Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it comes to ad insertion. It also demonstrates a disconnect between sustainability efforts and cost implications.
Key Challenges and Opportunities from the Report
This year's Video Developer Report saw advertising (15%) remain the top opportunity for innovation. However, ad insertion also remained the top challenge, cited by 38% of respondents. The research also showed that the number of respondents using the advertising/AVOD business model has grown to 69%, up from 56%. Additionally, the number of respondents using the FAST business model is 46%, up from 39%.
Regarding advertising technologies, Client-Side Ad Insertion just merged as the top choice, cited by 64% of respondents. Server-Side Ad Insertion is a close second and used by 63% of respondents. Dynamic Ad Insertion was the third favorite (25%) and Server-Guided Ad Insertion was fourth (21%).
The second biggest challenge for respondents remains controlling costs (31%) which reflects the ongoing macroeconomic conditions; the third challenge is playback on all devices (29%).
Since our first report in 2017, the streaming industry has undergone a massive transformation. This year's findings show the industry's continued focus on being able to monetize content effectively to support growth, said Stefan Lederer, CEO and co-founder of Bitmovin, However, the fact that ad insertion is the top challenge for the industry reflects the ongoing technical challenges with ad insertion. The industry needs to solve them if it wants to maximize the benefits of ad-based revenue models.
A Mixed Response to Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
ML and AI is the driving force behind a number of innovations in the media and entertainment technology industry. Almost a third (28%) stated that audio transcription and speech-to-text are where they will be using AI tools to improve customer experiences. This is followed by tagging and categorizing video (13%) and personalization (8%). However, the number of respondents saying they have no plans to use ML and AI is 9%, up from 6%.
Sustainability vs. Cost Pressures
The findings from the Video Developer Report present a clear tension between company's understanding of the importance of sustainability and economic realities. 70% of respondents indicated that sustainability is not a business priority due to cost concerns, this is up from 40%. On the other hand, almost a third of respondents (28%) said that sustainability is a high priority even if it means paying a little more, while 2% stated green streaming a top priority, regardless of costs compared to 6% previously.
Stefan Lederer added: ML and AI, and sustainability have been huge topics in video streaming over the past couple of years. However, while ML and AI has translated into innovations and adoption, sustainability seems to be falling down the industry's agenda. It's disappointing, but it also reflects the economic landscape we're operating in where companies are focusing on topics like monetization and ML and AI, which they believe will positively impact their bottom line.
Slow but Steady Adoption of Next-Gen Codecs
H.264/AVC remains the dominant codec (80%), followed by H.265/HEVC (49%), and VP9 (13%) and AV1 (13%). AV1 is the top codec for planned adoption in the coming 12 months (32%) but the findings reflect there's a general lag between the industry's plans and the implementation.
The 8th edition of the annual Video Developer Report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of video streaming, based on data collected from video developers and industry professionals across 34 countries. It offers valuable insights for broadcasters, OTT platforms, and media organizations seeking to stay ahead of industry trends.
The full Bitmovin Video Developer Report 2025 is now available for download.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
21/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host Power Electronics Online Conference From Design to Vali...
21/04/2026
MAS and Lockheed Martin partner to establish an F-35 depot in Canada, enabling in-country sustainment and creating high-skilled aerospace jobs....
21/04/2026
Advertising strategies shift as competition grows for a large, active and qualit...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Layercake Deepens Bitmovin Integration to Power End-to-End Media Orchestration w...
21/04/2026
Cobalt Digital Announces Launch of blueCORE at NAB Show 2026: Compact Powerhouse...
21/04/2026
On-Premise AI Suite from Studio Network Solutions Debuts at NAB Show 2026
Melanie Ciotti April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Unlimited processing, no cloud depe...
21/04/2026
London, 21 April 2026 IBC today announced the appointment of Tim Banham as its first Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), a newly created role that reflects the or...
21/04/2026
Motion Design Tools - April 2026
Roland Kahlenberg April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Within 2 days, Maxon and Canva announced pro-level motion design apps - A...
21/04/2026
Chaos and Zero Density to Showcase Real-Time Ray Tracing for Virtual Studios and...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Cinema 4D brings professional 3D workflows to iPad. The return of Autograph now free for individual users. ZBrush expands to Windows on Arm. See it all at NAB...
21/04/2026
Software version 1.6 extends enterprise functionality to place Buttons at the heart of media operations at any scale
Bitfocus, the Norwegian software develope...
21/04/2026
Cobalt Digital Announces Launch of blueCORE at NAB Show 2026: Compact Powerhouse Signal Processors for SDI and ST 2110 Workflows
Compact, multi-function stan...
21/04/2026
Applications open for 2026 AISF and Screen Australia Writer/Director Virtual Ses...
21/04/2026
Comscore Continues Building Momentum in Local Measurement Through New Agreements...
21/04/2026
Summer is nearly here and Super Garden is returning to our screens to spark some gardening inspiration. The new series kicks off on Thursday 23 April at 7pm on ...
20/04/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Sony is showcasing a broad slate of innovations across liv...
20/04/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Canon is doubling down on its commitment to live sports pr...
20/04/2026
Fujifilm is sharpening its focus on core broadcast production with a new wave of...
20/04/2026
This upcoming summer in North America is going to be a busy one. The 2026 FIFA M...
20/04/2026
Glookast (Booth W1661) announced a series of product updates at NAB Show 2026, c...
20/04/2026
Matrox Video and Amagi announced a collaboration to integrate the Matrox ORIGIN ...
20/04/2026
Riedel Communications (Booth C4908) announced that the Asociaci n del F tbol Arg...
20/04/2026
Ikegami (Booth C3819) announced the VFE-P07D monocular OLED viewfinder at NAB Sh...
20/04/2026
International Association of MediaTech (IAMT), formerly known as IABM, announced...
20/04/2026
Harmonic (Booth W2831) announced that DIRECTV is updating its US direct-to-home (DTH) video platform using Harmonic's VOS Media Software.
The deployment is...
20/04/2026
Wasabi Technologies announced that it has acquired the Lyve Cloud business from Seagate Technology. As part of the agreement, Seagate received equity in Wasabi ...
20/04/2026
EVS (Booth N1841) has launched Choreon, a robotics controller for media producti...
20/04/2026
The NAB Show is in full swing, and the SVG and SVG Europe editorial teams are chasing down the hottest stories from all over the Las Vegas Convention Center. He...
20/04/2026
Skyline Communications announced the availability of its DataMiner xOps platform...
20/04/2026
Studio Network Solutions (Booth N1129) introduced a set of new products at NAB S...
20/04/2026
Dell Technologies is showcasing its Dell AI Data Platform with NVIDIA at NAB Sho...
20/04/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced Fairlight Live, a software-based live audio mixer with SMPTE 2110 support and spatial audio mixing. A public beta is available n...
20/04/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Imagine Communications VP of Sales, Sports an...
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it comes to ad insertion. It also demonstrates a disconnect between sustainability efforts and cost implications.
