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How the Exploratorium Live Streamed Eclipses to the World

bsp-admin-1 on December 30, 2021

1.69 MIILLION VIEWERS WATCH VIDEOS OF THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

The New York Times once described the Exploratorium as one of the most important science museums of the mid-20th century, because while most museums prohibit visitors from touching installations, this one does the exact opposite, it encourages people to explore exhibits with a hands-on approach. Located along San Francisco’s Embarcadero waterfront, the Exploratorium shines as an example of a truly unique learning institution.

Without a doubt, the theme driving all of the Exploratorium’s educational endeavors is innovation. In 1994, the museum was one of the first adopters of the internet and one of the first 600 websites, and has since been steadily building a robust digital media collection. In fact, digital media has become a prominent focus of the Exploratorium, as it allows the San Francisco-based learning laboratory to not only deliver experiential learning experiences on site, but also to provide educational materials for people across the globe via live streaming and on-demand video. Their website even contains pages devoted to “Science Snacks,” projects that allow people anywhere in the world to build small-scale versions of exhibits using materials that cost less than ten dollars. The museum has also its own webcast production studio, complete with audience seating, so visitors can see exactly how the Exploratorium creates video content for the web.

As a non-profit museum, the Exploratorium receives part of its funding from private and federal granting organizations, including NASA. It’s this particular partnership that’s helped the Exploratorium create one of its most visible educational ventures to date—live streaming solar and planetary eclipses through its website and mobile app. In 2011, the museum partnered with Brightcove, implementing its video platform to distribute content and provide viewers an uninterrupted, unparalleled view of planets in motion.

DIY SPIRIT LEADS EXPLORATORIUM DOWN THE PATH TO DIGITAL VIDEO

Since the early 1990s, the Exploratorium has had a digital presence, and it’s all because of its DIY spirit.

We use Brightcove to publish our video online to millions of users simultaneously and to provide access points from our website, our mobile app, and through sharing embedded streams on other websites.

Rob Rothfarb
Online Project Director at the Exploratorium

“We are a very DIY kind of place,” says Rob Rothfarb, Online Project Director at the Exploratorium. “We create our own exhibits, and we make our own digital media stories. So, putting together the infrastructure for creating and publishing live and on-demand videos just seemed a natural step.”

Initially, the Exploratorium operated its own streaming media servers, which led Rothfarb and his team through a rigorous process of trial and error to determine the best technology possible for streaming live video. Early iterations unveiled some key challenges, including latency, dropout, pixelation, and audio problems. However, as new technologies emerged, the digital video publishing team at the Exploratorium realized how much better cloud-based services were at managing video distribution.

“For things like live streaming the eclipses, we really didn’t want to take a chance,” says Rothfarb. “We knew we could run into scaling problems with what we had set up on our own.” What they had set up on their own included third-party video players, which were either licensed for use or available as part of the streaming media servers they were running. Recognizing the need to improve the scalability of their video publishing infrastructure, they knew their next step would be to transition to cloud-based systems through a content delivery network.

BRIGHTCOVE LIVE STREAM CAPABILITIES ARE KEY TO EXPLORATORIUM’S VIDEO INITIATIVES

In 2011, the Exploratorium partnered with Brightcove to deliver its on-demand and live video streaming. When asked of the deciding factors for this choice, Rothfarb touched on the museum’s need to focus its efforts on content creation. By leveraging Brightcove’s content management and video player solutions, they could spend less time wrangling the details of video streaming technology and devote more time to creating content and creating unique experiences. In Brightcove, the Exploratorium found a partner that equally valued modernization and advancement, and could also provide the new technologies so necessary to the Exploratorium’s live streaming initiatives.

“It’s certainly been a key reason for why Brightcove has made sense for us,” says Rothfarb. “It’s not just for distribution; it’s also for the practicality of publishing web content. We get a lot back from that, and it’s great.”

In addition to Brightcove’s innovation, Rothfarb noted the platform’s easy workflows and integration with Drupal’s content management system, which have both helped streamline Exploratorium’s video publishing process. By integrating Brightcove’s video platform with their Drupal CMS, the Exploratorium’s Online Media and Moving Images teams are able to manage video content, players and program metadata from a single interface.

“We were able to connect the Drupal CMS to Brightcove’s platform,” says Rothfarb. “You can now see the result of that in the way videos appear on our website within our newly-designed video portal section.”

The Exploratorium was also taken with Brightcove’s digital security and online privacy features. The museum didn’t want to impose third-party tracking on its website and mobile apps for video viewing. Using Brightcove allows the Exploratorium to publish and distribute content within a native player, eliminating the need for an outside distribution platform, like YouTube. This way, viewers can watch uninterrupted video and stay safe from phishing scams and unscrupulous advertisers.

SOLAR ECLIPSE DRIVES MOBILE APP DOWNLOADS AND 1.69 MILLION VIEWS

In an effort to extend its live stream content to more diverse audiences, the Exploratorium debuted its mobile app, Total Solar Eclipse, in early 2016, just in time for mobile viewers to watch an exclusive live stream of a total solar eclipse from Micronesia. Although the event wasn’t widely recognized in the Western Hemisphere, huge numbers tuned in from Indonesia, India, and other parts of East Asia, all on the mobile app. By the end of that week, “Total Solar Eclipse” managed to rack up over 65,000 downloads.

Afterward, the Exploratorium created on-demand assets from the live stream, distributing the video content to its website and social platforms. Remarkably, the solar eclipse footage attracted over 1.6 million video views and an equal amount of social impressions.
The Exploratorium delighted people once again in 2017 with its live stream footage of the Great American total solar eclipse—one of the rarest astronomical occurrences. In fact, the last time the contiguous U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979. Before the event, the Exploratorium’s mobile app recorded over 400,000 downloads, with 95% of them coming from North America alone. Rothfarb reported 228,000 app downloads during the month of the event, with a total of 591,000 people watching the event on mobile, and a cumulative 1.69 million video views between mobile and desktop.

IMPRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT METRICS HELP EXPLORATORIUM CONTINUE ITS EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS

Since using the Brightcove player to distribute video content, the Exploratorium has enabled a new capacity for third-party distribution. Users can easily embed Exploratorium video content on their own website and blogs, which subsequently extends to increased brand recognition and amplified viewer engagement. Plus, with the Brightcove platform providing exceptional viewability for digital audiences, the Exploratorium’s content is highly inclined for third-party public sharing.

NASA, for example, shares Exploratorium’s live stream content directly to its own website and OTT channel, NASA TV. From there, footage is often picked up by news agencies like Reuters, which both extend claim massive viewership.

Another example: in 2012, the Exploratorium live streamed the Transit of Venus, a rare planetary eclipse, distributing the video through the Brightcove player on their website. Wired and Space.com jumped on board, embedding the player on their own websites and pulling in tens of thousands of additional live viewers.

Ultimately, the Exploratorium’s goal is to reach diverse audiences with stories and live viewing experiences, which is why Rothfarb puts so much emphasis on video engagement metrics; they validate the efficacy of the museum’s video initiatives, which translate into donor and sponsor support. With video at the core of its online experience, Exploratorium is well-positioned for continued sponsorship to provide immersive learning opportunities for all.

VIDEO DELIVERY METHODS: BROADCAST, THE CLOUD, AND THE FUTURE

bsp-admin-1 on December 21, 2021

THE FUTURE OF VIDEO

While online video systems were initially viewed only as competitors to traditional broadcast systems, there is a case to be made for converging the two systems. By reviewing the production and distribution workflows of each, we find several possible architectures for this convergence that we can use as a roadmap toward the future of video.

BROADCAST VIDEO DELIVERY SYSTEMS

Terrestrial broadcast TV systems have been historically the first technologies for delivery of videos to the masses. Cable and DTH (direct to home) satellite technologies came next as natural and highly successful evolutions of such systems. And historically, these systems have been deployed on premises, using purposely built facilities, hardware, and dedicated networks / links enabling transmission of video feeds between different facilities and entities in the distribution chain.

A conceptual diagram of the broadcast distribution system is shown in the figure below.

Broadcast Architecture Diagram

As shown in this figure, there are two classes of content used as input to broadcast systems. Live content typically arrives in the form of live video feeds from remote and field production. Pre-recorded, or on-demand content, may also be provided in the form of mezzanine files from production studios or video distributors.

Both live and pre-recorded videos are then directed as inputs to the master control or playout systems, responsible for the formation of a set of live TV channels. The compositions of video segments inserted from different sources in each channel is called a program. Playout systems are also typically responsible for the insertion of channel logs (“bugs”), lower thirds, slots for ads, captions, metadata, etc. Broadcast playout systems are human operated, and traditionally deployed in dedicated facilities (master control rooms).

After playout, all channel streams are subsequently encoded and passed to a multiplexer, which combines them in a multi-program transport stream (also known as TS or MPEG-2 TS) intended for distribution. In addition to the channel’s media content, the final multiplex TS also carries program and system information (PSIP), SCTE-35 ad markers, and other metadata as required for broadcast distribution. All such operations are also typically performed on-prem, by using hardware broadcast encoders, multiplexers, modulators, and other purpose-built equipment.

As further shown in the above figure, the distribution chain in broadcast systems may have multiple tiers – from the main network center to local stations and also multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), such as cable or satellite TV companies. At each stage, media streams corresponding to each channel can be extracted, modified (e.g., by adding local content or ads), re-multiplexed into a new set of channels, with new program tables and other metadata inserted, and then again sent down to distribution or next headend.

CLOUD-BASED OTT VIDEO DELIVERY PLATFORMS

Typical workflows used in today’s cloud-based online video platforms (OVPs)are shown in the figure below.

Cloud-based Architecture Diagram

Similar to broadcast systems, such workflows also ingest videos from a variety of live and pre-recorded content sources. However, most of today’s OVP platforms don’t include master control or playout functionality, and don’t form or multiplex channels for distribution. They simply encode input content as is, and package it in formats suitable for OTT delivery. Most commonly, HTTP-based adaptive streaming protocols, such as HLS or DASH are used as final delivery formats.

All processing steps in cloud-based OPV systems are typically implemented in software and operated using the infrastructure of cloud service providers, such as AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BROADCAST AND CLOUD-BASED OTT VIDEO DELIVERY SYSTEMS

The use of software implementations and cloud-based deployment has a number of well-known advantages. It minimizes investments in hardware, allows pay-as-you-go operation, solves scalability problems, simplifies management, upgrades, makes the whole design more flexible and future-proof, etc. However, it also brings some unique requirements and forces designs of various components and coordination mechanisms in cloud-based systems to be done differently as compared to on-prem systems.

Specific differences include:

  • Granularity of data processing and delays in cloud-based OTT vs on-prem broadcast systems;
  • Mechanisms used for enabling redundancy and fault tolerant operation of such systems;
  • Means of scalability, load-balancing, resource provisioning, and other operations as unique to cloud-based operation;
  • Mezzanine formats, contribution links and transport protocols used for ingest in cloud vs on-prem broadcast systems;
  • Broadcast encoders and multiplexers vs encoders and packagers used for OTT delivery;
  • Implementations of ad-splicing and ad-impression analytics; etc.

THE CONVERGENCE OF BROADCAST AND CLOUD-BASED DELIVERY SYSTEMS

There are several possible architectures enabling convergence of broadcast and cloud-based OTT systems, as we see them evolving in the future.

The figure below shows the simplest model of such integration, already used in many deployments today.

Simple Broadcast-Cloud Convergence Architecture Diagram

As easily observed, this model offers a coupling of the existing broadcast and cloud-based OTT workflows by means of adding several extra contribution encoders, directing fully formed broadcast channels/programs to the cloud-based OTT platform.

Minimum integration efforts are needed to launch such a system. However, it requires extra contribution encoders to be installed on-prem, and only offloads functionality related to OTT delivery chain in the cloud. All broadcast-essential operations remain to be on-prem.

A diagram of a system enabling much more complete offload of broadcast-related functionality in the cloud is shown in the next figure.

Complete Broadcast-Cloud Convergence Architecture Diagram

Here, most broadcast-chain operations are effectively implemented in the cloud.

The most critical component that enables such migration is the cloud playout system. It operates entirely in the cloud, but enables human control and monitoring from remote terminals in the broadcast center. Functionally it is fully equivalent to the existing broadcast systems, enabling frame-accurate switching, editing, ad break placements, and other control operations as required in broadcast.

The move of playout in cloud also enables the feeds from remote and field production to be collected by the cloud platform. This eliminates the need in maintaining a farm or receiver / decoders, file servers, and various other equipment typically used for ingest. It also enables much more effective distributed, and if needed – world-scale operations, as cloud platform data centers are present in most regions.

Finally, once the playout system moves to the cloud, most subsequent operations needed for broadcast distribution – broadcast encoding and multiplexing – can also be easily migrated to cloud. This further eliminates the need in installing and maintaining farms of broadcast encoders, multiplexers, splicers, and various other equipment in broadcast facilities.

This makes the whole system much simpler to operate and maintain, and enables all other benefits of cloud operation: scalability, future proof, increased reliability, etc.

EVOLUTION OF THE BRIGHTCOVE VIDEO CLOUD PLATFORM

At Brightcove, we are always looking at ways of improving our Video Cloud platform and making it a natural choice for broadcasters considering expanding their OTT offerings and/or offloading components of their existing workflows in the cloud.

In recent years, we’ve made considerable efforts in this direction. This includes:

  • Adding support for broadcast-native ingest protocols: TS over RTP, SMPTE 2022-1, SMPTE 2022-2, SRT, etc.
  • Improving ingest capabilities of our transcoders: improved handling of interlace content, telecine, mixed cadence content, gradual refresh streams, etc.
  • Improved pre-processing and dynamic profile generation (denoising, high-quality format conversion, context-aware encoding),
  • Improving our encoders to generate broadcast compliant streams (strict HRD control, CBR operation, pass-through of broadcast specific metadata, etc.)
  • Improving live redundancy and fault-tolerance capabilities of the system
  • Adding Cloud Playout capability to the platform.

But indeed, our work continues and we are looking forward to many other ways of improving our system and working with broadcast customers, cloud platform providers, and other technology vendors towards making mass-scale broadcast operations in the cloud a reality.

More information can be found in the October 2021 Issue of SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal. Find the article “Transitioning Broadcast to Cloud”, written by Brightcove’s own engineering experts.

THREE SPORTS BRANDS TALK GETTING THE MOST FROM STREAMING

bsp-admin-1 on December 17, 2021

USING DIGITAL VIDEO TO ENGAGE SPORTS FANS

When arenas were closed to audiences, how did sports organizations maintain the emotional bond between fans and their sporting heroes? As the pandemic created physical distance, digital services stepped in to narrow the gap and – in the case of video streaming – found new ways to enhance the fan experience.

And it’s not a temporary measure; video streaming has now become a differentiator that’s helped sports brands attract new fan demographics and expand their reach beyond the physical boundaries of the pitch, court, or race track.

If you’re looking to increase engagement, three Brightcove customers recently shared six best practices they use to help make their fans feel they’re in the middle of the action, wherever they are.

1. GIVE FANS WHAT THEY WANT

Fans know that technology and connectivity exists for live streaming and audience interaction. If you don’t offer an official channel, they’ll look for other avenues to fulfill their desire to interact. As Rocky Chow, Chief Community Officer for the Hong Kong Rugby Union, says: “Having accessible content that fans can watch before, during, and after a game is important to us. It also gives us a good opportunity to identify who our fans are and tweak the content to suit them.”

2. TELL YOUR STORY

Everyone involved in sports makes an emotional investment. One way to acknowledge and reward this is by using video streaming to share how you’re investing in your fans. As Cody Winnell, Media & Communications Manager at Harness Racing Victoria, explains: “Just being able to tell your story in a certain way and have some control over your narrative and celebrate everything we know as passionate people in our industry. It’s something video streaming has really allowed us to do.”

3. DIVE INTO THE DETAIL

Your story is so much more than your brand or team’s performance. Harness Racing Victoria uses previously inaccessible stories to reach a whole new demographic – as Cody illustrates beautifully: “We had a historically aging demographic and a linear television channel. We couldn’t bring fans to live shows where they could see the drivers, the trainers, the beautiful horses and showcase their back-stories. So we introduced new digital streaming services. Now, engagement has been through the roof – the 18 to 35 age group is now our fastest growing demographic.”

4. SPEED UP THE SOCIALS

Tennis is a fast game, and fans want the latest updates just as quickly. As Supervising Producer for Live Events at Tennis Australia, John O’Neil is acutely aware of the power and value of delivering rapid stats and experiences. “One of the big things that has been of great value to us is getting content into our socials as quickly as possible. We need to, because that’s what fans want. What we see is something that pops up on a fan’s Twitter or Facebook feed leads to engagement with the website, broadcaster, or YouTube channel. And that becomes a commercial opportunity as well.”

5. MAXIMIZE MULTI-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT

With video streaming expanding audiences and providing new experiences that fans love, organizations that combine in-person and streaming services are seeing incredible returns. Rocky Chow explains the difference it’s made for Hong Kong Rugby Union: “Fans now are getting a real-life experience as well as engaging content. While the game’s happening, you can do campaigns to engage the people watching and create more activations. Having had two years of technology and looking at ways to make it work on OTT, we can now put it back into the live environment.”

6. OFFER EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

With every phone a broadcasting device, real value comes from content fans can’t get elsewhere. Exclusive footage has been especially valuable for John O’Neil at Tennis Australia: “There’s a breakpoint you need to get to so the return on investment starts to roll in. Where we got this is by offering something that was exclusive on our platform: behind the scenes coverage. Some of it we show in the arena but what we’ve done is make the whole feed available on OTT. It’s an exclusive offer – that fans want and love – and that gives us a point of difference.”

Get more game-changing video tips by watching our webinar “Is Streaming the New Arena for Sports?”.

FOUR MASTER STORYTELLING TIPS FROM SHONDA RHIMES

bsp-admin-1 on December 8, 2021

During this year’s PLAY 2021 event, I experienced one of the the highlights of my professional career (and personal life!), interviewing Shonda Rhimes about the future of storytelling.

Shonda’s work has been celebrated through numerous awards, including induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. She is the CEO of the global media company Shondaland, which approaches innovative storytelling through branded partnerships, merchandise, and content for film, digital, audio, editorial, and streaming. Shonda’s work has shifted the entertainment industry’s business model, and she has changed the face of television.

During my conversation with Shonda, she divulged her insights into how she and her team tell such amazing stories like Bridgerton, Grey’s Anatomy, and Scandal. Here are four tips from Shonda that you can use in your very own content creation.

1. BE AUTHENTIC

“Audiences are very smart these days. They watch a lot. They read a lot. They are very well-versed, and they have a nose for what feels authentic to them and what doesn’t, and you have to respect that. The simplest way to engage and connect with an audience is to be completely authentic. But pure honesty and vulnerability is surprisingly powerful for an audience in every medium.”

2. HONOR THE CREATIVE PROCESS

“Sometimes I spend the morning in regency England, the afternoon in modern-day Seattle, and the evening in New York. It’s a fascinating time with all the different stories that are being told. And so I’m jumping from area to area to area. It feels very important to me to compartmentalize. You have to live in the story that you’re in. It is important to stick to the story and to make sure that you’re following the lines of the story that you wanted to tell. Because the audience isn’t jumping around. They’re watching it all at once. They’re watching it in a binge. So you want them to have that experience.”

3. BE INCLUSIVE

“Shows that have more inclusive casts, that showcase a bigger variety of types of people, make more money. They have a higher advertising dollar rate. They draw in bigger audiences.”

4. DON’T LIMIT HOW YOU TELL YOUR STORY

“The best way to really look at an idea when it comes to you and you’re excited about it is to figure out where it belongs. We have stories that belong as documentaries. We have stories that belong as podcasts. We have stories that belong as simply just articles on our website. I always like to give an idea time to germinate and grow and see where it’s going and make sure that it’s placed in the right place for it to be successful.”

Be sure to check out all the content from PLAY 2021 that’s waiting for you on PlayTV, and read our recap post for more insights from our speakers.

USING VIDEO AT EVERY STAGE OF THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

bsp-admin-1 on December 7, 2021

Like any marketing tool, video is a medium that can and should be applied at each stage of the customer journey to achieve the optimal outcome. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the right way to leverage video’s ability to create attention, strengthen connections, and secure conversions throughout every step in the audience life cycle.

STEP 1: ALL ABOUT AWARENESS

The best way to start the customer journey is with a story. Ask yourself what your audience wants to achieve. What outcomes are they pursuing and what does success mean to them? From there, how can your business or product help guide them to that successful outcome? Aim for videos that are less than 30 seconds, contain thought leadership or inspirational content that helps them picture themselves achieving their goals, and are easily shareable across social channels.

Metrics to measure: Look for the link between views and conversions. Your most-watched video may not create the highest level of engagement. Getting eyes on the prize is important but don’t let that be your sole determining factor for what’s working in achieving your goals for the video.

STEP 2: ENABLING EVALUATION

By this point your customer will know what the problem is they want to solve and that you likely have a solution to help them get to the desired outcome. Videos need to demonstrate how your product turns customers into heroes that conquer problems and achieve their goals. Demos and ‘how-to’ videos that show your solution in action work best at this stage. Value-add is king here – differentiate your offering and make sure you provide the customer with actionable next steps on how to achieve success via your solution or the content you provide. Aim for 30 to 90 seconds long.

Metrics to measure: Percentage of video viewed. The more time your viewers spend watching, the higher the value you’re adding.

STEP 3: CREATING CONVERSIONS

You’re nearly there – it’s time to help them confidently choose you as the partner to help them achieve success! Business buyers are more likely to purchase if they’ve received or seen a recommendation – the videos to use here are customer testimonials or case studies where the customer can picture themselves in the shoes of those happy customers, and validate that you’ve solved their specific or closely-related problem before. A compelling video testimonial or case study will ideally be matched to the prospect’s challenge or organizational profile. It should be around 60 – 120 seconds long and demonstrate a clear path of how your product or solution takes customers from a position of challenge to a place of success.

Metrics to measure: Conversions. Don’t worry if they’re not immediate – engagement with videos can be used to inform lead scoring and to kick off automated nurture sequences that allow you to continue the conversation with people who are invested in learning about your solution.

STEP 4: ACTIVATING ADOPTION AND RETENTION

We all know the job isn’t done once a sale is made. In fact, it’s precisely the time to double-down on making sure you’re giving customers great value via video. Use video to onboard new customers, announce enhancements, share product roadmaps, and deliver exclusive customer messaging. ‘How-to’ videos at this stage bring the product to life and ensure customers are getting the most out of their investment.

Metrics to measure: Viewing and engagement – interactions with this content prove you’re developing a relationship beyond the initial purchase and continuing to deliver value to your customers.

Want to learn more? Read our guide on 7 Ways to Drive More Revenue with B2B Video Marketing.

VIDEO INTEGRATIONS: THE NEW BRIGHTCOVE MARKETPLACE

bsp-admin-1 on December 1, 2021

Brightcove has been partnering with technology providers for years to deliver innovative business outcomes with video. Officially launched on September 28 at PLAY ‘21, the Brightcove Marketplace formalizes and evolves our technology partnership program. The Marketplace enables us to accelerate our platform innovation by tapping into technology advancements from our partners and their bespoke solutions.

A MARKETPLACE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS

The Marketplace makes it easy for customers to discover and add functionality to the Brightcove platform to solve their specific business challenges. For each listing on the Marketplace, we emphasize the benefit of the integration to customers and clarify how it works. Additionally, each integration identifies the APIs it uses and the specific Brightcove products it works with.

According to Rajan Shah, VP of Technology Partners & Integrations at Brightcove, “With the Brightcove Marketplace we are addressing the ever-evolving needs of our customers in their video execution journey. We are marrying the rich value of our platform with other leading technologies in the video ecosystem and facilitating a more meaningful engagement.”

WAYS TO EXPERIENCE THE MARKETPLACE

The Marketplace takes the form of a centralized hub of integrations and is readily accessible from www.brightcove.com and also via all Brightcove Video Cloud accounts. You can see a demo by catching up on the PLAY ‘21 session “Meet the New Brightcove Marketplace.” A breadth of video solutions are represented in the Marketplace. There are a couple of ways to navigate and explore the integrations:

  1. Search using the solution categories – Each integration is labelled and classified by our solution categories. Each category represents a well-defined subset of the video technology market. You can click on each of the categories from the navigation column on the left of the Marketplace home page.Marketplace home page nav

  2. Explore integrations that align with your business goals – Front and center on the Marketplace is a drop-down menu of business objectives such as “monetize my content” or “train and engage my employees.” The Marketplace makes it easy to discover and connect with partners whose integrations can support your goals.Marketplace drop-down search

  3. Keyword search – The search bar at the top of the Marketplace allows you to search for what you’re looking for using keywords.Marketplace search

If you are unable to find the right solution to meet your needs, the Marketplace will prompt you to get in touch with us. We welcome your input and the opportunity to connect so we can understand your business goals for video.

In addition to integrations from our partners, the Marketplace also features Brightcove-powered integrations we have built and support in-house. Spanning numerous solution categories, these integrations are especially useful for connecting Brightcove with widely used automation, e-commerce, analytics, and content management platforms.

WHAT ARE OUR PARTNERS SAYING?

More than 60 integrations are currently listed in the Marketplace. Here are observations from two of our integration partners:

“As a long-term Brightcove partner, we’re excited to be part of the Marketplace. We think it is the best way for customers to enhance every aspect of end-to-end video on the Brightcove platform,” says Kevin Quan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ramp. Brightcove and Ramp have partnered together to integrate Video Cloud and Ramp eCDN solutions to manage the flow of video inside the corporate firewall and deliver a great viewing experience for enterprise customers.Ramp IntegrationBrightcove-certified plug-in works with all Ramp eCDN solutions (OmniCache, Multicast+ and Ramp P2P)

“Brightcove is IRIS.TV’s longest-standing partner and has plug-ins that make integration turnkey,” remarks Rohan Castelino, VP of Marketing at IRIS.TV. The company provides a seamless tech integration of their video recommendation solutions into Brightcove Player and content management system. Joint customers of Brightcove and IRIS.TV benefit from increased subscriber yield, user engagement, and retention.IRIS.TV IntegrationIRIS.TV’s video recommendation player plug-ins with Brightcove

IT’S ONLY JUST THE BEGINNING

The Marketplace launched with 40+ integrations, and in the few weeks since, we have seen a 29% growth in the number that are available. The Brightcove Marketplace will continue to grow in the coming months and years, allowing us to deliver greater value and new video experiences to our customers. We can’t wait to see the new capabilities our incredible partners come up with.

CORPORATE TV: THE NEXT BIG THING IN ENTERPRISE COMMUNICATION

bsp-admin-1 on November 16, 2021

One of the most significant ongoing challenges for communication professionals is figuring out what engagement technology to invest in next. And unfortunately, there is a great deal of noise in communications platform space these days. Technology companies are pushing ‘innovations’ ranging from short-form asynchronous video (basically corporate Snapchat) to self-service live streaming (basically corporate Twitch) to audio huddles . . . which, to the disappointment of many, turned out to be nothing more than video meetings with the video turned off.

It’s fair to say the enterprise communication technology space is in a bit of a creative funk right now, and the time is right for something new. But the good news is, the ‘something new’ we are seeking is already here—and it’s called Corporate TV.

WHAT IS CORPORATE TV?

In its simplest form Corporate TV is an ‘always on’ video portal similar in design to any popular subscription streaming service or app, but purpose-built for enterprise content—training courses, onboarding videos, sales enablement tools, demand generation assets, recorded webcasts and company town halls being a few examples. Much like a consumer streaming service Corporate TV provides viewers (in this case employees and external stakeholders) with usability features including carousel viewing, customized channels, playlists, cross-recommendations, robust search, account security, and the very familiar ‘movie app’ experience companies like YouTube and Netflix have been training us to love since the mid-2000s.

But above and beyond the usability stuff, Corporate TV comes with things that transform enterprise communication into an engaging, audience-building powerhouse. Features like flawless video viewing on any device (including Smart TVs), the ability to stream live events, multiple subscription and e-commerce options, and full integration with mission-critical applications in the marketing, HR and communications stack are also standard. To put it more simply, Corporate TV gives enterprises the opportunity to deliver video content to stakeholders in the same manner professional media organizations deliver it to their customers . . . at a fraction of the cost, and without requiring an IT team to manage it all.

CORPORATE TV FOR INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

When it comes to Corporate TV for internal use, enterprises can now offer employees a single, out of the box, easy to manage and highly familiar experience for accessing video content across the organization, as well as its departments and functions. Content producers can also make individual videos or entire playlists accessible by role, department or team, and track internal engagement with video assets down to the user level.

But with Corporate TV, delivery of on demand video is just the beginning. Corporate TV can be used to stream and manage live internal events as well—including monthly town halls, recognition ceremonies, wellness festivals, benefits workshops, culture summits and sales kickoff meetings. And Corporate TV platforms come with their own intelligent video delivery networks, which support an unlimited number of concurrent viewers and automatically optimize video content for each end-user device.

CORPORATE TV FOR EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

If distributing live and on demand video to employees in a Disney Plus-style format is an exciting thought, imagine what marketers can do with this technology for external audiences. On the stakeholder engagement side, a single Corporate TV portal can be set up to serve every external group an enterprise supports. Customers, partners, contract employees, vendors, analysts, investors and even board members can be served video via Corporate TV, with both on demand video and live events (product rollouts, partner training, investor calls, analyst briefings and customer summits) secured and accessible by user type.

And for demand-focused marketers, Corporate TV offers a nearly unlimited ability to build audiences, generate leads and drive revenue directly. Corporate TV can be the home for an enterprise’s most high-value marketing and lead generation assets—all of which can be placed behind authentication or paid subscriber walls, and integrated with existing marketing automation and marketing analytics technologies. Live marketing events like thought leadership sessions, web shows and entertainment-focused content can be made available in a variety of registration models including free, paid, recurring subscription and even ad supported.

WRAPPING IT UP

It is rare when technology allows an enterprise to approach stakeholders in a truly different way. But as we discussed earlier, Corporate TV can turn any internal or external communication effort into a media-quality experience—for a fraction of what companies like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon Prime and HBO Max paid to develop their platforms. It’s also an exciting technology that market-leading companies like Salesforce, DemandBase and Terminus have recently implemented for VERY high profile use cases (Google it) and thousands more companies are scrambling to learn about.

The message here is simple: if your organization isn’t giving Corporate TV a serious look in 2021, your competitors surely are—which means you’re already behind.

BRIGHTCOVE ROI FOR MEDIA COMPANIES [FORRESTER REPORT]

bsp-admin-1 on November 2, 2021

For media companies, so much is riding on your choice of video platform. And while making a decision this impactful, you can already hear the questions: Will it be worth the expense? How will it help? What kind of return can we expect on this investment?

These can be difficult questions to answer because there are so many factors to consider. So we commissioned Forrester Consulting to explore them. Their findings are contained in “The Total Economic Impact of Brightcove on Media Organizations” – download it here.

WHAT THEY DISCOVERED

The big takeaway? Forrester found that media companies can realize a 226% ROI over three years with Brightcove.

Breaking things down a little, media organizations experience many benefits while using the Brightcove platform. You can:

  • Attract a 15-20% larger audience due to the ability to quickly deliver content to new markets and devices.
  • Spend 80% less time migrating content thanks to the ability to quickly transcode massive amounts of video.
  • Dedicate 83% less time to manual content management because of an easy-to-use interface and better overall UX.
  • See 75% fewer compliance problems due to built-in security features that significantly reduce the risk of SLA violations and the fines that result.
  • Gain 50% of employees’ time back from the ability to process videos from any vendor without quality loss or outages.
  • Increase customer lifetime value as a result of a better overall viewer experience.

Media organizations operate in fast-moving and ever-changing environments. They require all parts of their organizations to provide high-quality content at a moment’s notice. As media organizations continue to expand digital video offerings globally, the need for video quality, speed to market, and platform flexibility becomes even more critical. – “The Total Economic Impact of Brightcove on Media Organizations,” a Forrester study commissioned by Brightcove

FOR MEDIA COMPANIES, IT’S ESSENTIAL TO GET VIDEO RIGHT

Any organization that depends on delivering flawless video must understand the distinction between a platform built for serious business and one that is built for… much less. Learn what you need to know in “The Total Economic Impact of Brightcove on Media Organizations” – you can download it here.

Give your employees and your audience an experience they’ll both love. Because there’s video… and there’s Brightcove video.

BRIGHTCOVE INTRODUCES ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) PROGRAM

bsp-admin-1 on November 1, 2021

A REFLECTION OF PLACE

At Brightcove, we exist to connect communities through video. So, naturally, we take our place in our communities seriously. From the universe of people watching videos, the customers who rely on video to reach their audiences, our employees and their families, to the local communities where we work — we are dedicated to respecting people and our environment.

Our commitment to people and the environment has been part of the company culture for as long as we can remember. Over time, each part of the organization adopted practices to support these commitments. We’ve had policies and procedures in place to promote diversity and prevent discrimination and harassment. As a technology company selling software, we’ve had relatively low carbon emissions. We’ve worked in environmentally-conscious buildings, which are accessible via public transportation wherever possible.

These efforts were inherent to Brightcove, but they existed primarily in principle and not in form. We had no way of explicitly sharing our commitment with our employees, customers, or communities. That’s where the idea of formalizing our environmental, social, and governance practices came in.

BUT, HOW?

There are myriad reasons to get on the ESG train: It’s trendy. It’s viewed favorably by customers. It helps to retain and attract talent. It’s viewed favorably by investors, etc. When asked to help develop Brightcove’s ESG program, my mission was to create programs to further our positive social and environmental impact, both internally and in our community, in a manner that is authentic to Brightcove’s culture.

We brainstormed numerous things that Brightcove could do, and logged infinite possibilities that could make a difference. Labor rights policies, resource use policies, supply chain responsibility policies, climate change strategies, business ethics practices, waste intensity disclosures, human trafficking and slavery audits…the options can spin a burgeoning ESG program out of control.

To maximize our impact, we’ve restrained ourselves from taking on every opportunity at once. Instead, our approach is a measured one. We’ve surveyed the current state of Brightcove’s humanitarian and environmental efforts and unearthed tendencies towards transparency, employee development, honoring differences, and employee-powered sustainability practices. Our first step is to memorialize these realities, making them known and ensuring that we do not back away from what has already become part of Brightcove’s essential culture.

A CONSCIOUS, AUTHENTIC BUSINESS

Today, we launched Brightcove’s ESG webpage, which shares our approach and keeps us accountable. It reflects initiatives that are real and meaningful for our company:

  • Board diversity
  • Shouldering the responsibility to protect personal data
  • An ongoing, transparent dialogue between management and employees
  • Practices and training to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging among our employees

Through the ESG program, we are motivated to do more. The program – our efforts – will constantly evolve as we evaluate and reevaluate how we can make the most substantial impact in our communities. We’ve only just hit “play” and eagerly anticipate the strides Brightcove will make as the program develops. You can learn more about it here – and check back soon to keep up with our progress.