After NAB Las Vegas and MPTS London, conversations around the future of media production have grown louder and more urgent. In a recent panel discussion moderated by Leanne Tomlin (Marketing Director), industry experts Nick Kind (Regional Sales Manager), Simon Wocka (Regional Sales Manager), and Nicholas Llewellyn (Solutions Architect) shed light on key trends, challenges, and strategic shifts in broadcast, post-production, and content creation.
Whether you’re a broadcast engineer, post-production lead, or a technology vendor navigating the evolving media landscape, this session explored the trends most likely to impact your workflows and investment decisions. Here's a condensed overview of their insights.
Key Themes at NAB and MPTS
Leanne opened the discussion by asking the panel what key industry trends they observed at the two events.
Simon said that his conversations largely centered on remote production and collaboration. He observed that European broadcasters are rethinking how to deliver content to creatives as efficiently as possible. Live broadcasting, such as news, sports, and events, requires substantial on-site infrastructure and engineering, which inflates costs. Geopolitical tensions are further complicating this, introducing legal and logistical uncertainty around cross-border deployments. Additionally, environmental concerns are pushing companies to adopt lower-carbon production models.
Nick pointed out that AI is rapidly permeating the media and entertainment space. He highlighted increasing demand for AI-powered tools tailored to tasks like color correction and metadata tagging. We’re now seeing AI agents integrated with traditional software to streamline workflows. Nicholas added that both shows reflected their regional business climates, but one constant was the normalization of remote production.
Fast-evolving Remote Production
When Leanne asked how companies are rethinking remote-heavy workflows, Simon explained that newer tools now enable seamless collaboration across global teams, supporting the “follow-the-sun” model. Once the norm in VFX, this approach is gaining ground in broadcast production, especially for managing assets across field locations. Still, tighter budgets are forcing teams to consolidate operations and stretch existing tools further.
Simon emphasized the importance of the “first mile”—the handoff from production to post. For example, a reality show shot in Australia or the Baltics might be edited in the UK. OB companies and service providers play a critical role in moving content efficiently using established network infrastructure. Increasingly, vendors are part of this collaboration, helping streamline integration. “Creatives need the content in the simplest form factor, and the engineers will be able to leverage that simplicity to make things happen just quicker and more efficiently across their business. So that's, again, the collaboration is kind of a dual path or a hyper thread with us,” explained Simon.
Nicholas noted that remote production once lagged in quality, but not anymore. IP-based workflows replacing SDI now support high-fidelity video and audio transmission over the internet. As cloud technology matures, organizations like Pixitmedia are enabling more flexible contributor workflows, unlocking local content creation within globally distributed productions, no longer bound by traditional studio hardware or trucks.
Cloud, Caution, and Cost Control
Leanne then asked if the industry feels confident or cautious about cloud adoption.
Nicholas said most companies are striking a hybrid balance, relying on on-prem for reliability while exploring cloud flexibility. He stressed there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution, and rising cloud costs are now a serious concern.
Simon agreed, noting that as content volumes grow, tier-one companies are reevaluating the long-term costs of cloud. He cited egress fees as a major sticking point. For instance, retrieving 100 PB of archive data could incur over $5 million in charges. While the cloud isn’t disappearing, he said, companies are becoming more strategic in how they use it.
Nick observed that full cloud migrations are becoming rarer. Many companies now prefer cloud bursting, temporarily accessing cloud resources for specific workflows while maintaining core operations on-prem. Simon added that vendors are adapting to this need with tools that support cloud bursting. These can detect when resources are needed, spin up cloud instances, process content, and return it, often within a subscription model. He also mentioned that cloud repatriation is gaining traction, though it’s expected to be a gradual shift.
Nicholas noted that cloud bursting is no longer just about savings—it’s becoming a strategic lever for companies that know how to use it effectively.
Innovation Under Pressure
When asked how the industry is balancing cost and innovation, Nick said infrastructure changes and cloud expenses are key factors. Businesses are now analyzing workflows more critically—stitching together point solutions or working with vendors offering integrated platforms to eliminate silos and extend existing investments. Rather than full system overhauls, many are opting for incremental, targeted upgrades
Simon noted that companies are pushing hardware further than ever. While warranties typically last five years—and sometimes up to seven—many are stretching systems to nine or ten years to defer refresh costs.
He also highlighted a rise in outsourcing infrastructure. Many businesses are turning to managed service providers so in-house teams can focus on creative and strategic priorities. This trend was particularly visible at MPTS, where conversations focused on rethinking long-term planning.
Nicholas said more organizations are engaging in mature, structured cost optimization. He emphasized that the conversation has moved beyond CAPEX and OPEX to holistic strategies encompassing people, processes, and technology.
Agentic AI and the IP Workflow Shift
Asked which trends will shape the future, Nicholas emphasized the shift from SDI to IP-based workflows. He described it as a foundational transformation that enables more flexible, scalable, and distributed production models. The move away from dedicated hardware to software-defined infrastructure reduces maintenance costs and supports global collaboration.
Nick discussed the rise of agentic AI—intelligent systems that work with other AI and human collaborators. He shared how companies are chaining together multiple AI agents to mine storage and archives for value. AI is now assessing and monetizing legacy content at a scale humans simply can’t manage alone. “Humans can only do so much, and AI can go back and do the things that we're not allocating resources to”, said Nick.
Solidarity in a Shifting Landscape
Leanne closed by asking the panel what they’d share with someone who missed both events.
Simon said the standout message from both shows was the strength of the industry’s community. Despite commercial pressures, the willingness to share knowledge and support each other remains strong. Nick agreed, saying one of the most striking moments he witnessed was multiple vendors, including competitors, working together in real time to solve client issues without prior coordination.
Nicholas added that he’s seeing more organizations embrace flexible scaling, adjusting operations dynamically to meet business needs. This adaptable mindset, he said, is becoming the norm.
Learn more
Want to dive deeper into how media industry is managing the shift to agentic AI, hybrid-cloud infrastructure, and global collaboration models? Watch the full on-demand webinar here.
If you're attending IBC 2025 in Amsterdam this September, visit us in Hall 7 D18. You can also register now using code IBC8403 for a complimentary pass.
