BARCELONA, Spain—Artificial Intelligence will play an even greater role in the video streaming industry next year, less original streaming content will be produced and sports streaming will play an even greater role, leading to greater reliance on multi-CDN switching.
These are among the top predictions of executives from video intelligence solutions expert NPAW about what to look for in video streaming next year.
AI will play an even more important role in streaming in 2024, especially when it comes to natural language-driven data analysis, personalized user experiences and subtitling and dubbing, the NPAW executives predict.
New AI-powered tools will allow streaming providers to extract actionable data insight with simple and natural language interactions. As a result, deep data insights about a range of issues, such as quality of experience and service, user behavior and content preferences, will be at the fingertips of organizations, said Till Sudworth, NPAW head of BU Video, chief marketing officer and member of the management board.
AI will remove the need for complex analyses and deep knowledge of data analytics. Rather, making a query using a chatbot will provide all the information required, he said.
Consumers also can expect to see their experiences with streaming platforms get more personal thanks to AI. Beyond today’s recommendation engines, AI-powered personalization tools next year will make it possible for individuals to have their own “channels,” said Sudworth.
Advances in speech-to-text AI tools will continue, making fast language processing for live subtitling and dubbing a reality in 2024. Even dialects won’t be stumbling block for AI. More broadly, fast, accurate subtitling and dubbing—even in real time—will make content more accessible to audiences worldwide, breaking down language barriers, he said.
2024 also will be remembered in streaming circles for the year new content production declined, said Sudworth.
After years of explosive production growth, the industry will see a renewed focus on economic stability rather than shareholder growth. As a result, major content producers will seek balance between content quantity and quality next year. Companies may opt for fewer high-quality productions as part of a long-term shift to connecting more deeply with customers as part of a strategy to retain audience rather than simply grow it, he said.
Next year will also see continued growth in consumption of live sports on streaming platforms, which in turn will make multi-CDN switching technologies essential, said NPA’s head of the CDN Balancer BU Luis Lopez.
Multi-CDN switching makes it possible for streaming providers to select the CDN that delivers the best live streaming experience. For live sports, delays are unacceptable, and a multi-CDN strategy gives providers a way to take advantage of the CDN that delivers the lowest latency, he said.
The sector also is seeing a resurgence of peer-to-peer capabilities which allow for seamless content delivery during high-concurrency, peak-demand periods, such as live sports competitions, said Lopez.
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