Three industry developments to track at NAB 2023

The National Association of Broadcasters show – commonly referred to as NAB – is starting in a few days, and is on track to solidify its reputation as one of the most important gatherings in the industry.

Events like NAB have morphed from simply being a platform for product announcements to a true information exchange and pulse of the industry. Here are three big industry developments we will follow closely this year:

1. New business models
The media & entertainment industry is revisiting its business models for broader appeal, to minimize churn and bring life back to (longtail) content that would otherwise sit unwatched. Early indication is that the strategies are paying off and that a significant number of viewers are okay watching ads before and/or during quality content (source).

2. Consolidation and mergers & acquisitions
Business models aside, there are continued rumblings that consumers are looking for fewer direct offerings – i.e. fewer subscriptions. While mergers and acquisitions in media and telecommunications were down in 2022 (source), the number is still staggering. Libraries are bought and sold. Traditional broadcasters continue their transition to online streaming and must, in that process, finetune their presence and relevance in a market where there has never been a stronger content offering with the battle for subscribers and viewers top of minds.

3. Automated network monitoring and corrections
During Streaming Summit 2022, there was a call for more automation and self-healing systems. One major online content provider, in particular, described how large online launches currently require a staff of up to 60 to monitor that all goes according to plan. While a multi-CDN architecture can add complexity, there’s work for the industry to do here. Case in point: HBO Max prepped for six months to make sure the launch of House of the Dragon would go smoothly (source). 

Find Fastly at NAB

The Fastly Media & Entertainment team will also be at NAB and Streaming Summit in full force, sharing our own thoughts and observations on everything from streaming the 2023 Super Bowl to serverless edge CDN best practices during our stage appearances. And don’t miss our Topgolf customer appreciation event. Here’s where you can find us at NAB: 

• How FOX Sports is Rethinking Video Delivery to Reach Millions of Viewers With the Best User Experience
  Streaming Summit Monday 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM PT, West Hall, W223-W225
  Fastly’s Mark Richard and Mayur Shrinivasan, VP, Video and Player Engineering, FOX Sports, News and Entertainment, will discuss the planning and preparation that went into the online delivery of the 2023 Super Bowl. They will discuss a revised delivery strategy and tech stack, and comment on choices made around capture, delivery, and security.

• Women in Streaming Media's 2023 Streaming and Beyond
  Tuesday, April 18, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PT, West Hall Meeting Rooms, W213-W215
  With participation by Fastly’s Alicia Pritchett and produced by Women in Streaming Media, top streaming executives will delve into how adopting innovative technology will bring efficiencies and more options for online video. The panelists will discuss advancements in streaming and will not shy away from talking through some of the challenges.

• Women in Streaming Media Meetup
  Monday, April 17, 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM PT, West Hall, W3421D
  Come meet new peers, mingle, share knowledge, cultivate relationships, and find opportunities to support professional growth. Learn how WSM increases diversity and gives more visibility to women leaders within the streaming media industry.

• Reduce Cost, Not Speed: Affordable Cloud Infrastructure for High Performance Content Delivery
  Monday, April 17, 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM PT, North Hall, N2562C Create Innovation Theater
  With Fastly’s Jamie Sherry at the helm, Fastly and Backblaze will discuss the importance of low latency and the combination of Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage with Fastly Compute to deliver high-performance, cost-effective content storage, distribution, and edge computing.

Please contact your account executive if you have not already been invited to our Topgolf event. 

See you in Las Vegas!