Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
By Contributor
Published: August 9, 2024 Updated: August 12, 2024
Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/opinion-why-the-right-approach-is-essential-to-successful-cloud-migration title=Share via Email class=share-email>
For an industry accustomed to measuring success in terms of product firmware updates and software versions, the pace of cloud migration across media and entertainment has been an interesting case study in iterative implementation.
Chris McCarthy, TMT Insights vice president, media solutions Our industry has moved past earlier concerns about the cloud, such as security, data speed, and content access. Companies that not long ago would have said, Cloud? Never! are realising the cloud is the future if they want to remain competitive. They have done the maths and found that cloud technologies are now viable supply chain platforms.
The industry conversation surrounding the cloud has clearly shifted from if to when. The days of wondering whether it makes sense to move to the cloud at all are behind us. The right migration path has to make sense for the whole organisation, as well as its partners and customers. There's no one-size-fits-all plan for everyone.
Some companies are wrestling with which aspects of their business should go to the cloud first, others are phasing their cloud migration while still harbouring concerns about moving on from their familiar processes and operational workflows. Even those that are still all SDI/baseband at least have the cloud on their radar. Regardless of where the industry is on its cloud journey, one constant is that the cloud is forcing people to think differently and examine their workflows more closely than they ever have.
According to a 2023 report on cloud adoption by Forrester, of all the M&E companies surveyed:
73% are running at least one application in the cloud.
57% use the cloud for storage
52% use the cloud for content piracy protection
92% say cloud adoption has been successful
The state of cloud migration What new concerns or issues could possibly hold back the next wave of Cloud 3.0, 4.0 or beyond?
In the early phases of M&E's cloud migration, most companies focused on determining what content in their library archives would move to the cloud, even as a backup at first while still maintaining their on-premise infrastructure. With many having completed that initial phase, the next step is building out supply chains in the cloud to make full use of the content that's already been or will be, moved to the cloud. Now the big questions centre on how to ingest directly to the cloud, conduct processing in the cloud instead of on-premise, and then archive everything for easy access and use.
Even distribution is moving more to the cloud. Many companies that used to be concerned about egress costs and delivery logistics negating the cloud's value are now seeing that more distribution endpoints and platforms are also in the cloud. They don't have to deliver anything externally or pay egress fees. They can copy a piece of media with associated metadata from one bucket to another in the cloud.
Most downstream elements of the media supply chain, like archive or distribution, have already moved to the cloud. Now M&E professionals are more focused on looking further upstream in the supply chain towards cloud-based production and post-production - two areas traditionally viewed as on-premise only.
Virtual production still requires some level of hardware and people on-site, but the bigger benefit is that teams can be located anywhere around the world and still collaborate seamlessly on a remote production. Content goes directly to the cloud and then, once it's there, the idea is that it stays there along with the rest of the downstream process.
A successful cloud migration also integrates the necessary change management procedures and any potential ripple effects across an organisation. Unlike a newly launched shop that likely started as cloud-native, more established organisations may have to manage operations and technology professionals who have worked for decades with easy access to hardware and are uncomfortable adapting to virtual environments. In these situations, it's critical to maintain an open dialogue between management and teams to clearly communicate the benefits of change and to offer any training or support employees need.
The most significant challenge many companies still face is not having a solid cloud migration plan to make sure they receive all the benefits while avoiding any pitfalls. Organisations that have decided to move to the cloud must approach migration holistically, not only in terms of the physical movement of media assets but also the usable metadata that goes along with that. Moving to the cloud is a big step. Companies can't expect to flip a switch and have everything work exactly as it did before.
Just as we've moved on from asking whether we migrate to the cloud at all, in the not-too-distant future, the only discussion will be around what elements do I still have on-premise and how do I get them into the cloud - basically the inverse of what we have today.
That's a bright forecast for an industry with a cloudy future.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
