https://www.StreamingMedia.comRSS feeds from Streamingmedia.com.All Content Copyright 1998-2026, Streaming Media Magazine, a Division of Information Today Inc.60https://dzceab466r34n.cloudfront.net/images_nl/socialicons/32x32/black-rss-32.pnghttps://www.StreamingMedia.comTue, 21 Apr 2026 09:35:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174478https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174478Perhaps the booths that cropped up on my NAB 2026 itinerary and the sessions I squeezed in between simply skewed this way, but it seems like everyone's favorite sport in streaming this year is, well, sports. Certainly, when it comes to live, the pinnacle of achievement appears to be seamless delivery of premium sports events at global scale, with an eye to "meeting fans exactly where they are"?crossing national, lingual, and cultural borders via localization, and transcending generations through autogenerated highlights and verticalized mobile delivery. And when it comes to traditional landscape sports video streamed to conventional CTV glass, multiview more than ever seems to be the name of the game in 2026.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:25:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174433https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174433When a CDN fails during high-stakes, large-scale live streams, is seamless failover to an alternate CDN the standard expectation in 2026? Are there no excuses left for anything but blip-free CDN switches in the current streaming climate? BT Group's Ian Parr, TATA's Corey Smith, DAZN's James Pearce, and MTech Sport's Matt Stagg weigh in on the current state of play for live CDN switching and how to ensure failover success in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2026.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:00:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174412https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174412Ensuring seamless streaming performance is fundamentally a bottom line issue. One?that needs to be considered as a strategic business priority that makes it past engineering?teams alone and straight to the boardroom. By reframing buffering as an economic and?strategic issue you set yourself up to build a stronger basis for retention, margin, and long-term differentiation.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:55:57 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174418https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174418DRM has long been the foundation of OTT content protection ? but it was never designed to defend against the way modern piracy actually works. Organized operations have shifted their focus to the license layer, using compromised Content Decryption Modules and automated key extraction tools to decrypt and redistribute content at scale, all while DRM servers process the requests as legitimate. For Tier-1 platforms operating under strict studio licensing agreements and competing for high-value exclusive content, this gap carries real business consequences ? from contractual penalties to weakened positioning in rights negotiations ? and closing it requires a layer of protection that standard DRM simply doesn't provide.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:55:20 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174416https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174416What is server-guided ad insertion (SGAI) from a technology standpoint; how does it differ from client-side ad insertion (CSAI) and server-side ad insertion (SSAI); how does it impact or change existing streaming workflows, infrastructure, and delivery; and what benefits does it provide to streaming publishers, advertisers, and viewers? Bitmovin's James Varndell and Ring Digital's Brian Ring break down SGAI, its advantages, and a key emerging use case in this discussion from Streaming Media Connect 2026.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:20:42 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174415https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174415Gaming is built as an always-on system designed to maximize session frequency, retention, and lifetime engagement. Live sports, on the other hand, are still optimized for scheduled viewing windows where engagement peaks during the match and drops off immediately once it's over. For streaming product leaders and sports media executives responsible for retention and average revenue per user (ARPU), the opportunity isn't to change the live event. It's to capture the audience before and after it.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:25:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174414https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174414Live sports viewers expect a flawless streaming experience with ultra-low latency and immersive features that bring them closer to the action. At the same time, the rising cost of sports rights is forcing service providers to rethink how they maximize return on investment. The result is a perfect storm of innovation, where advances in AI, cloud infrastructure, and ecosystem partnerships are reshaping the future of streaming.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:05:41 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174413https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174413As TV viewing moved to streaming, audiences fragmented across apps and services. The mass audience did not disappear. It spread. In response, the homescreen became one of the most important surfaces in media, bringing viewers back together at the point where every TV journey begins. It is the gateway to streaming content and brand storytelling, and increasingly the place where fragmented viewing behavior reconnects. In that sense, it has helped solve one of modern TV's biggest challenges. But solving audience fragmentation has exposed another layer of complexity.Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:30:55 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174343https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174343AI-powered home devices and smart TVs present new opportunities to improve home security, health, and entertainment experiencesMon, 13 Apr 2026 02:15:11 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174341https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174341As a longtime fan and proponent of NDI, I feel that new codec licensing fees and the response of hardware manufacturers put the entire future of HX on shaky ground. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:15:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174334https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174334IAB Tech Lab's Jill Wittkopp reviews the state of streaming ad tech innovation and emerging ad formats and discusses evolving definitions and standards for squeezebacks, side-by-sides, double boxes, and other types of overlay ads in this discussion with Ring Digital, LLC's Brian Ring at Streaming Media Connect 2026.Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:35:20 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174333https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174333For brands that have been eyeing CTV, the door has never been more open: more inventory, lower CPMs, and an addressable audience of more than 240 million U.S. viewers. That's the opportunity. But what it will lead to depends almost entirely on how brands choose to use it.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:45:25 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174307https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174307From an observability standpoint and eyes on glass, what are the key metrics to watch to determine if ad insertion is going smoothly during a live stream? Altitude TV's Dave Zur, Sargeway LLC's Sarge Sargent, Qualabs' David Hassoun, and FanServ's C.J. Leonard discuss challenges and best practices for monitoring live streaming ad performance in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2026.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:04 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174306https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174306The economics and the architecture of conventional delivery networks are increasingly misaligned with the realities of modern streaming. Architectures that can dynamically match capacity to demand are far more efficient.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:55:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174305https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174305After delivering a presentation on "AI's Impact on Media" at HumanX in San Francisco on April 7, Paramount Global CTO and Head of Multiplatform Innovations Phil Wiser did an open Q & A with attendees expanding on the key themes of his presentations. Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:25:26 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174304https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174304FuboTV Inc. (NYSE: FUBO) today unveiled a major upgrade to its iOS and Android apps, powered by its proprietary AI technology, to optimize the sports streaming experience for fans wherever they are.?Recognizing that sports fans aren't always at home, and that they check their phones often for game updates, Fubo's enhanced mobile apps now deliver quick hits of moments that matter in addition to full video.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:00:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174054https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174054At Streaming Media Connect 2026, Tavant brought together a group of media and advertising leaders for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about what AI is actually doing for the industry today. What emerged was a clear pattern: the companies gaining the most from AI are not treating it as a feature layered onto existing systems?they are building core advertising operations around it.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:00:42 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174291https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174291Streaming platforms have their own requirements for distribution, and buyers have their own requirements for scale, efficiency, and reach. For publishers, that means that revenue optimization requires a nuanced mix of relationships, partnerships, and deal structures that make the supply chain endemically complex. That complexity is a feature, not a bug, but it isn't beyond comprehension. In this article we'll a look at how it really works.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:40:39 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174290https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174290Consumers now have more options than ever before: fiber, cable, fixed wireless, 5G, and satellite. Performance has largely converged. Speed and reliability-once differentiators-have become expectations. As a result, the traditional levers of growth are no longer enough. The industry isn't running out of demand; it's running out of differentiation.Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:10:52 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174263https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174263We spend a lot of time talking about what fans see in sports. The camera angles, the replays, the graphics, the studio analysis. All of it is designed to bring the viewer closer to the action. But the most important part of modern sports broadcasting is not what fans see. It is what they never see. Behind every moment on screen, there is an entire hidden layer of technology and operations working to make that experience feel effortless. And that layer is becoming more complex than ever.Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:55:54 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174262https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174262This complexity and fragmentation of streaming content is not unfamiliar to those with experience planning digital marketing campaigns. Since the internet itself experienced a similar tidal wave of growth during the 2000's, thousands of websites have proliferated, offering advertisers myriad options to engage with audiences. The same is now true with streaming apps and platforms, which has led to half of TV content viewers reporting they think there are now too many options to stream content.Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:40:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174261https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174261With sports that aren't orchestrated for built-in TV ad breaks and a traditional broadcast run of show, SGAI provides critical advantages for monetizing sports content without pulling fans out of the action and causing them to miss key moments in the game. FloSports Product Manager, Ad Tech Adair Lyden explains these and other reasons why FloSports is embracing server-guided ad insertion (SGAI) as a good fit for their content and programming model and provides an early look at how it's working for them in this conversation with RingDigital's Brian Ring at Streaming Media Connect 2026.Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:55:26 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174228https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174228The streaming market has entered a new phase that comes with new challenges. The average US household now holds 3.8 subscriptions and is actively looking to simplify. Platforms that will win the next decade are not those with the largest catalogs, but those that focus on subscribers to make their platform feel indispensable.Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:00:50 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174221https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174221Streaming services evaluating codec licensing face a difficult question: how do the royalty costs of Access Advance Video Distribution Patent Pool and the Avanci Video program actually compare? A new report from Streaming Learning Center's Jan Ozer answers that question with hard numbers.Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:30:00 ESThttps://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174220https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=174220Why are streaming services, channels, and platforms across the CTV and OTT ecosystems turning to AI/ML-enhanced metadata to remove the friction from CTV content discovery and improve user experiences? Cineverse's Tony Huidor and SUMM8's Jamie Mackinlay discuss how AI-enriched metadata and natural language interfaces are enhancing and transforming discovery and bringing users closer to the content they want to watch in this discussion with Integration Therapy's Rebecca Avery at Streaming Media Connect 2026.