Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Saving money in the media supply chain

06/02/2025

6 RULES TO LIVE BY Arguably the top priority for media businesses in 2025 is to reduce operational costs. But that's easier said than done when you're faced with increasing content delivery demands for an ever-evolving consumer landscape. Based on our real-world experience working with international media organisations, we've put together six principles to help you save money across the content supply chain.

1. You can't monetise what you can't see. There are vast libraries of unmanaged content running into the 10s of petabytes at a number of the big production labels much of which isn't even available as a browsable version. This media may as well not exist as you can't monetise what you can't see. This is a common situation that's increasing due to the significant M&A activity in the industry where multiple media catalogues have been combined from once separate production and distribution companies. But large volume content management is not an insurmountable problem. The first priority for any content owner or rights holder should be to bring everything under management so that you understand what content is in the library. Connect the MAM to the media, wherever it is, and have it register the material, generate a visible browse version, and hoover up as much metadata as you can find. If there really is no data, a simple microservice program can automatically generate metadata based on the information contained in your filenames. You might be surprised by how far this will take you.

2. Nobody move anything, until you know what it is. An end-to-end media supply chain is not synonymous with the cloud. Your media and the workflows involved in creating, managing and delivering content across various platforms and tools can be controlled and observable whether it's in the cloud, on the ground (on-prem') or any combination of the two. Bringing media under management doesn't mean moving it to the cloud or anywhere else. Once you've registered the assets and made them visible (see point 1 above) you can make an informed, value based, business decision as to where the most appropriate place is for them to be stored. Too often we hear media execs talking about their cloud strategy rather than the business strategy and the cloud' as an outcome whereas it should be viewed as a component - albeit an extremely powerful component of a business objective.

3. Clean as you go. Cloud services can deliver significant flexibility and efficiency. Equally, storing material in cloud storage has accessibility and security benefits. But cloud storage is definitely not the least expensive option. So, if you choose to migrate your content into the cloud, it's worth getting your housekeeping done before you make the move. First understand what you have, what condition it's in, what the likely value is, and what rights you hold. Other simple housekeeping tasks such as material deduplication or identifying minutes of colour black run out from a digitised tape, or camera pointing at ground rushes can also be carried out with the material in situ. The 90's broadcast engineers' joke of operators inadvertently archiving hundreds of hours of colour bars isn't quite so funny when you move from a $10/TB LTO to incrementally priced cloud storage.

For this reason, we tend to support a controlled migration of content and workflows to the cloud rather than the forklift content and sort it out when it gets there' approach.

4. You don't need to shut down existing systems to modernise your operation. Your legacy' systems can, and probably do, still deliver value. There's no need to change your entire technology ecosystem just because you want to introduce new tools, streamline your workflows or take advantage of cloud scale. In a constantly developing technology landscape, the best approach is to integrate, not deprecate. Your MAM orchestration platform should integrate with both legacy and new technologies so that existing systems can continue to deliver value while new tools - such as AI applications - can be readily incorporated into workflows to support ever changing business needs. At Blue Lucy we achieve this by using our BLAM microservice architecture to connect disparate systems and enable a controlled migration to modern workflows.

5. It doesn't matter where the content is. No, really. The actual location of your content should have no bearing on your ability to monetize it. Your MAM should provide easy and uniform access to all your assets, no matter where the ops' team or the media is physically located. On-prem and cloud storage should be viewed interchangeably rather than one being for operations, such as fulfilment, and the other for the safety copy because your MAM knows' where the material is and can be configured to use the most appropriate repository. And, if your operation is all cloud, then the need for a safety copy is moot as the cloud vendor can provide multi-copy resilient storage through simple configuration. 80% of Blue Lucy BLAM deployments are hybrid and use both cloud and ground storage.

6. Start small and work incrementally. Big bang Transformation projects are dead, and good riddance. Big projects cost big money, carry big risk and often end up in big disappointment (when they're not quietly killed). Even the successful ones take a long time to deliver value, and the true RoI rarely moves the needle on the CFO's dashboard, certainly after the long-departed big consultancy company fees are included.

Instead, big projects can be delivered in small steps using modern service-based technology and open APIs. That's why we recommend focussing projects on end-to-end solutions for a thin, horizontal operational slice. This approach proves the technology and the business
LINK: https://bluelucy.com/saving-money-in-the-media-supply-chain/...
See more stories from bluelucy

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

04/03/2026

100 Days to Go: SBS Unveils World Class Team for The Greatest Show on Earth -The FIFA World Cup 2026

100 Days to Go: SBS Unveils World Class Team for The Greatest Show on Earth -The...

04/03/2026

KT and Rohde & Schwarz to showcase AI-enhanced radio transmission performance

KT and Rohde & Schwarz to showcase AI-enhanced radio transmission performance In a joint 6G AI proof-of-concept demonstration, the CMX500 one-box tester from ...

04/03/2026

APTS Announces Public Broadcast Leadership, Advocacy Awards

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/03/2026

SES publishes 2025 Annual Report

Luxembourg, 3 March 2026 - SES S.A. has today published its 2025 Annual Report, following the announcement of the company's full year financial results for ...

04/03/2026

NBC Sports, USA Sports Extend Rights Deal with PGA

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/03/2026

Broadcasters Gather in DC for NAB State Leadership Conference

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/03/2026

Transforming Africa's Future Farmers: Satellite-Enabled IoT Powers Data-Driven Agribusinesses

Luxembourg, March 3, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, along with I...

04/03/2026

Bloodhounds' Season 2 Gears Up for April 3 Premiere with Hard-Hitting New Teaser and Poster

Back to All News Bloodhounds' Season 2 Gears Up for April 3 Premiere with ...

04/03/2026

Netflix Ads Suite Expands Capabilities

Back to All News Netflix Ads Suite Expands Capabilities Business 04 March 2026 GlobalUnited States Link copied to clipboard After launching the Netflix Ad...

04/03/2026

March 02, 2026

Scripps Research welcomes healthcare innovator Joe Kiani to the Board of Directors Kiani brings decades of experience in patient safety and public service. Mar...

04/03/2026

March 03, 2026

Nanoparticle vaccine approach takes on a new target: Hepatitis C virus Scripps Research scientists reengineer critical proteins on the surface of HCV, paving th...

03/03/2026

LIV Golf, Beyond Sports Elevate Online Gaming Ecosystem with Launch of LIV Golf Fantasy and LIV X

Beyond Sports, a Sony group company, and LIV Golf, the world's golf league, ...

03/03/2026

Ilitch Sports + Entertainment Announces Launch of Detroit SportsNet

Ilitch Sports + Entertainment announces the launch of Detroit SportsNet (DSN), a year-round broadcast home for two of Detroit's franchises. With flexible op...

03/03/2026

Advanced Systems Group Promotes Gretchen Taipale to Vice President, Managed Services

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media ...

03/03/2026

PGA of America, NBC Sports, and USA Sports Extend Media Rights Agreement Through 2033

The PGA of America, NBC Sports and USA Sports extend their media rights agreemen...

03/03/2026

HONOR, ARRI Announce Technical Collaboration to Bring ARRI Image Science into Next-Gen Consumer Devices

AI device ecosystem company HONOR enters into a strategic technical collaboratio...

03/03/2026

Telos Alliance Partners with College Radio Foundation to Support College Broadcasters

Cleveland's Telos Alliance, pioneers in broadcast technology for 30 years, l...

03/03/2026

Sennheiser Relaunches MD 9235 Wireless Mic Head

The MD 9235 microphone head for wireless handhelds has been a firm favorite with many engineers and artists for its ability to cut through high on-stage levels ...

03/03/2026

Haivision to Showcase Private 5G and Live Video Contribution Innovations at MWC 2026

Haivision Systems Inc. (Haivision), a global provider of mission-critical, real-...

03/03/2026

BMG Expands Washington Broadcast Center with 3 New TV Studios and Podcast Studio for Media Clients

Broadcast Management Group (BMG) announces the expansion of its 62,000-square-fo...

03/03/2026

Closing the Loop: Maroon 5 and the End of the Analog Era

Maroon 5's musical tour in 2025 marked a leap forward in live audio as Monitor Engineer Dave Rupsch utilized Sennheiser's all-digital Spectera wireless ...

03/03/2026

SVG in Indy: Pacers Sports & Entertainment Finds Production Sweet Spot in ST 2110-Based Control Center

Designed specifically for pro basketball, the renovated space at Gainbridge Fiel...

03/03/2026

Lawo Appoints Jamie Dunn CEO

As part of the move, former CEO Phillipp Lawo joins the broadcast-tech provider's Supervisory Board Lawo has announced appointment of Jamie Dunn as chief e...

03/03/2026

NBC Turns Back the Clock to 1990s for NBA Coast 2 Coast' Tuesday

A team of legendary announcers and analysts and a classic graphics look will bring the past to life NBC Sports and Peacock will return to yesteryear for tonigh...

03/03/2026

Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2026 Returns for Its Third Edition

From April 30 to May 3, Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2026 will offer a selection of exciting independent cinema. Mexico City, March 3, 2026 - At a moment of he...

03/03/2026

How Multi-Format Readers' Are Redefining Reading in the UK's National Year of Reading

For many, finding time or headspace to pick up a book can feel out of reach, but...

03/03/2026

Rohde & Schwarz and Realtek demonstrate first test solution for Bluetooth LE High Data Throughput (HDT)

Rohde & Schwarz and Realtek demonstrate first test solution for Bluetooth LE Hi...

03/03/2026

Sediba Scriptwriting Training Programme - Matatiele (Eastern Cape)

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites aspiring and emerging filmmakers from Matatiele and surrounding areas to apply for the Sediba Scriptwritin...

03/03/2026

Clear-Com Supplies Cloud-based Communications System for SaxaVord Spaceport

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

03/03/2026

Magellan AI Integrates Nielsen DMA Data to Bring Local Market Measurement to Podcast Attribution

Nielsen's DMA data gives Magellan AI users a standardized way to measure th...

03/03/2026

Lawo Promotes Jamie Dunn to CEO

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Elements To Showcase Newly Unveiled GRID NAS Platform At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Moments Lab To Feature Agentic AI For Video Workflows At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Marshall Electronics Launches Compact CV356-10X Full HD C...

Marshall Electronics premieres the CV356-10X, its latest compact 10X camera that offers Full HD with simultaneous SDI and HDMI outputs, at NAB 2026 (Booth C8339...

03/03/2026

farmerswife and Cirkus to Showcase Smarter Media Workflow...

farmerswife, the industry-leading enterprise operations platform for broadcast and post-production, today announced it will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vega...

03/03/2026

Manfrotto ONE Hybrid Tripod Wins iF Design Award 2026

Manfrotto has announced that the Manfrotto ONE Hybrid tripod has won the iF DESIGN AWARD 2026, one of the world's most respected design honours. Selected ...

03/03/2026

DHD to Introduce Latest Generation Broadcast Audio Mixers...

DHD is expanding the capabilities of its DX2, RX2, SX2 and TX2 broadcast audio mixers, RM1 portable production unit and XC3/XD3/XS2 processing cores with the in...

03/03/2026

Synamedia and MoMe launch first streaming CDN in Spain

Leading video software provider Synamedia and MoMe, a leading Spanish consultancy and systems integrator, today announced the launch of Spain's first stream...

03/03/2026

Long-Awaited ATSC 3.0 Rulemaking Overshadows NAB Show Expectations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Audio Tech at NAB Show: Are We in the Second Wave' of IP?

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

IP's Impact on Imaging Tech on Full Display at NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Live Production Over IP in 2026: Software-Defined Everything

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

NAB Show Leverages Revitalized LVCC To Reflect M&E Transformation

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/03/2026

Home Post Production Strengthens Factual and Natural Hist...

Home Post Production has further expanded its factual, unscripted, and entertainment capabilities with the acquisition of Picture Shop Bristol, a leading post h...