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In today's fiercely competitive OTT market, innovation is not just a nice to have but a necessity for survival. As consumer preferences evolve and technology advances, streaming services must continually adapt and evolve to stay relevant. Innovation in user interface design, content delivery, and interactive features can significantly enhance user engagement and satisfaction, differentiating a service and helping it stand out from competition.
At the same time, investing in innovation is a luxury not everyone has readily available. It requires acquisition of the latest technologies and tools needed to develop new features as well as hiring, training and retaining the right kind of talent. While most video services would likely agree that innovation should be a top priority, the reality is that it can be hard to justify the investment in a challenged streaming market.
Incorporating new and innovative features into your video streaming services may seem like a fool proof way to differentiate yourself from competitors. However, striking the right balance between differentiation and maintaining universally expected standards is crucial in order to not risk disrupting the viewer experience. Users have developed specific expectations with regards to how video streaming services should function and look. If deviations from these standards are viewed as not adding value to the end user, they can end up leading to frustration and attrition rather than working in your favor.
Another major consideration is ensuring compatibility across a diverse array of devices and operating systems. Introducing features that enhance user engagement, like interactive content or personalized recommendations, requires robust testing to ensure they function flawlessly on all platforms. Similarly, innovations must align with the technical capabilities and internet speeds of the service's target audience to avoid alienating parts of your user base that may be dealing with slower connections.
Video streaming providers should therefore consider rolling out new additions to their services incrementally, taking a phased approach which allows for testing and refinement based on real user feedback. It is often advisable to start by piloting new features with a small segment of your audience to gather insights and address any bugs or usability problems before committing to a full-scale launch. Such an approach also allows you to test the waters and mitigate financial risk, proving your business case without necessarily making large upfront investments.
In addition, it perhaps goes without saying that rigorous testing needs to be ensured across devices, operating systems, and network conditions to maintain a consistent and high-quality experience. As a rule of thumb, it is generally best to optimize features to be lightweight and efficient, preventing slowdowns or crashes. This ensures that they add value also for users with older devices or slower internet connections, which very often can be making up a large portion of your overall customer base.
Extended Reality is a hot topic in the video streaming industry and certainly presents an opportunity to engage users while positioning your service as a pioneer in an exciting new field. At the same time, XR is still to some extent in its infancy and taking on the cost of developing and integrating the right capabilities may seem like a risky investment to make. The technical complexities of XR, including 3D modeling, spatial audio, and immersive interaction design, require specialized skills that are often outside the traditional scope of video streaming services. Building an in-house XR team or training existing staff can be both time-consuming and expensive - especially since there may also be a need to invest in new hardware, software, and content production. The challenge lies in finding a balance between experimenting with next-generation experiences to carve out a position in this quickly evolving space while still keeping up front investment at bay.
The obvious answer is perhaps to implement XR features gradually, starting with simpler, less resource-intensive applications. This approach allows for testing user acceptance and refining the technology before committing to large-scale investments. In addition, strategic partnerships with XR companies and content creators can help reduce development costs and provide access to cutting-edge technology without the need for extensive in-house investment. As long as costs are managed effectively, and all next-generation features are there to enhance the user experience, XR provides a great opportunity for positioning yourself at the forefront of the next generation of digital entertainment.
At this year’s IBC, Accedo is proud to partner with AWS and Monks to unveil the future of immersive video entertainment. Together, we’re offering visitors a glimpse into cutting-edge sports streaming and a breakthrough in content delivery—the 180-degree spatial video experience.
Next-generation sport streaming
Immersive sports viewing has become one of the most dynamic areas for investment, drawing attention from telcos and XR manufacturers as well as ecosystem enablers like AWS and other pioneering technology providers. Sports broadcasts are a natural fit for immersive technology, generating massive amounts of real-time metadata—game statistics, tournament schedules, team performance insights—that can be transformed into interactive data panels or even 3D spatial visualizations. By leveraging the power of spatial computing, fans can take control of their viewing experience, creating personalized data dashboards featuring stats, replays, and more—all branded with their favorite teams’ colors and logos.
180-degree spatial video
The rise of spatial computing also paves the way for new and innovative content formats. Just a few years after 360-degree video became mainstream, we’re now seeing the emergence of 180-degree formats. Unlike 360-degree video, which surrounds the viewer entirely, the 180-degree counterpart focuses the experience in front of the user, providing an intense and immersive feeling of presence. This technology places viewers directly in the action, whether they're courtside at a game or in the front row of a concert.
To demonstrate the immense possibilities of this emerging technology, our IBC demo will highlight how brands can unlock new revenue opportunities through contextual spatial advertising. By integrating interactive 3D objects directly into the viewer's environment, brands can boost user engagement, collect valuable audience data, and craft personalized advertising experiences that adapt and grow more relevant over time. This opens the door to deeper engagement and more meaningful connections with viewers in ways that traditional advertising cannot achieve.
Innovation is critical to staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market and by collaborating with a trusted service partner, video business can get access to the right expertise, emerging technologies and networks for knowledge sharing and learning. Many providers of video streaming solutions and services run collaborative research and development programs that involve things like co-developing new features, experimenting with new content delivery methods, or exploring advanced analytics to better understand viewer preferences. These kinds of programs can also be beneficials for video businesses looking to start experimenting with XR technologies as they give access to a broader innovation ecosystem, including other technology vendors, content creators, and academic institutions. This can lead to cross-industry innovation opportunities and ultimately open new avenues for growth.
Accedo will be at IBC in Amsterdam on September 13-16. Please come visit us at booth 5.D68, check out our XR demos in the AWS Hall 5 space, or book a meeting with our team to learn more about how we can work with you to make innovation a priority and pioneer the next generation of video-centric experiences.
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