IBC 2025: Media industry confronts operational pressures amid technological transformation

As tens of thousands of media professionals prepare to converge on Amsterdam’s RAI Convention Centre September 12-15 for IBC 2025, the broadcast technology industry finds itself navigating fundamental shifts that extend far beyond traditional equipment showcases.

This year’s International Broadcasting Convention reflects an industry grappling with economic pressures, technological transformation and evolving audience expectations that are reshaping how content is created, distributed and monetized.

The 2025 event promises discussions around operational efficiency, collaborative standards development and strategic responses to viewer fatigue in an oversaturated streaming market.

Economic pressures drive operational transformation

Global economic headwinds have intensified demands for operational efficiency, forcing companies to rethink their strategies. Content licensing costs continue rising while traditional revenue streams face pressure, creating conditions that are accelerating industry adaptation.

“Global economic pressures are intensifying the need to ‘do more with less,’ pushing media organisations to streamline operations and maximise existing resources,” said Aaron Kroger, director of product marketing and communications at Dalet. “This pressure is accelerating the demand for faster ROI, with new investments expected to deliver measurable returns within months rather than years.”

The impact is particularly pronounced in sports broadcasting, where licensing costs are reaching unprecedented levels. Archive content is receiving renewed attention as companies seek revenue opportunities without additional production costs, while hybrid infrastructure approaches are emerging as cost control measures.

Streaming platforms combat viewer fatigue

The rapid proliferation of streaming services has created an oversaturated marketplace where consumer patience is wearing thin. Platform fatigue has emerged as a defining characteristic, with subscribers increasingly selective about which services justify their monthly spending.

“Platform fatigue and shifting loyalty are pushing content owners to secure broad distribution, and to focus on viewer retention and engagement, and fresher programming strategies,” said Blair Harrison, founder and CEO of Frequency. “FAST channel creators need to use data to optimize programming in near real-time.”

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Free ad-supported television and advertising-based video-on-demand services are evolving beyond initial implementations, with providers preparing more sophisticated approaches that leverage artificial intelligence and real-time optimization. Technical demands of streaming at scale continue challenging operators seeking to balance quality with operational efficiency.

AI transforms creative and operational workflows

Artificial intelligence applications have moved beyond experimental phases into core production processes across the content pipeline. Industry executives report AI tools are automating time-intensive tasks while expanding creative possibilities, from initial story development through final platform delivery.

“AI is transforming content production end-to-end. Automating scripting, enriching live production with real-time tagging, and accelerating post with instant highlights, edits, and localization,” said Ross Tanner, senior vice president for EMEA at Magnifi.

However, operational AI applications often deliver value in areas that receive less attention than high-profile creative tools. These systems address time-consuming backend processes from automated metadata management to placement auditing and insight generation.

Infrastructure automation is becoming increasingly critical as AI systems monitor performance and automatically adjust resources based on real-time conditions, representing a shift from reactive problem-solving to predictive system management.

Hybrid production becomes the standard

The combination of on-premises infrastructure with cloud-based workflows has moved beyond experimental phases to become the foundation for modern content production. Industry executives report that hybrid approaches address the economic realities of 24/7 broadcasting while providing flexibility for scaled operations and live events.

“Hybrid production environments have become the new operational standard — not just a steppingstone — as media companies balance the economics of 24/7 broadcasting with the agility of cloud-based workflows,” said Steve Reynolds, CEO of Imagine Communications.

Live sports production exemplifies the hybrid model’s advantages, combining centralized control with distributed resources. Remote production workflows enable high-quality coverage with reduced on-site personnel while cloud resources provide overflow capacity for major events.

Cloud scaling challenges persist

While cloud-based production has transformed media workflows, industry professionals report persistent challenges in scaling cloud-native infrastructure across global teams and events. Protocol bottlenecks, cost predictability concerns, and legacy integration complexity continue constraining cloud adoption.

“The biggest barrier isn’t bandwidth or storage capacity, it’s the protocol bottlenecks that choke your infrastructure when you need it most,” said Duncan Beattie, market development manager at Tuxera.

Usage-based pricing models create uncertainty for broadcasters, particularly during peak production periods. Cultural barriers persist as technical capabilities have advanced faster than user adoption in many organizations.

Sports broadcasting embraces transformation

The shift from traditional on-site production trucks to cloud-based, remote workflows is becoming the operational standard for sports broadcasting. The migration represents a complete reimagining of how live sports content is produced, processed, and distributed.

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Cloud workflows have fundamentally altered the economics of live sports broadcasting. Where major events once required shipping multiple aircraft loads of equipment globally, streamlined fly-packs with extensive remote workflows have become the norm.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming integral to sports production workflows, with AI systems automatically detecting key moments and generating clips in real time. However, persistent challenges around reliability, timing, and integration continue surfacing on game day.

As streaming platforms proliferate and audiences fragment across multiple devices, sports broadcasters face fundamental challenges maintaining fan engagement. Traditional broadcast models built around passive viewing are giving way to interactive, personalized experiences.

Research indicates that while 64% of fans still prefer traditional TV, almost a third now watch on smartphones or tablets, with 17% following multiple sporting events simultaneously. This multi-screen culture is driving development of new engagement models incorporating data, interactivity, and gamification.

“We’re moving into a multi-screen culture where data, interactivity, and gamification play a central role in fan engagement,” said Mark Cooke, VP of sales in EMEA at Ross Video.

Virtual and augmented reality platforms are evolving from experimental novelties to viable commercial platforms that can deliver premium experiences at scale.

Advertising adapts to privacy and scale demands

The scale of live streaming events has grown substantially, creating new technical demands for ad insertion systems that must serve billions of addressable ads while complying with evolving privacy regulations. Privacy regulations have altered how broadcasters approach audience targeting and data handling.

The advertising industry has operated with separate systems for traditional broadcast and digital programmatic advertising, but these approaches are beginning to merge as viewing habits change.

“As viewing habits evolve and technology advances, the divide between programmatic and broadcast is quickly disappearing,” said Avi Yampolsky, vice president of international accounts at Operative.

Personalization drives content strategy

Media companies are reconceptualizing their business models around audience-centric approaches that treat viewers themselves as the primary asset rather than traditional advertising slots. This represents a fundamental shift from mass-market content distribution toward individualized experiences.

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“We’re seeing a foundational shift in how media companies approach monetization,” said Reynolds. “Many are moving away from selling discrete ad slots in favor of treating audiences themselves as the inventory.”

Artificial intelligence capabilities are enabling personalization that extends to real-time content modification and advertising creation. Advanced personalization strategies are expanding beyond end-user experiences to influence content creation, curation, and scheduling decisions throughout the entire content lifecycle.

Industry collaboration drives standards development

Technology vendors and industry leaders are positioning IBC 2025 as a crucial forum for driving industry-wide initiatives on standards, interoperability, and shared approaches to common problems. Multiple vendors are highlighting initiatives designed to break down vendor lock-in and enable more flexible system architectures.

“As an industry, we have to push for interoperability certification programs, like the ones we saw in the early days of on-prem IP adoption,” said Miroslav Jeras, CTO of Pebble. “We will all benefit when broadcasters can freely choose the best option for each function.”

Industry leaders consistently emphasize that IBC’s in-person format provides unique value for advancing collaborative initiatives that cannot be replicated through virtual interactions.

The September gathering in Amsterdam positions itself as a forum for industry-wide problem-solving where the success of critical initiatives may depend on collaborative momentum generated during face-to-face conversations.

As the media industry confronts its most significant operational and technological challenges, IBC 2025 serves as both a showcase for practical solutions and a catalyst for the collaborative approaches necessary to address shared industry concerns.