IBC2022 was back with a bang this year as 37,000 visitors from 170 countries reunited in Amsterdam for a show-stopping event. With over 1,000 exhibitors at this year’s event, the buzz of IBC felt like it never left.
Throughout the event, we exhibited in the Content Everywhere hall, which showcased the latest emerging technologies for multi-platform delivery, OTT and content monetisation, and what a space it was.
The networking and business opportunities that the show presented were incredible, and attendees could feel the electricity in the venue as new collaborations were formed. The excitement had been building for this weekend, and it did not disappoint.
For us, IBC wasn’t just a chance to advertise our work in the Connected TV space. It was also a chance to further solidify our name within this growing industry by sharing insightful knowledge and experience of our specialism in Connected TV with the thousands in attendance.
Having reminisced on what a fantastic event it was, we’ve put together our top four highlights from IBC2022 which you can read below.
1. Reconnecting with the tech and content community
It’s safe to say that after three years without an in-person IBC, the thriving tech and content community had never been hungrier to reconnect and re-engage with one another after so long. The buzzing atmosphere at IBC2022 was indescribable, with each attendee celebrating the innovation and creativity on show.
For us, it was a real eye-opening experience to see the enthusiasm for the growing world of OTT, having honed our craft in Connected TV over the last few years. The space is growing, and the community will only continue to get stronger.
2. Our Co-Founder Matt’s OTT panel discussion
On Sunday, the 11th of September, Matthew Duhig, our Co-Founder, took to the Content Everywhere stage to join a panel discussion titled ‘Key considerations when launching an OTT content service’. Moderated by Hayley Bull of 3Vision, the panel discussion delved deeper into how to deploy an OTT streaming service that delivers seamless content successfully.
Matt joined the panel alongside Matthew Wilkinson of Magine Pro and Gary Hamer of SmartLabs, delivering critical insights into how the linear TV and streaming markets will likely evolve over the years ahead while also touching on the exciting world of Connected TV.
3. The rise of Lightning
Lightning was was the talk of the weekend in the Content Everywhere hall. Lightning is an open-source, lightweight framework and Software Development Kit (SDK) for developing high-quality TV apps, created by Metrological, a Comcast company.
The Lightning framework was a hot topic on everyone’s lips as it continues to gain traction in the OTT app development space. As a trusted Lightning Community Partner with solid experience in developing performant and scalable Lightning applications, we had some exciting conversations with attendees about the power of Lightning and how it can transform the TV app development process. We were immensely proud to champion the Lightning partner community throughout the event and look forward to creating more groundbreaking work with the framework in the future.
4. The 2022 RDK Global Summit
On the last day of IBC, the 2022 RDK Global Summit was hosted in Amsterdam, bringing together RDK leaders and innovators from around the world, many of whom had been at IBC in the previous days.
For those unaware of RDK, it’s a portable and customisable open-source software solution that standardises core functions used in video, broadband, and IoT devices.
Our Co-Founder Matt took some time from IBC to attend the RDK Summit to explore how the open-source software helps create a more immersive, consistent user experience for internet, media and entertainment companies.
With many excellent sessions and discussions throughout the day, Matt left the summit with fresh insights on the growth of RDK, Lightning 3.0, and the impressive journey for Peacock to rebuild and launch their application.
The Peacock talk was a stand-out session from the summit, where the brand divulged more about how the application had seen impressive performance gains using the Lightning framework. The feeling that the RDK community was rapidly growing was also terrific.
That’s a wrap
After an incredibly exciting event that brought thousands together from around the world, the energy at IBC2022 was contagious. We were thrilled to exhibit at an event that not only harnessed relationships, but formed new ones, each with the common goal of driving innovation within the OTT space.
With subscriber churn and subscription cancellations grabbing headlines in recent months, IBC gave the OTT community chance to reconnect and further reinforce the importance and future growth of this space, despite recent figures and news stories.
With almost 1.66 million services dropped in Q2 of this year, uncertainty about the future of the OTT space had been brewing. IBC, however, brought everyone together, showing solidarity in a community that only promises prosperity.
Our stand for IBC2023 is booked, and we’re already itching to be back.
