MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Based on an analysis of key measures and product usage from thousands of customers, TVU Network is reporting that some of the top trends among its customers include: the increased use of metadata-driven content throughout the media supply chain; the escalation of the FAST channel ecosystem; and the acceleration of 5G networks adoption for acquisition.
“Sports, entertainment, and news organizations throughout the world are discovering the power in delivering actionable data while on air,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “Besides being able to make it easier to find relevant video content, the added information within metadata boosts the ROI of content. The shift toward data-driven technology for large media organizations will only grow as a means to support the entire organization.”
The value of video metadata and its ability to make it easier to find relevant clips gained momentum in 2022, as evidenced by the increased use of the AI- and cloud-based TVU Search, the company said.
Content creators helped propel a more than 630% increase in hours of video ingest in 2022 versus 2021, including live feeds from the year’s major news, entertainment and sporting events. With TVU Search, content creators can quickly find the clips they need for a story without having to scan through hours of video, resulting in significant time savings.
TVU Search allows the user to quickly locate and clip live or historical content at any time from anywhere. It automatically adds metadata to the content at ingest, making identification of relevant content easier than ever before.
Another key trend was the addition of FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels, TVU said. According to a special report in Variety this year: “...the number of available FAST channels in the U.S. is over 1,400, with 22 major providers including Pluto TV, Tubi and Roku Channel.” According to nScreenMedia and Verizon Media, FAST platforms sold $2 billion in advertising in 2021, which will grow to more than $4 billion in 2023.
This is reflected in usage numbers for TVU Channel, a cloud-based playout service, the company reported.
TVU Channel saw over 1000% increase, up 1217%, in on-air use this year over last. With an as-run log included in TVU Channel, it’s ideal for FAST channel playout or for any content creator looking to start a fully ad insertable channel.
Another big driver for live video production and delivery this year was the availability and proven benefits of 5G networks, TVU reported.
The numbers for TVU One 5G-enabled mobile transmitters bear that out. In January of 2022, 7% of the TVU One units shipped were 5G-equipped. In December of 2022, that percentage rose to 78%.
“The uptick in 5G implementation combined with the increase in remote production has created more opportunity for video producers around the world,” said Shen. “5G infrastructure, expanded network capacity and flexible configurations continue to drive explosive growth in live, immersive, and interactive experiences.”
In terms of global deployment, hundreds of TVU One 5G mobile transmitters and RPS Link Encoders were commissioned for the tournament in Qatar. Brazil’s leading TV network, Globo, employed 17 TVU One’s for its live coverage. With the exclusive rights to broadcast the event in Brazil, Globo produced over 300 hours of transmission with TVU One 5G units.
“This year was a significant shift in the way customers used our technology,” reported Shen. “We’ve seen a greater importance placed on mobile portability, metadata-embedded video that propels the entire production process and distribution to multiple platforms, it’s been a complete migration in the media supply chain. We’re gratified to see our customers derive such value from what we provide.”
