Industry Insights: Exploring the changing dynamics impacting 2025

By NewscastStudio January 28, 2025

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The media landscape is shifting faster than ever. Traditional broadcasters face mounting pressure from emerging digital and streaming platforms, while new technologies like AI and immersive workflows redefine how audiences engage with content.

In this roundtable, part of our Industry Insights series, top broadcast vendors and suppliers discuss the changing dynamics in the media industry, including the race to innovate, the impact of new regulations and how collaboration can spark the next wave of growth.

They also share perspectives on whether this year will usher in renewed opportunity or present fresh hurdles, highlighting the critical balance between agility, efficiency and creativity. The roundtable talks about navigating a multi-platform world and forging partnerships that could reshape the competitive landscape for years to come.


Key takeaways from this Industry Insights roundtable

  • Cautious optimism for 2025: The vendor community sees growth opportunities despite recent industry challenges.
  • Regulatory shifts may spur M&A: Mergers and acquisitions could shape the future of both broadcasters and suppliers.
  • Collaboration and open innovation are essential: Vendors benefit from pooling resources to drive success.
  • Rapid turnaround tools are crucial for social media content: AI, cloud, and automation help meet the demand for short-form video.
  • Broadcasters must embrace integrated, flexible workflows: This enables effective content delivery across multiple platforms and formats.

In one sentence, how do you feel about 2025?

Bea Alonso, strategic marketing lead, Projective: Cautious. 2024 has been a challenging year for the industry and the entire community, from media companies, suppliers, and servicing organizations all affected in one way or another

Jon Finegold, CMO, Signiant: Optimistic. Thanks to our large footprint across the media supply chain and the massive amounts of content moved on the Signiant Platform, we have a unique lens into the flow of content and all signs point to a strong 2025.

Geoff Gordon, VP, global marketing, MainConcept: Heading into 2025, I feel mildly optimistic, as there are strong indicators that the industry is stabilizing, which is a positive shift from recent months.

Suzana Brady, SVP, worldwide sales and marketing, Cobalt DigitalCobalt is excited to continue to watch traditional broadcasters, production facilities and other companies evolve and embrace hybrid approaches to technology, business models and content consumption.

Kristan Bullett, CEO, Humans Not Robots (HNR): Cautiously optimistic; 2024 was a challenging year, but signs of growth are beginning to emerge. 

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Bob Caniglia, director of sales operations, North America, Blackmagic Design: We’re feeling very optimistic about what’s ahead for the media and entertainment industry, especially with all the new exciting technology that is coming to market across IP, AI and immersive workflows, and how it will continue to push boundaries, innovation, and the democratization of content creation.

Erling Hedkvist, sales and business development lead, Arkona Technologies and Manifold Technologies: We’re optimistic about 2025 as we see growing brand recognition and increasing understanding that we’re a long-standing technology provider for the broadcast industry, now operating under our own name.

Will 2025 be a good year for the bottom line?

Suzana Brady: We expect 2025 to be a good year because Cobalt’s main goal is to always listen to customers and deliver on their requirements, and we will continue that practice in the new year. Cobalt follows all new trends in many ways so it can be the first choice of customers when they need solutions requiring Ultra-Low Latency REMI encode/decode solution, live HDR, fiber, 12G, transport protocols with high security and reliability, such as RIST, and routing, and much more.

Are broadcasters innovating fast enough to save themselves from a declining audience?

Bea Alonso: With steep competition from an increasing range of streaming and digital platforms, and younger viewers choosing to consume content away from traditional media outlets, broadcasters need to move fast to remain relevant. Offering more personalized and interactive experiences is key to building closer connections with their audiences.

Suzana Brady: Last year broadcasters were able to deliver first-class productions for major events like the Olympics and the UEFA European Football Championship. Broadcasters along with their vendors were able to meet the expectations of demanding audiences around the world. Broadcasters are indeed combining their traditional ways with digital distribution and subscription models with support for multiple devices to adapt to the new trends.

Kevin Joyce, zero friction officer, TAG Video Systems: Yes and no. There is a lot of change hitting at the same time. Today’s audience is the largest in history.  However, if broadcasters are reluctant to accept that it is not just the technology that is changing but the overall business model and the manner in which business is done, they will be left behind. We see many broadcasters who are agile and innovating faster than ever, they listen carefully to the market are cloud and digital savvy and advance their workflows so their content can reach the largest audience ever.

Bob Caniglia: Yes, we can see how broadcasters are staying on top of innovation and finding new ways to connect with audiences, from social media, streaming and FAST channels. These platforms provide broadcasters with a fast, flexible way to reach their viewers, enabling them to remain competitive in a crowded market. Additionally, broadcasters are leveraging powerful tools to deliver accurate, timely information, ensuring they meet audience expectations with speed and precision.

How does a change in regulators/regulation in the U.S. impact the broadcast market?

Bea Alonso: We can expect a significant increase in M&A activity in 2025. As the broadcast market continues to contract, mergers and acquisitions present a logical solution for struggling businesses aiming to strengthen their bottom line. This trend will likely impact both media companies and technology suppliers, as joining forces becomes a strategic move for survival and growth.

Geoff Gordon: It’s likely to be a similar situation to eight years ago when the administration’s impact, while causing some headaches, was largely neutral overall. The immediate effects are likely to be felt more directly by those within the U.S., with spillover effects gradually diminishing over time. Such effects may include changes to broadband strategies and net neutrality.

Suzana Brady: With the new incoming administration many changes will be expected. While the new administration is hinting that it will deregulate some rules regarding merges and acquisitions, it is also spreading fears that the FCC might get strict on news content.

How will potential tariffs impact your supply chain? The larger broadcast market?

Geoff Gordon: It’s another tough one to predict, but if the new U.S. administration follows through on potential tariffs on imported equipment or content, organizations may need to adopt creative strategies to balance these added costs and continue delivering high-quality content while maintaining profitability. Potential approaches include local sourcing and production, diversified revenue streams, utilizing user-generated content, and optimizing operational efficiency.

How will potential tariffs impact manufacturing of broadcast equipment?

Suzana Brady: Most broadcast equipment manufacturers rely heavily on components from overseas so tariffs on imported goods will increase the final product price. Major broadcast industry players are already expressing concerns that their existing multi-year contracts with their customers will prohibit them from buying equipment at higher prices. This will cause pressure on all industry manufacturers and diminish already thin margins across the supply chain.

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Is the vendor community strong?

Bea Alonso: For the most part, the vendor community is undeniably facing challenging times. When technology buyers tighten their budgets, the impact on suppliers is significant. To navigate this, vendors must stay laser-focused on delivering what customers truly need and value. Efficiency has never been more critical. At the same time, thriving in difficult times requires a strong emphasis on collaboration and strategic partnerships. By supporting one another, we can help our clients — and the broader community — achieve success together.

Kevin Joyce: It depends on the culture of each vendor and the speed at which that vendor is embracing the new digital era, supporting new business models, and optimizing new developments — so once again it’s a mix. Traditional vendors are struggling to find a way to monetize their assets in the digital age, but those with software and IP backgrounds are enjoying a very healthy business right now. Economics and technology are changing, and those two variables are changing the vendor community.

Kristan Bullett: Some companies still believe they can succeed on their own, but I see this as a misguided approach. In contrast, others have embraced the importance of collaboration and open innovation, leading to strong and promising partnerships. While this approach requires greater strategic effort, it ultimately paves the way for greater success in the long term.

How do you see M&A in the vendor community in the coming year?

Bea Alonso: The industry is already seeing movement, as evidenced by Rightcove’s recent acquisition and Akamai’s bid for Edgio’s assets. This trend is likely to accelerate in the coming months, which is not a bad thing. The media technology market has grown increasingly fragmented in recent years, and consolidation could bring much-needed stability and balance.

Dan Goman, CEO, Ateliere Creative Technologies: The media and entertainment (M&E) industry is poised for a significant surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as companies seek to enhance competitiveness and adapt to technological advancements. Notable transactions, such as Omnicom’s $13.25 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group, underscore this trend, aiming to create the world’s largest advertising conglomerate to better compete against tech giants and leverage AI capabilities. Smaller vendors may find it increasingly challenging to survive unless they adapt through strategic partnerships or by offering unique, indispensable services.

Kristan Bullett: Just as we’ve witnessed consolidation among broadcasters and operators, we can expect a surge in mergers and acquisitions among vendors. In a landscape where survival is paramount, mergers will increasingly become a strategic necessity, driving this acceleration.

How are partnerships and collaborations reshaping the competitive dynamics in media production?

Dan Goman: Collaborations are transforming competitive dynamics by emphasizing shared expertise and infrastructure. These alliances enable vendors to introduce innovative, cost-effective solutions. Such partnerships often allow smaller players to punch above their weight, bringing advanced capabilities like AI and cloud-native workflows into wider use​​.

Geoff Gordon: Partnerships and collaborations are reshaping the competitive dynamics in media production by opening doors to new opportunities, expanding technical knowledge across organizations, and growing overall reach. One example of this is in Brazil with the transition to TV 3.0. To facilitate the move to advanced broadcast capabilities, numerous companies are actively working to shape the ideal workflow, many of these companies have never worked together and may even be competitors.

Suzana Brady: All players in the media production space are constantly under pressure to do more with less as they face changes in content creation, distribution, and consumer preferences. Partnerships become a key asset in finding new creative and cost-effective ways to reach new audiences through the merging of technologies and resources. Given the fast-paced media production environment, partnerships shorten time to market while reducing costs and optimizing the bottom line.

Kevin Joyce: Clients are demanding best-in-breed solutions across the whole value chain and reshaping competitive dynamics by forcing a heightened level of collaboration and cooperation amongst competitors. There are still clients who will buy a complete end-to-end solution, but I really don’t believe that is a sustainable value proposition. If you want to remain competitive in the future, your systems will have to be open and comprised of highly interoperable solutions to achieve maximum agility, and vendors will have to collaborate with far more other vendors.

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Bob Caniglia: Partnerships and collaborations are playing a pivotal role by driving innovation and expanding creative possibilities. Blackmagic Design’s support of Apple Immersive Video, for example, showcases how these partnerships can enhance production workflows and deliver cutting-edge capabilities. We not only continue to focus on tools that ensure creators can work faster and more efficiently to tell the stories they need to, but our goal is also to push forward on innovation in design and technology.

What is the impact of social media platforms and short form content on how broadcasters distribute content? How is it impacting production tools?

Dan Goman: Content now needs to be quickly adaptable to formats optimized for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. This shift demands tools that enable rapid localization, compliance, and distribution. AI-driven solutions, like Ateliere’s FrameDNA for deduplication, allow broadcasters to quickly tailor content to varying platform specifications while keeping storage costs low​​.

Jon Finegold: This new challenge also brings exciting opportunities. Short-form content is a powerful driver of engagement, often leading viewers to long-form programming and helping broadcasters grow their streaming services. However, success requires speed—broadcasters need tools that enable them to quickly find, preview, clip, and distribute content. The Signiant Platform, and specifically our Media Engine service, is helping companies capitalize on this opportunity with the efficiency they need to stay ahead.

Bob Caniglia: Social media platforms and short-form content have revolutionized how broadcasters distribute content, driving the need for engaging, bite-sized videos optimized for quick consumption. This shift demands tools that enable rapid editing, seamless social media integration, and multi-platform adaptability. Blackmagic Design addresses these needs with solutions for fast editing and professional live streaming.

Erling Hedkvist: We’re continuing to see increased demand for versioning of live productions with different branding as well as dedicated vertical format streams. We are supporting this with our graphic insertion and multi-format broadcast products.

What are the key challenges facing broadcasters in adapting to a multi-platform world? How is it impacting production tools?

Bea Alonso: We have seen media companies respond to their consumer’s demand for content across multiple platforms by organically implementing disparate technology tools, each addressing a small part of the media supply chain puzzle. However, as these companies strive to implement operational efficiencies, it’s clear that a more cohesive approach is needed. Integrated production environments that can seamlessly deliver content across all consumption platforms — both now and in the future — is a logical and necessary step forward.

Jon Finegold: Content must be delivered to multiple destinations, in various formats, while keeping up with frequently changing delivery specifications; meanwhile, budgets remain flat or are even shrinking in some cases. This reality is driving broadcasters to rethink their technology stacks — seeking modern, adaptable solutions that simplify workflows and maximize efficiency. Off-the-shelf, multi-tenant SaaS products are playing a critical role in meeting these demands, signaling the end of single-tenant, custom-built systems.

Kevin Joyce: Consumer viewing options have never been greater and expectations that broadcasters can develop quality platforms in parallel and all be synchronized are just unrealistic. There are far more variables, such as cloud vs. on-prem, or dealing with different hardware deployments; it is a painful and expensive journey — but there’s no choice, vendors must develop solutions acceptable to broadcasters who must invest in multiplatform solutions. There will be multiple ways to do something, but at some point, they are going to have to come together, speak to each other, and provide a seamless solution.

Bob Caniglia: Broadcasters face significant challenges in a multi-platform world, including the need to create content for various formats and resolutions while maintaining efficiency. Flexible workflows and tools are critical to seamlessly adapting to these demands. Tools like live production switchers incorporate high-quality live streaming, while our camera workflows ensure readiness for next-gen collaboration.

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