Gazing into a crystal ball for 2025

2024 has been a year when the broadcasting industry prioritized refining production and delivery processes over developing new consumer-facing technologies. This shift has driven innovations in cloud-based workflows, the use of mobile data for live contribution, and the widespread adoption of digital-first strategies by broadcasters.

At the same time, the dominance of traditional broadcasters is being challenged by streaming platforms and FAST TV. The popularity of these channels is expected to continue growing in 2025, driven by consumers seeking free and diverse content options amidst the saturation of paid subscriptions. This trend will also attract advertisers aiming to reach segmented audiences, solidifying FAST channels as a key player in the streaming landscape.

New platforms like TikTok disrupt the industry with their unique content creation and audience engagement approach. TikTok’s short-form, user-generated content model resonates strongly with younger viewers, posing a direct challenge to traditional broadcasters.

Collaborations between legacy media and social platforms highlight the potential of integrating these new formats. These partnerships demonstrate broadcasters’ desire to embrace innovative and interactive formats to remain relevant to new audiences.

The OTT industry is on the cusp of significant transformation. As global active subscriptions reach 2 billion, streaming services face growing competition, content fragmentation, and evolving viewer preferences. Traditional broadcasters, telcos, and emerging platforms are experimenting with new technologies, distribution strategies, and engagement models to stand out.
Streaming platforms are prioritizing technologies and features that drive viewer interaction and retention. Beyond increasing ad loads that are already near their limits, innovation focuses on more brilliant monetization strategies.

Live sports have helped drive revenue growth for streamers over the last year. However, while live sports are proving effective at attracting a particular group of viewers, it is a costly way to add value to the service. Sports content is highly valuable, so the associated rights come with a considerable price tag. Another challenge is that viewer attraction to the service tends to diminish when the service no longer holds the sporting rights.

In 2025, the sports broadcasting landscape is set to be a battleground between established broadcasters and digital newcomers. As bidding wars intensify, whether traditional broadcasters will stage a comeback or streaming powerhouses will secure the upper hand with exclusive rights is uncertain.

We will see more hyper-personalization of sports media and further exploration of the metaverse as an extended platform for sports event delivery. And satellite technology promises to disrupt the traditional models of connectivity for live events.

Artificial Intelligence will play a pivotal role in streamlining production processes. From streamlining scriptwriting and enhancing visual effects to automating editing workflows and optimizing post-production, AI will drive efficiency and innovation at every stage. Additionally, AI-powered dubbing, subtitling, and real-time translation tools will be key in accelerating localization efforts, ensuring content reaches global audiences faster and more effectively.

Regarding Generative AI, some broadcasters are experimenting with using AI-generated avatars to present weather forecasts and news segments. However, the increasing availability of Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Sora, and Midjourney is of concern for many program makers and copyright holders. This rapid adoption of AI raises ethical questions, particularly concerning job displacement, unauthorized and uncompensated use of copyrighted material, and potential biases in generated content.

5G and enhanced connectivity. The deployment of 5G networks will be a game-changer for the broadcasting industry. With its significantly higher data transfer speeds and lower latency, 5G will enable seamless streaming of high-quality content on mobile devices. It will also facilitate the widespread adoption of emerging technologies like VR and AR. Furthermore, 5G will empower broadcasters to provide live coverage from remote locations, offer immersive viewing experiences, and expand their audience reach.

2025 is poised to be a transformative year where technology, personalization, and competition could redefine the industry.

While the industry has begun transitioning from satellite to IP-based infrastructures, enabling service providers to reduce costs and improve personalization while maintaining exceptional video quality with low latency, many broadcasters remain heavily invested in SDI systems. A phased approach to IP adoption is essential. In 2025, continued investment in solutions that bridge SDI and IP workflows, providing broadcasters with the tools they need to evolve without overhauling their entire infrastructure at once, is expected.

2025 will be the year abstract concepts that have dominated the industry for the last few years, such as Sustainability, Cloud, and AI, work their way from high-level messaging down into actual products and solutions. These three not only work well together but even support each other.

Remote production has transformed workflows by enabling collaboration across geographically distributed teams, significantly reducing operational costs and delivering event contribution efficiency and sustainability. It allows production teams to be more efficient in using and deploying skilled staff and enables the production of more prosperous and immersive content. With so many live camera feeds available, creating multiple workflows targeting multiple platforms becomes possible. This year, remote production workflows will become more integrated and efficient.

As the availability and power of compute capacity are released into cloud environments, the move toward adopting cloud production as a primary choice becomes ever more compelling. Network operators are partnering with leading production facilities and platforms to support seamless delivery from venue to remote production centers.

By connecting micro-factories, local production units, and distributed supply chains, cloud technologies provide the infrastructure needed for real-time monitoring, data sharing, and decision-making at a global scale. This shift to decentralized models is not only minimizing disruptions but also driving efficiency and responsiveness. This year, we anticipate the rise of genuinely decentralized production hubs, where shared environments—cloud-based, on-premises, or hybrid—become the backbone of production workflows.

Cybersecurity has become a critical concern as broadcasting becomes increasingly software-based and cloud-dependent. New regulations push vendors to meet higher security standards, particularly as IP-based workflows become the norm.

Companies are also looking to simplify their technology stacks to keep costs down and simplify operations. Virtual production is being embraced. It enables studios to achieve faster turnaround times while maintaining creative control, which is especially important in high-demand content cycles. In 2025, VP technology is expected to become even more accessible due to continued advancements in the technologies available.

2025 will see a deeper embrace of software-defined broadcasting and a shift from hardware-dependent workflows to software-centric approaches. This offers unparalleled flexibility, enabling productions to scale infrastructure dynamically, share costs, and sustain operations. It highlights the growing role of interoperability and open standards, ensuring smoother vendor collaboration. These frameworks are vital for meeting the increasing demand for remote production, enabling teams to deliver high-quality broadcasts from geographically diverse locations.

The year might see HD HDR gain traction as a complement to 4K for certain broadcasters, platforms, and production companies. It offers an enhanced viewer experience without the steep investments required for an entire 4K infrastructure, presenting a cost-effective solution that balances quality with efficiency.

This year has seen broadcasters and technology companies increase their sustainability efforts, focusing on reducing the environmental impact of production and operations. This trend shall continue.

The future of broadcasting holds immense potential. The convergence of broadcasting and social media will enhance interactivity and engagement. Meanwhile, the advent of 5G will revolutionize connectivity. Broadcasting is poised for a remarkable transformation, providing audiences with more diverse, personalized, and immersive content than ever before.