From satellite to IP: Personalise live streams at scale

Speaking on the Content Everywhere stage, Jonathan Low, VP, Channel Sales, Partnerships, Zixi, said: “Satellite has been the backbone of contribution and distribution for over 40 years. What’s changed is that IP finally got reliable enough to trust for tier‑one live broadcast.” 

Paul Finster, VP, Business Development, Partnerships, Amagi, noted that broadcasters have talked about migrating to IP for a decade, but only now are the bandwidth and quality ready for prime‑time broadcast.” 

Amagi runs thousands of cloud‑based channels, and Finster said IP unlocks capabilities satellite simply cannot match. 

“We can deliver personalised streams at scale,” he said. “Targeted content, localised feeds, even individualised streams all over the open internet.” 

Regulatory pressure is accelerating the shift. “Broadcasters are being pushed as frequencies are auctioned off,” Low said. “It’s forcing a move to IP but also creating new monetisation opportunities.” 

IP removes the constraints of satellite such as finite transponder space and fixed channel capacity. “Instead of 30 satellite feeds, you can deliver thousands,” Low said. “That opens up new revenue streams.” 

Finster highlighted targeted advertising as one of the biggest gains. “We can insert ads for a specific location, household, even an individual. That’s impossible with satellite.” 

Still, both executives stressed that satellite will remain essential for major live events and remote regions. 

“Tier‑one sports still rely on satellite,” Finster said. “And rural affiliates may need hybrid setups.” 

“This isn’t IP versus satellite,” Low agreed. “It’s IP and satellite. Bonded, redundant, and more flexible.”