There’s no denying the power technology has over our lives, from the way we shop and communicate, to the way our healthcare system operates. And, increasingly, it’s also impacting how we tune into our favourite programmes – people are turning to streaming online via laptops, mobile phones and tablets, with TV screens and radios very quickly becoming things of the past.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, Ofcom research in 2018, found there are now more UK subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon and NOW TV, than to traditional pay TV services, and that streaming revenues now outstrip physical sales of music.
So, with these changes in the way people choose to consume their entertainment, how are broadcasters and other entertainment providers continuing to ensure they can achieve this now-demanded level of data streaming?
It’s The Summer Of Streaming
With the ease of being able to stream content on-demand via any device, anywhere and at any time, as opposed to switching on scheduled television or radio, consumers no longer have to wait for what they want, nor flick through channels for something to capture their intrigue. Instead, the wonderful online world provides us with access to content wherever and whenever we want; whether connecting to the wi-fi in a café, or using a 4G network on a three-hour train journey using a tablet, we have the freedom to choose how and when to access entertainment. This is even becoming the case up in the air, as passengers are increasingly able to access data on plane journeys.
These changing habits mean there is now more than ever the need for faster data speeds, to avoid screens buffering and consumers being left disappointed. And, with all the sporting events going on this summer – the Cricket World Cup, Wimbledon, the Women’s Football World Cup, Tour de France and the British Grand Prix, all in July alone – millions of people will simultaneously be tuning in to watch.
This huge rise in data consumption could, however, threaten sports enthusiasts’ ability to watch the games they’ve been waiting for – content providers and broadcasters may struggle to handle this large amount of data traffic. And so, streaming companies must ensure they have a robust digital infrastructure in place, to minimise the risk of digital disruption and give people the live viewing experience they expect; what’s more, in the fast-paced world of social media, streaming companies need to deliver content in as close to real-time as possible, to avoid spoilers reaching fans first!
Say Goodbye To Buffering
Companies are quickly turning to the cloud to keep ahead of what consumers want, and the major broadcasters of BBC iPlayer, Sky Go and 4oD, are not the only ones gaining traction, with newer streaming service players quickly making their way into the market.
This is the case with sports streaming service DAZN, who use the cloud to manage capacity during popular sports games, such as the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, preparing for peaks and troughs in data consumption, and scaling appropriately. And, by using our services at Equinix, DAZN helps its customers to use multiple clouds, improving the reliability and power of the service, and connecting viewers to sports games from around the globe.
Managed cloud service provider, BASE Media Cloud, is also using a multi-cloud strategy, and enables customers to securely store, process, edit and distribute digital content wherever they may be. And, at Equinix, we help BASE manage these large digital files; our interconnection services provide the ability for it to securely pass data between multiple parties, and enables the flexibility, agility and speed required to keep up with this dynamic era of entertainment streaming.
For example, one of BASE Media Cloud’s customers, and the largest independent football media business in the world, COPA90, works with BASE to access the most up-to-date, on-demand cloud technology. With the World Cup in Russia last year, COPA90 used BASE’s platform to provide the huge amount of cloud storage and file transfer technology required for bringing content all the way back to avid fans in London, who were tuning in to get the latest updates on the game.
And, with most of us very much anticipating the arrival of 5G, streaming is definitely an area to watch! 5G will offer even faster watching power, delivering high-quality and real-time updates, as well as reaching those in hard-to-reach places, keeping everyone plugged into the action.
Streamline Your Viewing
The utilisation of 5G and the cloud provides good examples of how streaming companies are continuing to innovate their services, helping consumers enjoy the world of sports and entertainment, wherever and whenever they like. So, with multiple platforms allowing millions of people to connect through multiple devices, the sky’s the limit when it comes to inventing new ways for people to experience their most-loved programmes and sporting events.
Russell Poole is Managing Director, UK and The Nordics, at global interconnection and data centre company Equinix.