Live Video Leader Cites Use of Metadata Across Media Supply Chain, Escalation of FAST Channels, and 5G Acquisition as Year's Top Trends

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TVU Networks, the market technology leader in cloud and IP-based live video solutions, has announced its key findings and analysis of market trends from 2022. Based on an analysis of key measures and product usage from thousands of customers across business sectors, among the most prominent market trends seen were: 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.

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. 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 TVU Search allows the user to quickly locate and clip live or historical content at any time from anywhere.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.

"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."

An area broadcasters look to to gain ROI is the addition of FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels. 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. 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. 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."

About TVU Networks®

TVU Networks is a global organization with more than 3,000 customers using its IP and cloud-based workflow solutions across multiple industries including news, entertainment media, sports, corporate, streaming, houses of worship and government. Through the use of AI and automation-driven technology, TVU helps broadcasters realize an efficient metadata and story-centric workflow through its TVU MediaMind platform for live video content acquisition, indexing, production, distribution and management. The company has been on the forefront of developing the tools needed to revolutionize and streamline the Media Supply Chain. TVU is a critical part of the operations of many major media companies worldwide and is a Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award winner.

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Products Mentioned:

TVU Search: https://www.tvunetworks.com/products/tvu-search/
TVU Channel: https://www.tvunetworks.com/products/tvu-channel/
TVU One: https://www.tvunetworks.com/products/tvu-one/
TVU RPS Link Encoder: https://www.tvunetworks.com/products/tvu-remote-production-system-rps/

Source: TVU Networks