alerting and targeted advertising, creating a personalized and interactive viewing experience. Such viewing experiences are now possible, resulting in more compelling content through different camera angles and sports stats. 

Alongside the significant enhancements in viewing experience, ATSC 3.0 brings further changes to linear television by creating  opportunities for TV stations and TV manufacturers to explore new business models in a highly regulated market. Research by BIA Advisory Services supports this, having found that new datacasting revenue from NextGen TVs is likely to reach $5 billion by 2027 and $10.7 billion in new revenue by 2030, accounting for 22% of the total local broadcasting revenues by 2030.

The Critical Revenue Streams Powered by ATSC 3.0
TV stations know the ATSC 3.0 standard opens up more significant opportunities to push more channels to market quicker and generate new revenue streams, including using some of the spectrum for non-TV uses.

Geolocation services are just one example of the new revenue streams unlocked by  ATSC 3.0. Geolocation services refer to the infrastructure that enables mobile users to identify their current physical location. Datacasting can power multiple use cases, including the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, asset, supply chain tracking, and connected cars, delivering data accurately down to centimeters.

With more connected devices than ever, the added benefit for TV stations is that this is already an established market with plenty of room to maneuver. Datacasting provides much-needed breathing room for wireless services providers who can leverage the existing broadcasting infrastructure to deploy geolocation services, reducing their CAPEX. 

In addition, ATSC 3.0-enabled TV sets can pave the way for new business models powered by interactive content delivery, including customized ads and offers, opening up new revenue opportunities through linear, addressable advertising. TV stations can now serve ads with interactive overlays that target a specific audience that is localized and relatable to them. A personalized approach like this is changing the way we watch TV for the better. 

ATSC 3.0 also provides TV stations with greater channel capacity enabling them to create and monetize more channels across both SD and HD. Delivering a rich depth of content choices for consumers empowers a more significant opportunity for monetization. Through ultra-low latency, TV stations can minimize delays and maximize the audience’s viewing experience.

What are the Next Steps?
The transition to ATSC 3.0 couldn’t be easier, but TV stations need to make sure they have a clear and precise market strategy to mitigate any challenges. The system must be implemented from the outset and cover how and when they will use the data and distribute the content. 

There are also considerations around the ATSC 3.0 rollout As NextGen TV takes off in the US, it’s essential to maintain the momentum by completing new market launches and achieving nationwide coverage.

ATSC 3.0 regulation is critical for shaping the future of NextGen TV. Currently, the broadcasting industry is streamlining the regulatory aspects of transitioning to ATSC 3.0.  It is vital to consider that ATSC 3.0 TVs drive many stations broadcasting in the new standard. Next-generation broadcasting reaches almost half of all American viewers, and is expected to increase throughout 2022, with forecasts that TV manufacturers will sell 10,000 ATSC 3.0 enabled TV sets per day.

The ecosystem is clearly developing to take advantage of the new standard and as soon as there is a critical mass, the ATSC 1.0 transmitters can be converted to ATSC 3.0, driving even greater capacity for new applications. Therefore the longer the rollout takes, TV stations will miss out on their revenue opportunities, falling behind competitors. 

Once the industry has addressed these potential challenges in the transitional period, media companies will be able to help drive the future of television.

Why Strategizing Now Will Benefit TV Stations in the ATSC 3.0 Era
ATSC 3.0 provides better quality content that enhances the TV experience altogether. With more channel capacity, signal efficiency, and better quality content, comes an excellent viewing experience. The broadcast industry is changing for the better, and media companies need to take advantage of this technology now to meet the growing demand of the marketplace and enjoy greater revenue streams. Media organizations have the unique opportunity to make the most of new business models that can help them thrive in the broadcasting landscape. 

TV stations powered by ATSC 3.0 can reap the rewards of datacasting, and become leading players in driving numerous use cases that change how we work, get entertained, and experience the world. The benefits of acting now will position TV stations for tremendous success. Now is the right time to become part of the ATSC 3.0 revolution.

COLUMBIA, MD—LTN Global has introduced LTN Lift, a fully managed, cloud-based playout solution for the automated creation of live, linear channels to reach cross-platform audiences.

The new platform targets broadcasters and media companies who want to widen their reach across OTT platforms and FAST services while maximizing the yield from their content assets, the company said.

LTN Lift brings together a range of LTN’s advanced playout, signaling and video transport technologies built around LTN’s IP video network. It automates versioning of a primary linear channel, seamlessly spinning up secondary channels and integrating live and non-live programming. LTN Lift helps media organizations thrive in the digital era, particularly news and sports-producing broadcasters and station groups by enabling them to automatically create new channels in the cloud, with altered programming to fit cross-platform programming requirements or provide richer content for different audiences, according to the company.

The managed service offers a highly redundant, scalable cloud-based platform with virtual accessibility. This means that content providers can manage the service anywhere and rapidly scale up services based on evolving requirements.

“In a fiercely competitive and complex media landscape, maximizing the value and reach of your content has never been as important as it is today. Media customers need to get their best content to viewers wherever they are watching — and they need to do this efficiently and at scale,” said Malik Khan, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder. “LTN Lift is a unique service that empowers our customers to lead in the digital era, and we’re already seeing early adopters among broadcast groups achieve outstanding results.”

LTN Lift includes automatic asset creation capabilities, seamless live source management and signal acquisition as well as delivery through the LTN Connect and LTN Transport solutions, and automated playout via LTN Schedule. LTN’s built-in signalling and ad enablement technologies provide customers with the foundation to achieve optimum monetization through advanced advertising on any platform.

LTN Lift is currently in production by all stations in one of the four major US-owned broadcast groups, the company said.

LTN Global will showcase LTN Lift and a range of its video technologies and solutions at its booth #W10116 at the 2022 NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 23-27.

COLUMBIA, Md.—Catherine Gonzalez Pack has been named senior vice president of operations by LTN Global.

Gonzalez Pack has more than 20 years of broadcast operations experience. In her last role, she led sports and special events operations at DirecTV and AT&T, the company said.

Coming to LTN, Gonzalez Pack will help the company deepen its commitment and focus on delivering customer-centric solutions, support and operational excellence, it said.

“The digital revolution we’re experiencing in the sports and entertainment industry brings both exciting opportunities and complex challenges for media organizations,” said LTN co-founder and executive chairman Malik Khan. “LTN is at the forefront of this paradigm shift, so we’re excited for Catherine to help us lead the charge. Catherine has a wealth of outstanding industry experience and will be crucial in assisting LTN’s customers as they navigate a new era in broadcasting.”  

More information is available on the company’s website. 

WALTHAM, Mass.—LTN Global has added Zixi access to its network, enabling more than 300 Zixi-integrated partners to deliver feeds to its managed service network, Zixi said today. 

The LTN network supports full-time, occasional use and event production workflows and offers 24/7 operators and monitoring teams. It can reliably deliver content anywhere in the world with guaranteed reliability and low latency, it said.

The network provides the foundation for the LTN ecosystem, which powers integrated workflows from cloud production and content aggregation to signaling and monetization through delivery. The ecosystem includes a portfolio of acquisition, decoration and signaling, production playout and other services and delivers them as complete customer-managed solutions or outsourced production services.

With the LTN Global-Zixi partnership, Zixi SDVP will be supported as a first- and last-mile or on- and off-ramp to services, sites and partners on the LTN network and ecosystem. Media companies that need to support diverse distribution and acquisition workflows across locations can access the value-added services of the ecosystem.

The more than 300 Zixi Enabled Network customers, integrated hardware and software applications, platforms and service providers that have standardized on Zixi will provide increased access in and out of LTN’s network.

Zixi’s Intelligent Data Platform aggregates 3 billion data points a day from across the Zixi Enabled Network and uses advanced analytics, machine learning and Zixi's unique video telemetry data to provide alerts based on patterns and insights that help media companies streamline broadcast operations by focusing resources to fix errors before they occur and reduce costs from root cause analysis, the company said.

“Zixi has invested years of hard work integrating the SDVP into every part of the media workflow” said John Wastcoat, senior vice president of alliances and marketing at Zixi. “We are extremely happy that our customers and partners can now use those relationships to access the managed services of the LTN Network.”

See Zixi at IBC 2021, Dec. 3-6, in Amsterdam at Stands 5.A45ca and 4.L101.

More information is available on the company’s website.

COLUMBIA, Md.—LTN Global is launching what it calls a universal signaling solution designed for addressable TV advertising, LTN Target.

LTN Global says that fragmentation in distribution platforms and ad decisioning systems have prevented linear channels from running national addressable ads at scale. LTN Target is meant to help solve this issue, by integrating with all parts of the advertising ecosystem to enable linear addressable advertising on different networks, platforms and workflows.

LTN Target offers frame-accurate signaling to ensure the replacement of an ad with the addressable creative is invisible to the viewer. It has contextual metadata and precision advertising that allows addressable advertising to coexist with traditional linear advertising. There is cross-platform signaling that allows the same addressable ad to play across multiple platforms simultaneously. It also has workflow automation.

The system acts as an automated translation layer and communications proxy between systems in the advertising ecosystem. It interoperates with all ad decision providers, addressable platforms, broadcast automation, traffic and scheduling systems.

LTN Target’s frame-accurate timing meets the insertion and distribution infrastructure requirements by using video watermarks, in-band and out-of-band SCTE 104/35 and DASH/X-Links.

“We’re excited to be part of the early stages of the addressable advertising revolution,” said Malik Khan, LTN Global executive chairman and co-founder. “LTN Target is the only automated universal solution that integrates with all the parts of the TV ecosystem to enable the scale needed to attract advertisers. Our customers have already used Target to deploy their first campaigns and are looking to make their ad inventory even more valuable through increasingly sophisticated data enhancements.”

LTN Global has been working with the Open Addressable Ready (OAR) consortium.

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.  

NEW YORK—SportsGrid is the first 24-hour linear network that streams exclusive live fantasy sports and wagering coverage of all major sports and events. Our daily programming schedule combines expert commentary with real-time news, data, statistics and betting intelligence, distributed across streaming platforms that include XUMO, Roku, Sling TV, Vizio, PlexTV, STIRR and Samsung TV Plus.

With the onset of the pandemic last year, SportsGrid’s studios were closed, forcing our production team to explore alternative solutions to remotely produce live daily programming. We made a commitment to the sports wagering community to deliver real-time news, injury reports and data as it happens, supported by the 18-hour daily live program schedule. Our network content must be live to engage the audience, and our production team needed a reliable, dependable solution that was a cloud-based backbone.

INTEGRATED SOLUTION

We selected LTN Global because their advanced cloud-based automation products and workflow optimize operational efficiency and dependability. LTN supports SportsGrid with automated production services, including the delivery of live programming support managed from their state-of-the-art production facility in Kansas City, Mo.

LTN’s suite of communication and production tools virtually integrates the necessary functions for master control, allowing the entire SportsGrid production team to manage our live programming schedule flawlessly. The live streaming HLS video feed is delivered through a resilient low-latency IP connection from the cloud. The LTN platform’s cloud-based production infrastructure provides best practices production workflows, managed and monitored using proprietary software to deliver a scalable and dependable support service solution.

With LTN’s cloud-enabled IP video transport delivery service, our content feed is distributed effectively and efficiently, which was critical to the return of live sports in August.

LTN Global allows us to scale utilizing their advanced suite of cloud-based automation products to optimize efficiency and dependability. We plan to extend the business model to expand internationally to platforms across new global regions.

TECH SUPPORT

LTN Global provides immediate support worldwide 24/7. Managing live programming is no easy feat, but knowing the LTN team of experienced professionals in Kansas City are monitoring the SportsGrid live feed helps manage the daily workflow, including resolving and troubleshooting issues with internal and external equipment.

LTN’s experience in the media space has been a critical partner supporting SportsGrid’s success. Their support and insightful recommendations help us adapt and evolve during the disruption due to the pandemic.

Charles Theiss currently serves as SportsGrid’s director of network distribution. He previously served as senior vice president of CNN advertising sales and was an original member of the CNN Interactive team that launched their wireless platform “CNN Everywhere.” He can be contacted at charles@sportsgrid.com.

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.

COLUMBIA, Md.—LTN Global has signed a multi-year agreement with SportsGrid Inc, a 24-hour linear network covering fantasy sports and wagering, that will have LTN provide advanced cloud-based automation products to help with the live delivery of programming.

LTN’s suite of communication and production tools virtually integrates the functions for master control, which enables the SportsGrid production team to manage their live programming schedule. SportsGrid delivers its live streaming HLS video feed through a low-latency IP connection from the cloud. The LTN platform uses its low-latency transport network and cloud-based production infrastructure, which are managed and monitored using proprietary software to deliver the support service.

The range of LTN’s broadcast and digital services include full production and master control, as well as remote and virtual production support. LTN also has its end-to-end video content ecosystem to provide clients with ad enablement and metadata insertion, cloud-based routing of broadcast and digital content, and a multicast transport network.

LTN operates all of this out of its production facility in Kansas City, Mo.

“We needed to deploy a transformative platform to efficiently and effectively produce daily live video programming from our studios and remotely during the pandemic,” said Louis Maione, SportsGrid president and founder. “LTN provides SportsGrid with innovative visualization tools to configure, manage and monitor live programming at scale across industry standard and protocols.”

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.  

COLUMBIA, Md.—LTN Global has announced that it has closed a deal for DTAGS, which is known for providing technology for 4K remote production and broadcast transmission.

The acquisition of DTAGS strengthens LTN’s ecosystem, as DTAGS and its lineup of scalable 4K remote production, post-production and transmission workflows are now part of the LTN production portfolio to help power large-scale sports, entertainment and news events, per LTN Global.

DTAGS President Mike Burke is set to join the LTN Global management team as part of the acquisition. He will continue to lead DTAGS, as well as LTN’s on-site and remote production services.

“With the increased demand for remote production support to bring high-profile live events to the screen, being part of the LTN Ecosystem will extend existing DTAGS customer operations and strengthen the production standards of both companies are renowned for,” said Burke.

“The DTAGS acquisition is the latest initiative in LTN’s continued commitment to providing customers with cutting-edge solutions that enable the ultimate viewer experiences,” said Malik Khan, co-founder and executive chairman, LTN Global. “DTAGS’ tracks record of flawless delivery, always-on customer service and innovative solutions to some of the world’s largest media companies aligns with LTN operations and values. I am delighted to welcome Mike Burk and his team to the LTN family.”

DTAGS will continue to operate out of Tulsa, Okla. In 2021, DTAGS’ 4K remote production will migrate to LTN’s centralized production facility in Kansas City.

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.  

COLUMBIA, Md.—While this week’s Democratic National Convention forgoed the traditional convention crowds because of the COVID-19 pandemic, LTN Global helped bring the American people into the event through its technology.

As the official interactive production partner for the DNC, LTN’s Live Video Cloud platform enabled multiple live streams to be taken from participants across the country and then distributed onto an LED screen on the stage of the make-shift convention hall, as well as into on-air production for channels, including social media. 

Viewers got to see Live Video Cloud at work after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris each gave their speeches accepting the Democratic party’s nominations for president and vice president, respectively.

LVC is a high-capacity media-control console from LTN Command. It provided the DNC with live video acquisition, routing and distribution capabilities.

“Using LTN’s innovative cloud-based solutions, the DNC has set the precedent for the future of events no matter the format, theme or geographical location,” claims Malik Khan, LTN executive chairman and co-founder.

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.  

COLUMBIA, Md.—LTN Global is doing its part with some of the recent deployments of the NextGen TV standard, ATSC 3.0, as the company announced its transport service was used for the Las Vegas launch of the standard. In addition, Sinclair Broadcast Group and its subsidiary ONE Media 3.0 have selected LTN Global as its preferred transport network partner, according to LTN.

The Las Vegas deployment of NextGen TV was the country’s first multistation commercial deployment of the standard, and was supported by LTN’s transport network, the company shared in a press release. The network is being used to repack channels to free up the spectrum needed to broadcast both ATSC 3.0 and the existing ATSC 1.0 standard.

The repacking of spectrum is necessary as the FCC did not grant new spectrum for ATSC 3.0. In Las Vegas, Sinclair’s KVCW station has been converted to ATSC 3.0 and is broadcasting all four station main feeds; the other three stations now, meanwhile, handle the ATSC 1.0 feeds for all four stations.

“LTN’s intelligent transport network provides us with a backbone that allows us to seamlessly and reliably reroute TV and data services to free up the spectrum that made this deployment possible,” said Mark Aitken, Sinclair vice president, Advanced Technology, and ONE Media 3.0 president. “LTN is already connected to hundreds of broadcast stations, making it easy to partner with in supporting future ATSC 3.0 rollouts across the country.”

LTN Global says that it will continue to work with Sinclair in all the markets that it launches NextGen TV.

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.

COLUMBIA, Md.—LTN Global has launched a new terrestrial IP-based video distribution as an alternative to satellite distribution, the LTN Wave. 

LTN Wave offers users the benefits of IP distribution while allowing them to maintain existing satellite-driven workflows, thus enabling a seamless integration of the two. LTN Wave makes it possible to replace satellite use completely, add a secondary path for hybrid distribution or implement backhaul, said LTN.

Powering the new offering are LTN Global’s state-of-the-art IP-based video workflow solutions that provide reliable, efficient content transport from sources to destinations via LTN’s fully managed and highly secure network, the company said.

“There are a number of challenges in the marketplace right now pushing channel owners to explore alternatives to satellite distribution, which can be a daunting prospect,” said Michal Miskin-Amir, general manager of the Transport Division at LTN Global.

“We know that ripping and replacing satellite infrastructure wholesale simply isn’t practical as networks look to reduce the risk associated with maintaining a portfolio of channels heavily reliant on C-band satellite. LTN Wave is the perfect solution for seamlessly bridging the transition from satellite to IP.”

LTN Wave is able to reach any destination or location, whether through direct connection to the LTN Network, handoffs with public cloud networks, such as AWS and Azure, or connections to private data centers, the company said.

The LTN transport network powering LTN Wave relies on a backbone of expertly engineered protocols for Dynamic Multi-Carrier routing and Rapid Error Recovery. As a private network with multiple underlying ISP carriers, it is able to circumvent public internet congestion. The network intelligently picks the optimal path for video transmission to guarantee fixed delay and eliminate packet loss and jitter, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

COLUMBIA, Md.—LTN Global has launched LTN Cue Managed Service, a new service that expands access to the company’s automated channel management, advanced advertising and content replacement workflow. Built on the same technology behind the LTN Connect managed service, which is deployed on the user premises, LTN Cue takes SCTE 35 decoration onto the LTN Network and performs SCTE marker insertion en route to video distribution partners and affiliates. With a straightforward workflow for sending properly decorated feeds to cable, satellite and virtual MVPDs including YouTube TV, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV, channel originators can scale up their distribution, viewership and ad revenue.

"Our LTN Cue and LTN Connect managed services help channel providers to realize the new opportunities that come with accurately marking ad breaks and other content for downstream cable, satellite and digital platforms," said Rick Young, senior vice president and head of global products at LTN Global. "LTN Cue and LTN Connect automate the complex tasks of decorating feeds to suit various distributors' profiles and guarantee the precision essential to proper downstream handling of markers. These services empower broadcasters, cable channels, diginets and digital-first streaming networks to converge and scale their inventory and video distribution workflows—and in turn drive revenue growth."

LTN Cue and LTN Connect are part of LTN's universal media technology ecosystem, which unites technologies secured with the company's 2019 acquisition of Niles Media Group, Make.TV and Crystal Corporation to address workflows from production and publishing to transformation and transport. Built on Crystal's AdConnect solution, these two fully managed, linear metadata services make it easier for channel originators to leverage and scale decoration and distribution in a seamless and straightforward workflow.

While LTN Cue is designed for simpler playout operations and LTN Connect for more complex operations incorporating multiple sources, both services read, interpret, transform and apply the right message at precisely the right time to signal programs, national ad breaks, local ad breaks and specific ads/promos in a live linear channel feed delivered on any platform. The services connect playout, compression, transport and cross-platform SCTE 35 distribution workflows according to the needs of channels and distributors. They are compatible and expandable with other industry-standard workflows (i.e., SCTE 104 and 130) and interoperable with workflows involving SMPTE ST 2022, ST 2110 and ST 2038. The services are backed by a 24/7 network operations center to ensure reliable, flexible and profitable channel distribution.

"LTN Cue and LTN Connect are built on a decade of leadership in SCTE 104/35 channel decoration and supported by industry-leading technical resources and engineering staff," added Roger Franklin, general manager of channel management at LTN Global. "Helping channel providers address the vagaries of ad signaling across platforms, these easy-to-implement services open the door to broader channel distribution and even more effective ad monetization."

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.

LTN Global, following a number of 2019 acquisitions that included Niles Media Group, Make.TV and Crystal Corporation, is ready to bare the fruits of those deals this spring in the form of its universal media technology ecosystem, which includes LTN Production, LTN Control, LTN Channel Management and LTN Transport.

LTN Production is a fully managed, centralized production services system developed from integrating Niles Media into LTN. As part of the LTN Production umbrella, LTN Flex supports end-to-end centralized production so users can create, command and transport content. LTN Production is available as a stand-alone service or as a complement to other LTN offerings.

The LTN Control comes from working with the Make.TV brand and is a live video cloud service that enables browser-based routing of live video feeds for content aggregation, publishing and distribution. The system allows users to acquire unlimited concurrent live feeds from professional cameras, encoders, mobile devices, drones and online sources, and then curate and route these live signals within a continuous-playback multiview to unlimited outputs. The live signals can then be distributed simultaneously to online and on-premise destinations.

Developed with technology from the Crystal Corporation acquisition, LTN Channel Management helps broaden distribution reach with LTN Connect and LTN Cue systems that power content localization and personalization of ads in cable, satellite and OTT distribution. LTN Connect is a stand-alone platform, while LTN Cue is integrated within the LTN Network.

LTN Transport, meanwhile,  is built on LTN’s advanced algorithms for Dynamic Multicarrier Routing and Rapid Error Recovery for transmission of video from source to destination. It ensures less than 200ms ultra-low-latency global video transmission and 99.99% SLA-backed transport reliability, according to LTN.

For more information, visit www.ltnglobal.com.  

COLUMBIA, Md.—LTN Global today announced the appointment of Neil Harwell, co-founder of Niles Media Group, as general manager of its new Niles Media Division. Roger Franklin, who was president and CEO of Crystal Computer Corp., will serve as general manager of the LTN’s new Crystal Division. LTN acquired both companies last year.

"Niles Media and Crystal have brought incredible talent and resources to LTN, and each company's record of success is a direct result of the dedication and leadership demonstrated by Neil and Roger," said Malik Khan, co-founder and executive chairman at LTN Global. "Together, we've already brought to market innovative new solutions that expand customer access to high-quality, high-performance production and delivery services, as well as added opportunity for content monetization. I look forward to an even brighter future as we take LTN into 2020."

Before he founded Niles Media Group, Harwell was vice president of business development for the Kansas City Royals. Concurrently, he was vice president and general manager of the Royals Sports Television Network. Prior, he worked for Time Warner Cable and Kansas City Interconnect and was a co-founder of Metro Sports, serving as its first general manager when it launched in 1997.

Franklin joined Crystal in 1993 and has held roles in product development and customer support. Early in his career with the company, Franklin developed software for the Crystal Control System and later headed up its R&D before becoming the company’s president and CEO.

Franklin is a member of the board of directors for the World Teleport Association and participates in the video standards group of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.

More information is available on the LTN Global website.

LAS VEGAS—Poker Central is the ultimate source for fans of poker and the poker lifestyle. We deliver “everything poker” to audiences worldwide, giving them anywhere, anytime access into the VIP lifestyle and lavish, jet-setting world of high roller poker players.

Fans access this content through our subscription-based PokerGO digital video service, which gives them exclusive access to some of the world’s biggest events, including the Super High Roller Bowl, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, U.S. Poker Open, Poker Masters and more.

Shot on location in Las Vegas and in exotic locales around the globe, our live event coverage and programming offer fans a unique glimpse into the quirky, funny and exciting world of poker. In addition to live event coverage and behind-the-scenes footage, PokerGO also features event replays, original programs and classics from the Poker Central vault. Through PokerGO, we give fans 24/7 access to exclusive content, with more than 100 days of live poker a year.

In providing a subscription-based video service for avid poker fans, PokerGO must meet high standards in terms of quality and reliability. The 2019 World Series of Poker (WSOP), held May 28 to July 16 in Las Vegas, is perhaps the best example of the challenges we face in ensuring exceptional video quality and unparalleled quality of experience.

This year the Poker Central team produced live video from 89 different WSOP events over 50 days, with exclusive coverage of the WSOP Main Event. (Hossein Ensan won the event, earning $10,000,000 and poker’s most prestigious prize: the WSOP Main Event bracelet.) We needed a partner to help us deliver live coverage to PokerGO in multiple formats, and we decided to work once again with LTN Global, a leader in broadcast-quality IP video transport solutions.

We have a successful track record with LTN, so we had reason to be confident. The company provides backhaul services for Poker Central throughout the year as we cover high-profile events. We turned to the company for our WSOP coverage in 2019 because we knew LTN could deliver the service level we require, as well as simplicity and flexibility in addressing technical requirements.

Because we need to deliver consistent, high-quality signals from a remote location over a lengthy period of time, the WSOP truly is the most demanding of our live event productions. LTN has the experience and resources to make even highly challenging projects like this a success. The company’s industry-leading, IP-based live video delivery service and integrated production-to-transmission workflows ensure peerless IP-based live video delivery.

For the 2019 WSOP, LTN provided two flypacks dedicated to the event. We also relied on LTN’s fully managed network for live video delivery. With these resources and support from the LTN team, we were able to provide flawless live coverage. Signals from the event were delivered over the LTN network in multiple formats to support both linear broadcasts and PokerGO subscription-based services, available to fans via connected TVs, computers and mobile devices.

We’ve come to rely on LTN as a partner in delivering exceptional coverage of live poker events. We produced a tremendous amount of unique content at the 2019 WSOP, and LTN was key to our success. Knowing that LTN has both the expertise and technical resources to provide both IP transport service and support for complex live sporting events, we were able to focus on creating the exciting live content that PokerGO subscribers demand.

Cheryl Wood is the senior vice president of operations and engineering at Poker Central LLC.

SAVAGE, Md.—IP video transport technology provider LTN has announced that it is promoting Rick Young to the role of senior vice president of global products. Young had previously served as the vice president of global business development since he joined LTN in 2018.

In the role of SVP, Young will be responsible for the LTN Global product portfolio across all divisions. He will work with divisional product management teams to set the company’s strategic direction and cultivate partnerships that will enable unique services within the media ecosystem, per LTN.

“Rick has a lengthy record of leadership in organizations dedicated to content production and delivery technology,” said Malik Khan, co-founder and executive chairman at LTN Global. “We value his deep industry knowledge as well as his thoughtful and creative approach to strategy and building unique, growth-oriented solutions. His dedication and leadership will be vital as LTN continues to extend its technology portfolio and end-to-end service offerings for content creation, distribution and monetization.”

Prior to joining LTN in 2018, Young had served in senior executive roles at Encompass Digital Media, was vice president and general manager at Bitcentral, vice president of products and services at Clearlap, vice president of product management at Pathfire and manager of production services at Virage.

NEW YORK—LTN will make the most of its time at NAB Show New York, showcasing different technologies and sharing their expertise during presentations.

LTN’s Crystal Division will be on hand to demonstrate its AdConnect system designed to enable TV ad inventory owners to sell addressable advertising on any platform and improve content monetization. Make.TV, which is owned by LTN, will also have its cloud-based service for accessing, curating and publishing live video streams to affiliates, social media and OTT platforms.

In addition, Alan Young, LTN’s CTO, will be a part of the Streaming Summit session “Challenges of Delivering TV-Scale Reach in an Addressable World” on Oct. 16.

The 2019 NAB Show New York takes place from Oct. 16-17 at the Javits Convention Center. LTN will be located at booth N237.

SAVAGE, Md.—LTN Global, an IP video transport technology provider, has announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Make.TV. With the deal, LTN would add Make.TV’s cloud-based services that enable content creators to access, curate and publish live video streams to affiliates, social media and OTT platforms.

The Make.TV service can incorporate a range of video sources, like mobile devices, cameras, social media platforms, professional sources and traditional broadcast infrastructure. It’s platform features an intuitive, browser-based multiview user interface.

The combination of LTN and Make.TV will allow customers to distribute broadcast-quality live feeds and add transformation workflows like closed captioning, transcoding, graphics signaling and metadata for traditional broadcasts and digital platforms.

“Being part of LTN Global will significantly enhance the services we can provide to customers, who now can acquire, deliver and curate content via the most advanced transport solution available,” said Andreas Jacobi, CEO and co-founder of Make.TV. “In uniting these technologies, we can bring customers the benefit of considerable efficiencies and value-added workflows, allowing them to rapidly create and deliver more content to more viewers.”

SAVAGE, Md.—Boston Bureau Productions, and its more than 40 studios across the U.S., will now rely on LTN Global as its exclusive IP transmission provider. LTN Managed Network Solutions will support BBP’s transport of video content to broadcast networks worldwide.

BBP handles live news and sports production, including telecasts for the New England Patriots, MLS’ New England Revolution and live remotes to networks and other newsgathering organizations around the world.

BBP is now another broadcaster that utilizes LTN’s 24/7 Network Operations Center. This monitored and managed network routes video traffic around congestion and corrects for jitter and packet-loss issues, and boasts a latency of less than 300 milliseconds.

Traditional media companies such as large studios and networks are facing an enormous amount of competition from newcomers to the media business. One such newcomer, Netflix, invested $13 billion last year in creating original content—something like 700 pieces of content for 21 countries around the world, most of it available only over the internet.

So, first and foremost, traditional content providers must find multiple ways to reach consumers and to establish direct connections through their own websites. A channel on cable television or direct-to-home satellite just won’t cut it anymore; it is vital also to get content onto OTT platforms and to social and digital media platforms.

There was a time that media companies could throw a signal up on satellite and tell the world to go downlink that content and take it to air. In this one-size-fits-all model, where everyone accessed the same content, costly satellite capacity wasn’t a major concern. With the recent explosion in the number of possible destinations, as well as in the ways people can consume content, the cost of satellite has become prohibitive. It has become difficult, even impossible, to attract the minimum number of eyeballs needed to make it a worthwhile transport mechanism.

OTT delivery via IP networks, however, overcomes this challenge by enabling the agglomeration of micro markets. While a single market might only contribute 10,000 pairs of eyeballs, the combination of many such markets might yield tens of millions of viewers. In fact, the only way traditional media companies can effectively reach broad audiences and compete with Netflix, Hulu, and other new giants in the market is to leverage the Internet for content distribution. It’s the only ubiquitous public resource that’s available almost anywhere in the world.

In serving many different markets, media companies face a second critical challenge: creating and delivering content that is specific to each of those markets. This means addressing differences in the types and sizes of displays commonly used to consume content. It means accommodating demographic differences and the preferences and requirements of different regions.

Neither of these two drivers—the need to distribute content across numerous destinations and the need to target content for those destinations—for IP-based content delivery is going away any time soon. There really is no choice but to leverage IP networks, and so the question becomes, “How do I do it?”

Anyone who thinks the internet was designed to tally high-value content that requires reliable and timely delivery, is in for a shock. The internet was architected to optimize one or the other, not both. In recent years, however, the shortcomings of the internet for timely media delivery have been addressed by the creation of robust transmission services built on an architecture with attributes uniquely fit to the video transport market. Providing a compelling alternative to satellite, a sophisticated managed IP network offers reliable, timely content delivery while retaining all of the ubiquity advantages of the internet. Best-in-class IP transmission services today can guarantee ultra-low latency, broadcast quality, and incomparable security.

What benefits can media companies realize when they take advantage of IP delivery? For one, they can create as many versions of content as is financially viable. Because each specific version, or strand, can be delivered to the appropriate target audience, companies gain the ability to monetize their content—programming and advertising—uniquely across all variety of platforms, destinations, and devices.

Secondly, beyond more effective monetization, media companies also gain the ability produce or customize content anywhere in the world. Whether all at a single studio, at multiple facilities around the world, or even in public clouds such as Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure, a company can create or adapt content—load it up with specific ads, specific close captioning, specific graphics, subtitling or whatever it might be—wherever it makes the most financial and operational sense, and then send it on from any site for distribution. With this flexibility, media companies have unprecedented freedom in leveraging their resources to create and deliver content tailored for the target audience.

IP-based content delivery is compelling for a third and very important reason. When working with an IP transmission services provider, media companies needn’t take on infrastructure costs or the expense of managing that infrastructure. They can test content in various markets without risking capital and operating expenditures—millions in infrastructure. Instead, leveraging a scalable and elastic IP network, a media company can freely adjust different components of content creation and delivery to find the most economical and most effective way to produce or adapt content and to deliver it to a receptive market. Thanks to financial flexibility as well as scaled flexibility, a media company can afford to try a particular market and then decide it just isn’t a fit for its content. The company can move on, having paid only on a consumption basis rather than on a sunk cost basis that will need to be amortized over time.

Taken altogether, these benefits ultimately demonstrate that IP transmission services providers can equip media companies to get the widest possible audience and the highest or optimum level of monetization at a variable cost basis.

At this point in the evolution of the media industry, there is no question that media companies must be able to customize and deliver content to fragmented audiences watching on different platforms and devices. It is clear that the one-size-fits-all model dictated by expensive satellite capacity isn’t feasible in this fragmented media marketplace. Moreover, the development of networks and technologies to support IP-based media delivery has advanced significantly, enabling use of the internet to support highly reliable, flexible, and cost-effective distribution and monetization of content across the globe. In the current media landscape, IP-based transport is proving to be a great business decision.

SAVAGE, Md.—LTN Global today announced its acquisition of Kansas City, Mo.-based Niles Media Group, a remote TV production and content creation specialist. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Together, LTN Global, which specializes in broadcast-quality IP video transport solutions, and Niles Media Group are positioned to offer the market efficient, end-to-end content production and delivery workflows, LTN Global said.

LTN plans to make an investment in a large digital and linear video processing services facility in Kansas City, it said.

“With LTN’s fully managed IP multicast network and Niles’ media services, we can offer customers the benefit of a complete and seamless workflow, from content creation through to delivery,” said Malik Khan, LTN co-founder and executive chairman.

Prior to the acquisition, LTN Global worked with Niles Media Group on successful sporting events, he added. The relationship goes back several years during which the companies advanced the use of IP to deliver products and services to broadcast and digital clients.

The acquisition will allow LTN to offer a variety of services, including production, centralized graphics insertion, record and playback, standards conversion and closed captioning, LTN said. It also will enable the company to scale to offer services such as transcoding, streaming and other ad hoc services.

“Working together as a single organization, we have the experience, innovation and excellent customer support in both event production and transmission that will allow us to serve the needs of customers focused on sports, eSports, corporate, entertainment and long-duration events,” said Neil Harwell, general manager at Niles.

More information is available at the LTN Global and Niles Media Group websites.

HUNT VALLEY, Md.—Is the public cloud really ready for primetime?

After more than a year of satisfactory experience with using cloud modality for daily distribution of content to some 200 stations, at least one broadcaster thinks so. Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest owners and operators of U.S. TV stations, has been tapping the public resource for automated content storage, playout, and ad insertion in connection with a three-hour daily programming block. Operation in the cloud began in September 2017, and according to Don Roberts, Sinclair’s senior director of television systems, the results have been very satisfactory.

“We’d been discussing how we could enter the ‘cloud’ playout environment for some time, and this was the perfect opportunity to try it out,” he said, adding that while it would have been relatively easy for Sinclair to construct its own playout facility, or utilize existing equipment and personnel to accommodate the new program block, the group felt that movement to the cloud by broadcasters is inevitable, and this was a good opportunity to test the technology.

“This was to be the great experiment,” said Roberts, noting, however, that as this was territory that had never been explored, it seemed prudent to have a fallback plan ready, just in case.

“We had a NOC [network operations center] located at our West Palm Beach, Fla. station, which in addition to operating multiple TV stations, is also providing operational support for two of our emerging networks, ‘Comet’ and ‘Charge,’” said Roberts. “We had previously run a sports network from that facility, so there was premium hardware already installed with sufficient capacity to run the programming if the cloud system didn’t work out. This was designated as our ‘Plan B.’”

And there was even more backup waiting in the wings.

“We also had an additional playout facility installed at our Las Vegas station which could handle things if necessary. This was our ‘Plan C.’”

(And as things would work out, Roberts admits that he was glad he had these backup scenarios fully developed and equipment ready to go.)

DEVELOPING THE PLAN

In creating the new programming block, there was obviously a lot more to be done than contracting for cloud services, as these would only be used in connection with content storage and playout.

“We have content coming in from all over the world in many formats,” said Roberts. “We brought in a post house in Burbank—Colortime—to handle format conversion, color correction and other requirements in getting this content ready to air. They proved to be an instrumental part of the content post work, as well as a partner in developing an XML workflow for us.”

Imagine Communications was tasked with providing the necessary automation via their software-based Versio Platform, which is tailored for virtualized environments. In addition to automatically handling ingest of fresh content and four daily scheduled playouts of the program package to accommodate time zone requirements, the system handles branding, insertion of ads and ancillary material, and communicates with Sinclair’s traffic operations to accommodate schedule updates and last-minute ad changes.

One additional element—the real-time delivery of the program stream handed off from the cloud to stations airing the feeds—is handled by Savage, Md.-based LTN Global Communications. LTN receives the IP packet stream from the public cloud, performs monitoring and distribution operations, and is responsible for delivery to individual TV stations and conversion of the IP data to SDI video.

“We had planned on doing about three weeks of run-throughs before the target launch date,” said Roberts. “We started during that three-week window, but never ran through an entire playlist with commercials and bugs and everything else until about a week before the launch. This didn’t go perfectly; we identified some problems and we were anticipating that the problems we’d identified would be fixed by the time we launched, but they weren’t.”

Roberts said that in general, the major difficulties involved the embedded automation system’s operation in the cloud environment, connectivity issues between the Versio platform and the LTN video transport platform, and also with monitoring at the West Palm Beach facility.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

The July 1, 2017 startup date finally rolled around and it appeared that everything was in readiness, but soon after the launch took place a number of things didn’t go quite as planned and there was no popping of champagne bottle corks.

“It didn’t quite live up to our expectations,” said Roberts. “Things didn’t always run in the order we wanted; the system would go to a break, then either skip around or play the same segment over—things like that.”

After trying unsuccessfully for a couple of days to make the cloud approach work, the decision was made to go with “Plan B,” the West Palm Beach playout arrangement, so that the kinks could be worked out; however, as everyone involved soon found out, this wasn’t going to happen overnight.

“’Plan B’ was not intended to be a long-term solution,” said Roberts. “But we stayed with it for about three weeks, and then switched again to ‘Plan C,’ moving the operation to Las Vegas on July 24, as the setup there was better suited for playout of multiple channels.”

Roberts noted that all vendors involved really wanted to see this cloud “first” succeed, and everyone was very proactive in the troubleshooting and resolution, not letting up until the system performed as expected.

“When we experienced these problems, Imagine and LTN didn’t just throw up their hands; they burned the midnight oil,” he said. “They bent over backwards and put every asset they had into fixing this,” noting that this cloud playout scenario was really uncharted territory for all players. “We were all making it up as we went along.”

Finally, after more than two months of almost non-stop diagnostic work, head scratching, and “cut-and-try,” the cloud system was finally stable. On Sept. 18, programming origination moved back to the cloud and has been there ever since.

LESSONS LEARNED

Roberts said that much useful information was gleaned about operating with someone else’s hardware during the new program service shakedown. Perhaps the biggest “unanticipated consequence” came about as a result of the new service not operating on a 24/7 basis. (The programming block only runs three hours each day, with four time zone feeds.) Ordinarily this would not be an issue; however, with storage handled on a multitude of platforms in cloud environments, servers assigned are apt to change from day-to-day, with no guarantee that VMs (virtual machines) and their MAC addresses will stay the same, and as was quickly discovered, such changes can really upset an automation system that wants to see the same hardware all the time.

Philip Grossman, vice president of solutions architecture and engineering at Imagine Communications, acknowledged that the ever-changing server MAC addresses were a big problem in trying to develop a stable system, but there was another issue that was equally troublesome.

“We’d resolved the MAC address issue by changing our licensing model so that things weren’t tied directly to underlying MAC addresses,” said Grossman. “Then we found that there were network bandwidth differences between different racks of servers. We’d be sending out a 20 Mbps stream and their initial network interfaces were for 10 Mbps. Actually, it became clear that the public cloud was not necessarily ready for broadcast television and there were a number of issues discovered as we tried to start up the service. We had to step through each of these one-at-a-time.”

However, Grossman said the cloud operator was very proactive regarding the difficulties, and in the end, resolution involved fixes on both sides.

“They changed the way it was doing some things and we adapted our Versio architecture on top of that. Everyone worked together to try and find an optimal solution.”

He noted that other shortcomings which surfaced, such as instances of jitter and packet loss, were resolved by increasing VM resources in the gateway between Imagine and LTN.

Jonathan Stanton, vice president of technology at LTN Global, noted too that one of the lessons learned from debugging this initial cloud tryout was the importance of multiple vendors working together. The new cloud environment also needs new standards to help govern the way in which various entities involved interface with each other.

“I think standards for interconnections in this broadcast cloud environment are very important,” said Stanton. “The broadcast world has a big diverse ecosystem of providers and we need to interoperate with each other.”

WILL THERE BE AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE?

Would Roberts do it over again, given the chance?

“Definitely,” he said. “Even though things got off to a bumpy start, it was a great experiment, and we learned a lot. We certainly attained the goal that we wanted to attain and proved to ourselves that this technology can work.”

With the new programming service now a success, does Sinclair have plans for more cloud utilization?

“We’ll ultimately roll out all of our stations in some sort of cloud-based technology, said Roberts. “This will probably be a private cloud. It’s still a work in progress.”

And what about advice and suggestions for other broadcasters considering tapping the cloud?

“Allow plenty of time,” said Roberts “We soon found that 75 days wasn’t realistic. Also, it’s hard to know what you want to do when it’s an unproven technology. You learn as you go and you adjust as you go and you have to be flexible enough to roll with the punches. We learned that there were some aspects of this that were nothing like we expected. The other vendors also learned a lot. In addition, we planned alternatives if the cloud didn’t work as expected. This was very important.

“You have to have a set of goals and a very clear sense of how you want it to operate. It’s not like a standard broadcast facility; it’s not like that at all.”