Winning the streaming wars will hinge on a number of factors, but the quality of the subscriber experience delivered by content providers is rapidly becoming one of the most important. Streaming platforms continuously measure a wide variety of quantitative metrics allowing them to better understand, and improve, subscriber quality of experience (QoE).
For consumers with multiple streaming options, QoE is a significant factor in their decisions to subscribe to—and stick with—streaming platforms. However, delivering sterling QoE to subscribers depends on partnerships with third-party content delivery networks (CDNs) over which content providers have limited control.
CDNs are strategic partners to streaming platforms; they perform the vital role of delivering a valuable and expensive product (video entertainment) to end viewers. The challenge is that the CDN industry is going through a period of rapid change and turmoil. Established players have exited the space, and prevailing economics make it difficult for remaining participants to innovate in ways that materially benefit streaming platforms.
Content providers are embracing live streaming, especially tier-one sports, as a way to reduce customer churn and expand their subscriber bases. But the increased prevalence of large-scale, live streaming requires CDNs with a laser focus on video quality and an approach designed to drive sustained economic value. Such partnerships can be game-changers for streaming platforms looking to attract new subscribers and keep the ones they have.
The Content Delivery Requirements of Streaming Platforms
As content providers continue to scale and adopt more bandwidth-intensive content, such as 4K video and immersive live events, the role of the CDN must evolve. The right partner can ensure that video quality remains high while keeping costs in check. When evaluating CDN partners, streaming executives should consider the following:
Purpose-Built for Video: Not all CDNs are optimized for video streaming. Many legacy CDNs were designed primarily for general web content delivery and have struggled to keep pace with the demands of high-quality, low-latency video at scale. Streaming platforms should seek out CDNs engineered specifically for video delivery, with architectures that prioritize optimization of common QoE metrics such as time-to-first-frame (TTFF), while maximizing delivered bit rate and minimizing rebuffer events.
Deep Network Visibility and Last-Mile Optimization: One of the biggest challenges for streaming platforms is the unpredictability of last-mile network conditions. CDNs that have deeper integration with internet service providers (ISPs) and maintain real-time visibility into network congestion can make smarter delivery decisions, reducing buffering and improving playback stability. Additionally, CDNs that extend their footprint into last-mile ISP networks can pre-position content closer to end users, further enhancing QoE. This is especially crucial for live events, where sudden spikes in viewership can strain traditional CDN architectures.
Scalability to Handle Traffic Surges: Live sports and major content releases generate massive, unpredictable spikes in traffic. Traditional CDN infrastructure can struggle to scale up rapidly enough to handle these peaks, leading to degraded video quality. Content providers should look for CDN partners that offer dynamic, on-demand scaling, allowing capacity to expand in real-time to meet surges in demand while efficiently scaling down during off-peak hours.
Flexible and Cost-Effective Delivery Models: The economics of content delivery are under pressure, challenging streaming platforms to simultaneously achieve quality and cost-efficiency. CDNs that provide flexible pricing models, such as capacity reservations and pre-positioned content, can help streaming platforms optimize their spending.
Now that streaming has become the go-to way people watch video—including a growing percentage of live sports and major events—the pressure to deliver seamless, high-quality experiences has never been higher.
Content providers that get it right will keep viewers watching and subscribers sticking around. The key isn’t just speed—it’s having the right delivery strategy in place to scale smartly, control costs, and ensure a great experience every time.
