Record-Breaking Year for Video Demonstrates Need for High-Quality Streaming Across Devices
Wowza Media Systems Delivers Robust, Flexible Streaming Software to Meet Today’s Video Demands
Evergreen, Colo.— September 10, 2014 — This year was a record-breaking year for online video streaming, demonstrating the convergence of two trends: the pervasiveness of mobile devices and consumers’ evolving expectations to view live, linear and on-demand video across devices. As the popularity of high-quality video streaming grows, it’s becoming critical for organizations to overcome the complexities of streaming to meet the demands and requirements of customers and users. The ultimate goal is to bring robust, high-quality, live video streaming to multiple devices with a single streaming workflow that ensures optimal performance even during fluctuations in viewership.
Record-Breaking Year for Video Streaming
The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ resulted in an unprecedented jump in online video streaming, demonstrating its growing popularity as a viewing medium. According to content delivery network provider Akamai, the Germany-Portugal game drove a peak of 4.3 Tbps of streaming video, compared to a previous high of 3.5 Tbps for the U.S.-Canada men's hockey semifinals during this year's Winter Olympics. Likewise in the U.S., 5.3 million viewers tuned in for the Belgium and U.S. match on ESPN and Univision platforms, representing record-breaking traffic for both broadcasters.
The spike in online viewership for events such as the World Cup is a telltale sign of two growing trends affecting organizations battling for broader engagement. The first is the growing presence of mobile devices. A recent survey conducted by research firm Millward Brown found that the average person spends 297 minutes a day on their smart phone, laptop or tablet, compared to just 147 minutes watching television. Not only are users increasingly using mobile deices, but they also expect live video streaming on every single device. In fact, Wowza® Media Systems conducted a survey at the 2014 NAB Show that revealed that 68 percent of respondents use four or more devices on a regular basis and expect access to high-quality video streaming experiences on every one.
Video Streaming Solution that Meet Today’s Demands
With so much time spent on mobile devices, high-quality video streaming is central to broadcasters' ability to engage viewers. However, building video streaming systems that meet these demands has proven incredibly challenging. To keep pace with industry demands, Wowza Media Systems built customizable streaming software that delivers high-quality video across fluctuating bandwidths to an array of devices.
“Today, video streaming is mission critical for any organization looking to engage and interact with consumers, and to truly be successful it needs to work anywhere, every time,” said David Stubenvoll, CEO and co-founder of Wowza Media Systems. “With Wowza, customers meet the demand for high-quality, real-time video and have the control and flexibility that can only come from managing their own video workflow.”
The flexible Wowza Streaming Engine™ software powers reliable, high-quality video streaming and reduces the complexities of audio and video delivery. With its powerful performance capabilities and affordability it brings robust video streaming to any device, anywhere.
Ecosystem Built for Flexibility
Not only does video streaming software have to be flexible to changes in bandwidth, but also to changes in devices. As more people view video from every device, organizations need a solution that can provide streaming in several formats catering to all operating systems.
The Works With Wowza™ partner program helps accomplish this by providing industry-leading technology needed for robust, flexible and scalable streaming to any device. Its partner ecosystem creates integrated, end-to-end solutions that maximize flexibility and control for customers.
JVC, developer and manufacturer of professional video camcorders, recently became a Wowza partner adding content sources to the streaming ecosystem. As a result, joint customers will experience tighter integration from camera to streaming server and be able to easily connect to Wowza Streaming Engine server software.
“The demand for live video streaming is growing as end users expect to see high-quality, real-time video,” said Edgar Shane, GM Engineering at JVC Professional Products Company. “Working with Wowza means that content creators can now economically transmit high-quality HD video from wherever they are to broadcast live on the air or online.”
Wowza and JVC will demonstrate how their products work together to meet today’s video streaming demands at the upcoming IBC2014 Conference set to take place September 11-15 in Amsterdam. Stop by Wowza Media Systems booth 3.B17 to see its video streaming solutions in action.
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About Wowza Media Systems
Wowza Media Systems, LLC helps organizations harness the power of streaming by reducing the complexities of audio and video delivery to any device anywhere. Organizations in more than 150 countries count on innovative and award-winning Wowza software to build, deploy, and manage customized streaming solutions that deliver high-quality and engaging live and on-demand experiences. Wowza is privately held, with offices in Evergreen, Colorado, Mountain View, California, and Berlin, Germany.
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PRESS CONTACTS
Natalie Wolfrom for Wowza Media Systems
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