Timed to the kickoff of IBC 2023 in Amsterdam, Comcast Technology Solutions on Wednesday announced the launch of a new cloud-based managed channel origination service for customers across EMEA.
The technology, powered by Sky (one of Comcast’s European subsidiaries) and delivered by CTS enables media companies to outsource and modernize the way linear TV and OTT video channels are managed via a 24/7 service.
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According to CTS, managed channel orientation provides the capabilities to acquire, prepare, create, package and deliver linear or online channels across devices. Content is obtained either as live video or file acquisition, then prepared with CTS’ rendering, media management and other services.
Next, channels are created and controlled with AI tools and capabilities like channel automation layout, which provide graphics, closed captioning and more.
“You’ve got our ingest workflow — where you’re getting the content from the provider.” Says Peter Gibson, VP of product for streaming broadcast and advertising business at CTS. “What we have in the middle is all master control and layout. And then we’ll put that together in the overall control workflow to then automate content.”
From there, channels are encoded, encrypted and authorized before being delivered via satellite uplink, fiber, secure internet or content delivery networks (CDNs) to screens across the region.
“We are the market leader as far as number of subscribers that use our technology," said Bart Spreister, senior VP and general manager of streaming, broadcast and advertising business at CTS. “We have about 400 customers and 90 million subscribers.
“We know that linear TV is evolving and that many media companies are looking to reduce their cost and linear TV delivery,” Spreister added. “We're going to make it easier for the media and entertainment companies to deliver these channels in the European Middle East and Africa markets”
Gibson also noted: “Europe is a heavily fragmented market. There's no such thing as a pan-European channel. But we have a deep understanding that’s core to our entire company … We’ve been using this model for years in the U.S. and we think we can add a lot of value.”
According to CTS, flexibility, sustainability, and innovation are at the core of cloud-based managed channel orientation.
“Sky has been carbon neutral since 2006,” Gibson said. “As far as pricing — it’s usage based. If you want a channel for an event, or a month, we can do that. And it’s pay by usage.”
Explained Spreister: “We want our subscribers to say: when I connect to the Comcast Network, my video streams better. We’re selling that as a service.”
Comcast Technology Solutions will demonstrate its managed channel orientation service at this year’s IBC 2023 Conference in Amsterdam, September 15-18.
