Breaking Boundaries: Edgio’s Future of Streaming Unveiled

Technology is rapidly evolving, and Edgio is at the forefront of the future of streaming. If you read the headlines, the streaming landscape sounds ominous. Every field faces its own set of hurdles. Let’s be real—streaming is complex, and customers want flawless experiences. It is a tough standard to meet, but let’s dive into the latest tech trends and industry happenings following the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) event in April 2024. We rolled out some major advancements during NAB, especially regarding our partnerships and innovations.

Let’s start with CDN Streaming Offload. We are initiating early discussions on ATSC 3.0 delivery and leveraging traditional IP workflow to enable Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) and Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) for broadcast delivery. Edgio’s CDN Streaming Offload, a component of the Uplynk Media Platform, seamlessly integrates OTA (Over the Air) multi-cast distribution with traditional OTT internet delivery to significantly reduce the network congestion from the internet’s largest appointment viewing events.

Mark Donnigan, a virtual CMO in the video technology space, moderated a fireside chat where Kevin Cotlove, EVP/Chief Digital Officer at Sinclair, and I discussed delivery challenges. As we contemplate delivery optimization and scalability, the imperative of streamlining IP delivery while preserving the integrity of DAI and SSAI becomes apparent. Despite its counterintuitive nature, CDN stream offloading is exactly the conversation we need to have for the growth of our industry for multi-cast distribution. As technology leaders, we must explore innovative solutions to scalable distribution technologies to mitigate potential localized congestion, especially during large-scale events and prime-time viewing. Such endeavors bolster our operational resiliency and reinforce our commitment to futureproofing the industry’s technological infrastructure.

Mark highlighted this innovation, “This is going to provide data distribution that is scalable and cost-effective, especially for high-resolution content like 4K video and SSAI. That’s big.” The dialogue continued into the collaborative efforts between Sinclair and Edgio to transform OTT broadcast delivery by Broadspan with Edgio’s Uplynk Platform. Sinclair announced the launch of its “Broadspan” datacasting platform to enable data distribution capability across all current Sinclair NextGen Broadcast (ATSC 3.0) markets, where it serves as the host station. “Broadspan’s customer-centric data delivery provisioning platform provides an elegant, cost-effective tool to move data easily. It leverages the remarkably reliable and efficient one-to-many broadcast architecture to provide a new option for data users,” said Del Parks, Sinclair’s President of Technology.

The Broadspan Datacasting Platform and Uplynk’s CDN Stream Offload are significant innovations in multi-cast distribution technology, easing internet congestion issues during large streaming events. Edgio’s multicast methods guarantee unmatched flexibility and effectiveness, exceeding conventional broadcasting methods and creating a smooth OTT experience while maintaining the experience viewers expect from their OTT content. Edgio views this hybrid approach as one of the multiple solutions to meet the growing capacity demands of today’s OTT delivery landscape. These innovations materially impact streaming quality by enhancing the OTT experience and maintaining viewer expectations. Edgio’s multicast methods and Sinclair’s Broadspan Datacasting Platform represent a new era in broadcasting technology.

The second announcement was about our mid-stream, seamless multi-CDN switching. We continue to explore improving the delivery of IP content as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our streaming capabilities. How can we make the streaming experience broadcast quality or better? We’ve found a solution through mid-stream, multi-CDN switching via data-driven decision-making. Edgio has collaborated with Bitmovin’s advanced player analytics, and Uplynk’s streaming platform provides the highest quality user experience, resilient Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI), and industry-leading performance. We’ve partnered with Bitmovin because of their continued focus on analytics, which means understanding in real time how users experience viewing experiences are impacted throughout the increasing engagement. This includes buffering, viewer engagement, and why people might stop watching. These insights help video services make more revenue and keep viewers engaged. We can take their analytics and combine them with our global CDN (Content Delivery Network). This means we can provide even more detailed feedback to video operators and make real-time CDN decisions midstream to ensure the highest quality video. For example, if there are issues like buffering or poor quality in a certain area, we can adjust the CDN automatically and seamlessly to an end user. Our strengths complement each other well, which makes this partnership exciting. Looking ahead, we plan to introduce AI technology, creating opportunities for CDN economics and the pre-positioning of assets on the edge.

These announcements and innovations speak to where Edgio is heading. We’re addressing the problems head-on with solutions. Whether using one piece of our tech stack or several, we’re open to having that conversation and finding the right technical solution. Cost continues to be a frequent topic and is a significant hurdle in streaming and distribution. We’re looking to pave the way with new technical approaches to change the discussions from reservation fees and SLA structure into flat rate costing and leveraging proven broadcast distribution approaches to IP workflow.

The Uplynk team is proactively anticipating and tackling pivotal industry challenges. To learn more visit our Uplynk page.