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Low-Latency Video Delivery Needs and Growth Opportunities

  • Report

  • 26 Pages
  • March 2021
  • Region: Global
  • Frost & Sullivan
  • ID: 5306987

Survey Respondents Consider Cost and Scaling Networks to be the Biggest Implementation Challenges

Since 2019, low and ultra-low latency video delivery for live streaming has been a hot topic among vendors in the content delivery network (CDN) market. The analyst has seen a disconnect between what CDNs are selling and what customers want to deploy, which is the point of this survey sent via email to industry professionals across the media, broadcast, publishing, and OTT verticals. A total of 104 people responded.

The idea of low latency is to reduce the amount of delay between the live video stream of an event on the internet versus the traditional broadcast feed on TV. Historically, live streaming events could be as much as 1 minute behind the TV feed.

While some have suggested that this delay provides a poor user experience, multiple factors have prevented low and ultra-latency technology from being adopted at scale.

Many content owners, broadcasters, and over-the-top providers do not gain any business benefit by adopting low-latency live video streaming: enabling the functionality does not generate more viewers or additional advertising revenue. When they look at the additional cost of enabling low-latency streaming technologies and the complexity it adds to their live streaming workflow, the benefits do not outweigh the cost. This is why high-profile events such as the Super Bowl have not implemented any low-latency streaming technology. Ultra-low latency does provide a better user experience and business benefits in specific instances, such as online betting, video surveillance, audio/video calling, and other two-way interactive communications.

For third-party CDNs that deliver a lot of live video streaming, providing low and ultra-low latency solutions is not a big revenue-generating opportunity. It is only being adopted by a small percentage of the market, for niche applications and, many times, in specific countries. 


Table of Contents

1. Strategic Imperatives
  • Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow?
  • The Strategic Imperative 8™
  • Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine™


2. Growth Environment
  • Market Overview
  • Defining Ultra Low Latency
  • Willingness to Pay a Premium
  • Customer Price Sensitivity
  • Ultra-Low Latency Applications
  • Streaming Protocol
  • Vendor Choices
  • Latency for Live Sporting Events
  • Downsides to Low-Latency Delivery


3. Growth Opportunities
  • Growth Opportunity 1 - Sports and Two-Way Interactive Communication Applications


4. Next Steps
  • Your Next Steps
  • List of Exhibits