All roads lead to IBC, in our latest blog series, we spent 5 minutes with some of the Bitmovin team to get their thoughts on why IBC is important and tips for enjoying the show.
Say hello to Reinhard Grandl, who oversees Bitmovin’s product department, who develops the company’s product strategy and ensures it is optimized for customers.
Discover his insights in the big trends at IBC 2022 and how to enjoy the show
Why are shows like IBC necessary for the media and entertainment industry?
Business is, ultimately, based on building trust and the best way to do this is with human interaction. Things are starting to change due to the rise of SaaS companies, but there’s no doubt that in-person meetings are still valuable. Shows like IBC are vital because they bring all of our customers, partners and prospects together in one place and provide multiple opportunities to connect with them, from giving them a demo on the stand to going out for dinner later. Last but not least, it’s a forcing function for vendors to announce new products and thus helps propel the industry forward.
The last IBC Show was in 2019; how has the video streaming industry changed since then?
It’s changed massively. Part of it is due to the pandemic, but some technical and business trends were already emerging. One significant difference is the range of streaming services available. Almost all major US conglomerates have built streaming services to compete with the likes of Netflix and AppleTV. Furthermore, many sports leagues are trying to monetize their content for fans or via sports-focused streaming services like DAZN.
All of this creates a fragmented market for viewers who need multiple subscriptions to watch their favorite content. Without a doubt, there will be some market consolidation, but from a technological perspective, it’s creating a huge demand for technologies that can offer a superior viewing experience. At IBC2022, I expect we will see many product launches that focus on offering an optimal viewing experience while simultaneously reducing costs.
What significant trends do you expect to see at IBC this year?
We will see the next steps in the evolution of technology; 5G, the VVC codec or new cloud-hosted services, to just name a few. I am particularly interested to see how much they’ve evolved since the last IBC in 2019. Of course, sustainability will be high on the agenda. It’s been inspiring to see so many projects emerge with the sole intention of helping the media and entertainment industry reduce its carbon footprint.
