Mikko Karppinen

11 highlights of the 11th HbbTV Symposium 

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Discover the evolving world of television technology as we delve into the insights from the 11th HbbTV Symposium in Naples, Italy. From advancements in TV standards to innovations in addressable TV advertising, this post explores how these developments benefit TV viewers, enhancing their content discovery, user experience, and overall engagement. Join us in uncovering the practical advantages that these technological strides bring to the forefront of the television landscape. 

1

Broadcasters pushing direct to consumer business models 

The 11th HbbTV Symposium unfolded in Naples, Italy. In his opening remarks, Mr. Vincent Grivet set the tone by addressing a crucial industry trend: broadcasters are rapidly adopting both OTT delivery and direct-to-consumer models for big screens.  an example of FTA channels new way to reach consumers is Freely’s (https://www.everyonetv.co.uk/news/press-release/new-free-tv-service-via-ip) collaborative approach where they unite forces for a premium content offering. 

2

HbbTV Standard Advancements 

Moving on to advancements in the HbbTV standard, two new specifications are introduced: 2.0.4 and OppApp. Notably, the latter powers Freely’s success. Additionally, updates on reference applications and the test suite are to be highlighted. 

3

TV Sales Steady and Changing Revenue Streams 

Paul Gray’s (OMDIA) market review notes positive developments. He emphasizes robust TV sales and CE manufacturers exploring new revenue streams from advertising and subscription services, following the example of Roku and Vizio. However, challenges persist, because up to 70% of SmartTV advertising spending concentrated in the US. 

4

Diversifying Recurring Revenues 

In the pursuit of diversifying recurring revenues, TV platforms are starting to prioritize them over hardware sales. This involves exploring revenue avenues such as video advertising, revenue sharing with broadcasters/OTT VOD services, audience data, service placements on home screens, and selling custom remote control buttons for OTT providers. 

Smart TV advertising has already surpassed TV hardware sales, underscoring the growing importance of recurring revenues over one-time TV device sales.

5

Software’s Rising Importance

A noteworthy shift is observed as consumers increasingly prioritize the quality of TV platforms when purchasing new TVs. This prompts TV manufacturers to adopt a “razor blades or printer cartridge” business models, 75′ TV costs 400€ and recurring revenue possibly up to 100€/year for a single device. Simultaneously, the battle between operating systems, including Android, Tizen, and WebOS, intensifies. 

6

Content Discoverability and HbbTV’s Role 

From a consumer perspective, this raises the question of content discoverability — how many apps do I need to have installed on my SmartTV to access the content I want: FAST, catch-up, or VOD? In my opinion, HbbTV can address the discoverability of TV services, not by relying on the TV manufacturer, but as an integral part of TV channels. With the rise of OppApp, it can also become an integral part of the TV device itself.

7

DVB-I’s Potential for FAST Channels 

DVB-I is making strides with technical trials in Italy, Spain, and Germany, aiming to seamlessly integrate broadcast and broadband channels into one user interface, significantly enhancing content discovery.

However, a crucial question remains regarding the regulation, legislation, and certification regime needed to define roles and responsibilities in its management. The seamless combination of broadcast and broadband services is highly lucrative for content owners, providing cost-effective means for even niche channels to reach larger screens.

Another consideration is how to develop and distribute DVB-I compliant client apps to devices like set-top boxes, streaming sticks, and mobile devices. Nevertheless, progress in technical, business, and legislative realms continues, and we anticipate real production deployments of DVB-I in Europe soon. This addresses the future of TV, where broadcast, OTT, and multicast deliver mainstream content to large audiences, alongside niche thematic and local content in both linear and on-demand offerings.

The challenge lies in defining the regulatory framework for its effective management.

8

Addressable Advertising and DVB-TA Compliant TVs 

Addressable advertising is deemed a crucial feature for generating increased revenue from the same ad inventory, emerging as one of the hot topics once again in Naples. While display advertising still has its place, there’s a noticeable shift in focus and high expectations toward dynamic ad substitution. In Italy, Linear Ad replacement has become a daily norm, experiencing a 30% YoY growth with over 100 campaigns in 2023. The most prominent advertiser segments are retail, beverages, and Telco. Two main models have been adopted: replacing the entire ad break with online ads and changing only 1-2 ads within the ad break. Technically, most broadcasters rely on client-side ad replacement and custom pre-buffering of manifests to ensure a seamless transition from broadcast to broadband and back.

What holds great promise is the release of the very first DVB-TA compliant TVs by Samsung, utilized by Mediaset in their dynamic ad substitution business. This development not only makes technical implementation easier but also provides a broader horizontal technology platform for utilization.

9

Promoting HbbTV Engagement for Targeted Advertising 

To launch successful targeted advertising in any country, HbbTV should be mandated as the default setting. However, channels must also offer additional beneficial HbbTV services to keep viewers engaged, as seeing only ads may result into reluctance in keeping HbbTV activated on their TVs. 

10

Audience Measurement Challenges 

A significant focus during the unconference, evident from the substantial audience participation, revolved around audience measurement. Exploring how entities like Barb, GfK, Kantar, and others compare to real-time measurement via HbbTV sparked interesting discussions. Particularly for smaller channels facing zero ratings, HbbTV measurement has proven invaluable. The data from HbbTV audiences clearly demonstrates their presence, even when panel data falls short. However, a challenge persists in persuading advertisers of this reality, given their reliance on official TV ratings. This poses a political question requiring resolution, and it’s crucial to involve both media agencies and official panels—often the gatekeepers between TV and media buyers in many countries. While data collection can be costly, channels must assess whether they can justify the expense with the potential for a larger ad inventory and enhanced visibility into how their programming is consumed.

11

Developer Tools and Industry Support 

Concluding on another positive note, Samsung’s release of developer tools for 2024 models is highlighted as a step forward, fostering efforts to enhance UX and cross-platform support within the industry. I hope this paves road for other manufacturers to follow. 

HbbTV is a global initiative aimed at harmonizing the delivery of broadcast and broadband services through connected TVs and set-top boxes. It enables broadcasters to deliver interactive content, such as on-demand videos, catch-up TV, and interactive applications, alongside traditional broadcast services.

Read about Icareus’ HbbTV platform: https://icareus.com/products/hbbtv-solutions/

HbbTV symposiums are events where industry professionals, stakeholders, and experts gather to discuss the latest developments, trends, and challenges in the field of hybrid TV. These symposiums often include keynote presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions, and demonstrations of new HbbTV technologies. Participants may include representatives from broadcasting companies, technology providers, regulatory bodies, and other relevant organizations.

More information:
https://www.hbbtv.org/11th-hbbtv-symposium-and-awards-2023/

/by
Jessica Glad

11th HbbTV Symposium and Awards

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Meet us @ the

11th HbbTV Symposium and Awards

 

28 – 29 November 2023

Stazione Marittima, Molo Angioino, Naples, Italy

Icareus will be at the 11th HbbTV Symposium and Awards, the annual key industry summit targeting platform operators, broadcasters, advertisers and adtechs, standards organisations and technology companies. Our director Mikko Karppinen will be there to talk about Icareus’ solutions:

  • Icareus Playout CS HbbTV Carousel streamer with support for AIT, DSM-CC, DVB-TA and Advertising
  • Icareus Suite cloud for HbbTV and OTT service management
  • Icareus HbbTV and OTT applications
  • HbbTV Addressable TV Advertising
  • HbbTV Audience Measurement

Find us at IBC2024!

August 14, 2024 No Comments

Meet the Icareus team at IBC2024 IBC is the world’s most influential media, entertainment and technology show. Six leading international bodies are the partners behind IBC, representing both exhibitors and

Read More »

11 highlights of the 11th HbbTV Symposium 

December 5, 2023 No Comments

Discover the dynamic landscape of television technology as we dissect the highlights from the 11th HbbTV Symposium in Naples, Italy. From broadcasters embracing direct-to-consumer models to advancements in HbbTV standards like OppApp, the blog post navigates through the evolving trends that promise to redefine the television viewing experience.

Read More »
/by
Mikko Karppinen

Solving Grassroot Sports Streaming & Monetization

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A paradigm shift is currently underway in the sports industry as content owners are moving towards direct-to-consumer business models. This transformation has primarily begun with top leagues and the ones that lack lucrative TV distribution agreements. Streaming services are found compelling as they allow leagues to redefine how they connect with their fans, partners, and advertisers. OTT has emerged as a new approach to improve leagues’ reach.

However, grassroots sports, despite their potential, have remained largely neglected, partly due to the absence of viable business models. Consequently, this has lead to a situation where most games are streamed on social media platforms, leading to a loss of control over how the sports are portrayed to fans and other stakeholders. 

Solving the grassroots sports streaming and monetization challenge is pivotal for federations, clubs, athletes, and fans alike. Acknowledging the challenges faced by grassroots sports in terms of visibility, control over content, and monetization, 

Icareus’ vision is centered around these three key drivers for change:  

1. Improved game and event discovery,
2. Democratized content production,
3. A sustainable and inclusive business model.

1

One of the primary concerns is the fragmented nature of grassroots sports streaming, scattered across various social media platforms, making it challenging for fans to discover and follow their favorite teams and events. Streaming has become a wild west where federations and clubs have completely lost their control on how their sports is portrayed to fans. The driving change that is needed lies in enhancing game and event discovery, moving it away from social media and consolidating all streaming onto a single user-friendly platform, simplifying the process of game discovery and enhancing the overall fan experience.  

2

The next challenge is to get as many games streamed as possible. We must recognize the importance of inclusive content production, given that it is unfeasible for federations or clubs to manage it centrally.  This necessitates the collective inclusion of team managers, parents, friends, and family to the content production workflows. To facilitate their onboarding, there is a need for user-friendly tools and autonomy for the “grassroots streamers.”

3

The final motivation to get everyone onboard is monetization. A sustainable and mutually beneficial business model is crucial to ensure that all stakeholders find value in the process. This can be achieved by applying the platform economics principle, where most of the revenues can be routed directly to the clubs, without complicated accounting processes. Empowering grassroots sports not only fosters talent development but also taps into new revenue streams within an underserved market. 

Once we can achieve these three key drivers, there will be an explosion of grassroot sports streaming! 

Unfortunately, traditional sports streaming platforms often prioritize major leagues, sidelining grassroots events and tournaments. In response, Icareus has developed a cloud platform that brings all the stakeholders together for the production and consumption of games. At the same time, it improves fan engagement and loyalty. 

Icareus leverages crowdsourcing to turn virtually everyone into content creators, facilitating event and game streaming. The Icareus Sports OTT solution aggregates content from grassroots events within a specific sport, creating a one-stop destination for fans to access games, from top leagues to the smallest matches, all on a single video portal bearing the federation’s or club’s branding. In essence, it gives federations and clubs complete control over how games are streamed, the user experience, and the business model, facilitating a stronger connection with fans. 

Monetization is achieved through subscription models, pay-per-view options, and targeted advertising. Moreover, the platform’s business model ensures that the majority of the revenues generated are directed towards the grassroots teams, a pioneering step in the industry. 

In practice, all beloved sports content, from children’s leagues to senior divisions, can be found from a single source, seamlessly integrated and easily discoverable. By fostering this collaborative and integrated approach to sports streaming, the platform not only amplifies the reach and impact of grassroots sports but also creates a dynamic and engaging environment that benefits everyone involved, from the federations and clubs to the dedicated fans and players. 

In summary

The benefits of this holistic approach extend beyond mere convenience, with the potential to reshape the landscape of grassroots sports streaming, providing a sustainable and profitable model that caters to the needs of all stakeholders. 

Icareus Ltd is an online video cloud and broadcast TV specialist founded in 2001 and having offices in Finland and Spain. Icareus provides video cloud solutions and trusted broadcast TV platforms, and our solutions are enjoyed by millions of consumers via our broadcaster, operator, OTT and OVP customers in over 60 countries.  Combining online and broadcast has been the core of our activities over almost two decades. We’ve been making the change from linear TV to today’s multi-screen experience. 

More information: https://www.icareus.com  

Icareus Sports OTT is a turnkey white-label video cloud solution for sports of all kinds, team or individual, from floorball and football to tennis and martial arts. It offers versatile tools for the production, management, publication and (optionally) commercialization of sports videos and events. Both professional leagues and “grass roots” non-professional sports clubs can make use of this solution. 

More information: https://icareus.com/solutions-for-customer-groups/sports/ 

/by
Jessica Glad

Icareus delivered second Satellite TV EPG and Apps management solution to Telespazio

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Cover image Telespazio case

Helsinki, 12.09,2023: Telespazio, a global leader in satellite solutions and services, has strategically chosen Icareus as a trusted partner to enhance its broadcasting operations. Recognized as one of the world’s largest suppliers in Satellite distribution, Telespazio’s decision to utilize Icareus’ Playout underscores the exceptional benefits these solutions bring to their operations.

Icareus empowers Telespazio to optimize their EPG and HbbTV content management and distribution processes. The selection of Icareus’ Playout EPG and Carousel management platform equips Telespazio to efficiently manage and distribute critical EPG data and HbbTV applications directly from their Space Centre in Lario, Italy. This not only streamlines their operations but also ensures a seamless and engaging experience for their broadcasters’ audiences.

The enduring partnership between Telespazio and Icareus is a testament to the efficacy of Icareus’ solutions. The collaboration dates back to 2014, when Telespazio initially embraced Icareus’ EPG solution at their Rome Space Centre in Fucino. The longevity of this partnership showcases the consistent value and trust Icareus has delivered to Telespazio over the years.

By leveraging Icareus’ solutions, Telespazio gains a competitive edge in the satellite solutions landscape. The partnership enables Telespazio to deliver content and applications with precision, ensuring a heightened level of user engagement. Moreover, Telespazio benefits from the adaptability and scalability of Icareus’ technologies, enabling them to stay at the forefront of industry trends and technological advancements.

As a result, Telespazio can focus on what they do best – delivering exceptional satellite solutions – while entrusting Icareus to provide the tools necessary to effectively manage and distribute their EPG and applications.

Telespazio is the Italian leader and a major European player in radio and television satellite broadcasting, thanks to its facilities at the Fucino and Lario Space Centres and to the equipment installed and managed at clients’ premises.

Telespazio is over 60 years old company with over 3000 employees around the world and making 220 M€ sales (in 2022). The Lario Space Centre, operational since 1977, is located at the far North of Lake Como, at the town of Gera Lario. The Centre has 40 transceiver and 20 receiver antennas.

As a part of its services, Telespazio provides high quality satellite TV services to its customers including electronic program guide and HbbTV applications management services.

To further improve its services Telespazio needed a best-of-breed EPG solution to manage its customer’s programme information and interactive TV HbbTV applications. As Icareus has been a trusted and reliable vendor for Telespazio for almost a decade, Icareus Playout platform was selected to further develop and manage PSI/SI, EIT, HbbTV signalling, as well as object and datacarousels.

Icareus Playout platform is the leading broadcast solution in the world, selected by main broadcasters and DVB operators in Europe and MENA including Arabsat, Asharq News, Arqiva, BVN, Dialog TV, DU, France24, Freesat, Mediaset, Persidera, Telefonica, Telenet, Telespazio, RAI etc.  

Icareus Playout is a modular, secure and robust broadcast platform for managing multichannel and network EPG data. It enables distinctive configuration of EPG data sources, EIT tables, PSI/SI descriptors, and allows even custom configurations.

Icareus Playout allows Telespazio to manage its Electronic Program Guide in a flexible manner to offer a better TV experience to its viewers. Icareus Playout is tightly integrated to Telespazio’s systems to provide a seamless 24/7 fully automated EPG content workflow. In addition to as a part of the delivery is Icareus Playout Carousel, which offers a long list of features including HbbTV DSM-CC object and data carousel support, AIT management for both broadcast and broadband applications, accurate synchronization of hybrid TV applications with the broadcast signal via stream events, flexible descriptor management, and many more.

“We at Icareus highly appreciate our long-lasting relationship and co-operation with Telespazio. We are extremely glad about widening our business relationship with our old customer, with new solution.”

Toni Leiponen
Toni Leiponen
CEO, Icareus Ltd​

Icareus Playout EPG solution offers Trusted Broadcast Technology enjoyed by leading broadcasters and operators globally for over a decade. Icareus Playout EP110 server is a full-scale PSI/SI generator server targeted for operators and broadcasters to manage their DVB multiplexes and channel line–ups. The tested integrations to multiplexes, EPG data providers, network management systems and Icareus Suite enable quick deployment and high reliability. Icareus global reseller and systems integrator partners offer high service levels and peace-of-mind to our customers.

Icareus Playout product family includes Icareus Playout EP PSI/SI and EPG server, Icareus CS DSM-CC Carousel server for HbbTV and other Interactive TV standards, Icareus Playout SSU server for over-the-air updates and Icareus Playout Compact Lab solution for research, development and testing TV services. Icareus Playout solutions have been deployed in broadcasting production since 2004 is trusted by world leading TV operators and broadcasters serving customers in 50 countries like SES (Luxemburg), Arabsat (UAE), Cyfrowy Polsat (Poland), NovaTV (Czech) Mediaset (Italy).

Icareus Ltd is established 2001 and has a headquarters in Helsinki, Finland. Combining online and broadcast technologies have been the core of our activities over a decade, true pioneers some say. We’ve been making the change from linear TV to today’s multi-screen experience. Icareus’ customizable end-user apps provide unique TV experience with economical service launch and maintenance on any device. Icareus solutions are enjoyed by millions of consumers via our broadcaster, operator, OTT and OVP customers in over 60 countries. Icareus provides cloud solutions for TV and video services and trusted broadcast EPG, Carousel, OTA and Lab head-end products. Our platforms support solutions for HbbTV, OTT, TV Everywhere, Addressable TV advertising and Audience Measurement.

Telespazio is a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%) and one of the world’s biggest suppliers of satellite solutions and services. The company teams up with Thales Alenia Space to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, a strategic partnership which offers a complete range of space services.

 

Founded in Italy in 1961, Telespazio is based in Rome and counts more than 3000 employees through its various subsidiaries and joint ventures. Currently Telespazio has presence in 15 countries and it has 13 companies around the world.

For more Information: 

Ms. Jessica Glad 

Marketing & Communications
Icareus Ltd 
Email: jessica.glad[at]icareus.com 
Phone: +358 (0)9 2289 080

Follow Icareus

Relevant material

Downloads & further reading

Additional materials regarding this article

Icareus Playout EPG presentation

More information about Icareus Playout EPG generator server solution

Icareus Playout EPG

Read more about our market leading Icareus Playout EPG generator server solution from our website:

Icareus Playout HbbTV Carousel server

Read more about our market leading Icareus Playout HbbTV carousel streaming server solution from our website:

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Jessica Glad

ZoneSystems delivered Icareus Playout EPG solution to RTB in Brunei

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Read 10 reasons why Icareus EPG is the best solution for RTB

Helsinki, 07.09.2023, Icareus’ Malesia based partner Asia Pacific Zone Systems Sdn Bhd has delivered Icareus Playout EPG platform to Radio Television Brunei, a national television and radio broadcaster. 

RTB is a loyal customer of Icareus and they have been using Icareus Playout platform for Electronic Program data management and distribution as well as Data and Object Carousels since 2010. They now selected the new latest version of Icareus’ Playout EPG Platform to replace the old system for managing PSI/SI information and electronic program data for their national network.   

Icareus Playout is a modular, secure and robust broadcast platform for managing multichannel and network EPG data. It enables distinctive configuration of EPG data sources, EIT tables, PSI/SI descriptors, and allows even custom configurations.  

The top 10 reasons why Icareus Playout EPG is the best solution for RTB are: 

  1. Enhanced User Experience: The new version of Icareus’ Playout EPG Platform promises to elevate the TV viewing experience for RTB’s audience. With improved PSI/SI information management and precise electronic program data distribution, viewers can enjoy accurate and up-to-date content schedules, leading to greater satisfaction and engagement. 
  2. Seamless Transition: Upgrading to the latest version of Icareus’ Playout EPG Platform provides a seamless transition for RTB. The familiarity RTB has with Icareus as an existing customer ensures a smoother adoption process and reduces potential disruptions in their broadcasting operations. 
  3. Cutting-Edge Features: The new version of Icareus’ Playout EPG Platform brings cutting-edge features that empower RTB to stay ahead in the broadcasting industry. These features might include advanced data manipulation capabilities, real-time updates, and more sophisticated customization options. 
  4. Flexibility and Customization: Icareus Playout offers the flexibility to tailor EPG data sources, EIT tables, PSI/SI descriptors, and other configurations to match RTB’s specific requirements. This level of customization ensures that RTB can adapt the platform to its unique broadcasting needs. 
  5. Reliability and Robustness: RTB’s trust in Icareus Playout EPG server’s reliability and robustness underscores its reputation as a dependable solution. The platform’s stability and resilience contribute to uninterrupted broadcasting, reducing downtime and enhancing RTB’s credibility among its audience. 
  6. Efficient Network Management: By choosing Icareus Playout, RTB gains a powerful tool for managing its channel lineups and network parameters efficiently. This efficiency not only saves time and resources but also allows RTB to respond quickly to changes in the broadcasting landscape. 
  7. Streamlined Operations: Icareus Playout’s modular design streamlines RTB’s operations, making it easier to manage multichannel and network EPG data. This efficiency can lead to improved resource allocation and optimized workflows for RTB’s broadcasting team. 
  8. Future-Proof Solution: Icareus Playout’s commitment to staying at the forefront of broadcasting technology ensures that RTB is investing in a future-proof solution. As the broadcasting industry evolves, RTB can rely on Icareus to continue providing updates and innovations that keep their operations up to date. 
  9. Competitive Advantage: By leveraging Icareus’ state-of-the-art Playout EPG Platform, RTB gains a competitive edge in delivering high-quality TV experiences. This advantage can help RTB attract more viewers and maintain its position as a leading broadcaster in its market. 
  10. Dedicated Customer Support: As an established customer of Icareus, RTB benefits from a strong customer support network. Any queries, concerns, or technical issues can be promptly addressed, minimizing disruptions and ensuring a smooth broadcasting process. 

Relying on Icareus Playout was a natural choice as RTB had verified Icareus Playout EPG server to be the best, most robust and feature rich platform in the market. It enables RTB to offer better TV experience to its broadcaster customers and TV viewers while managing the channel lineups and network parameters in the most efficient way possible. 

"As a system integrator company, we are constantly in search of a reliable and efficient solution that align with our client’s requirement, and Icareus exceeded our expectations in every way."

Asia Pacific Zone Systems Sdn. Bhd.

Icareus Playout platform is the leading broadcast solution in the world, selected by main broadcasters and DVB operators in Europe and MENA including Arabsat, Asharq News, Arqiva, BVN, Dialog TV, DU, France24, Freesat, Mediaset, Persidera, Telefonica, Telenet, Telespazio, RAI etc. It has been in production since 2004.  

“We at Icareus are always happy when our existing customers renew their trust in us and want to extend the collaboration and use our products in new deployments. It is a testament to the quality of Icareus products and the service we offer. We see this as the highest award we can receive.”

Toni Leiponen
Toni Leiponen
CEO, Icareus Ltd​

Icareus Playout EPG solution offers Trusted Broadcast Technology enjoyed by leading broadcasters and operators globally for over a decade. Icareus Playout EP110 server is a full-scale PSI/SI generator server targeted for operators and broadcasters to manage their DVB multiplexes and channel line–ups. The tested integrations to multiplexes, EPG data providers, network management systems and Icareus Suite enable quick deployment and high reliability. Icareus global reseller and systems integrator partners offer high service levels and peace-of-mind to our customers.

Icareus Playout product family includes Icareus Playout EP PSI/SI and EPG server, Icareus CS DSM-CC Carousel server for HbbTV and other Interactive TV standards, Icareus Playout SSU server for over-the-air updates and Icareus Playout Compact Lab solution for research, development and testing TV services. Icareus Playout solutions have been deployed in broadcasting production since 2004 is trusted by world leading TV operators and broadcasters serving customers in 50 countries like SES (Luxemburg), Arabsat (UAE), Cyfrowy Polsat (Poland), NovaTV (Czech) Mediaset (Italy).

Radio Television Brunei (RTB), (Malay: Radio Television Brunei, Jawi: راديو تيليۏيشين بروني,) is the national public broadcaster of Brunei. Radio Brunei made its first broadcast on 2 May 1957, with a television service starting on 1 March 1975. Currently, it operates 3 television channels and 5 radio stations.

Icareus Ltd is established 2001 and has a headquarters in Helsinki, Finland. Combining online and broadcast technologies have been the core of our activities over a decade, true pioneers some say. We’ve been making the change from linear TV to today’s multi-screen experience. Icareus’ customizable end-user apps provide unique TV experience with economical service launch and maintenance on any device. Icareus solutions are enjoyed by millions of consumers via our broadcaster, operator, OTT and OVP customers in over 60 countries. Icareus provides cloud solutions for TV and video services and trusted broadcast EPG, Carousel, OTA and Lab head-end products. Our platforms support solutions for HbbTV, OTT, TV Everywhere, Addressable TV advertising and Audience Measurement.

Asia Pacific Zone Systems Sdn Bhd (APZS) is a premier provider and integrator of commercial satellite, terrestrial and broadcast / media transmission solutions, maintaining readiness and providing daily operational services to customer’s systems worldwide.

For more Information: 

Ms. Jessica Glad 

Marketing & Communications
Icareus Ltd 
Email: jessica.glad[at]icareus.com 
Phone: +358 (0)9 2289 080

Follow Icareus

Relevant material

Downloads & further reading

Additional materials regarding this article

Icareus Playout EPG presentation

More information about Icareus Playout EPG generator server solution

Icareus Playout EPG

Read more about our market leading Icareus Playout EPG generator server solution from our website:

Icareus Playout HbbTV Carousel server

Read more about our market leading Icareus Playout HbbTV carousel streaming server solution from our website:

/by
Jessica Glad

Find us at Sportel Monaco

,

Meet us at Sportel Monaco

The Global Sports Media and Tech Convention

 

23. – 25. October 2023

Grimaldi Forum, Monaco

StandS05

Icareus Video Cloud for Sports

In the Icareus Video Cloud, you produce, manage and publish both communication videos and events without technical know-how. Video players, pages, virtual events and portals that match your brand guarantee a consistent user experience for viewers, so your message gets across effectively.

Are you working in sports federations, leagues, or other professional sports organizations? The use of streaming services in sports is continuously growing. Icareus Video Cloud for Sports is a GDPR-compliant and fully brandable streaming platform tailored for sports organizations. It can be used for:

  • Streaming services for national or international sports and leagues, promoting the sport.
  • Grassroots (amateur and junior) sports video services with easy match production, including a mobile app.
  • Streaming tournaments and competition events.
  • Organizational communication, marketing, and training, including video editing, video management, and publishing.

Find us at IBC2024!

August 14, 2024 No Comments

Meet the Icareus team at IBC2024 IBC is the world’s most influential media, entertainment and technology show. Six leading international bodies are the partners behind IBC, representing both exhibitors and

Read More »

11 highlights of the 11th HbbTV Symposium 

December 5, 2023 No Comments

Discover the dynamic landscape of television technology as we dissect the highlights from the 11th HbbTV Symposium in Naples, Italy. From broadcasters embracing direct-to-consumer models to advancements in HbbTV standards like OppApp, the blog post navigates through the evolving trends that promise to redefine the television viewing experience.

Read More »
/by
Annilotta Haataja

PesisTV: Sports Video Platform Home Run

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The Finnish Pesäpallo Federation launched its new video platform, PesisTV, in July of this current year. The platform made its debut in conjunction with three national camps: Kankaanpää Kid Camp, Joensuu Grand Camp, and Oulu Youth Camp.

PesisTV

Pesäpallo is the Finnish version of baseball, and as part of the Finnish Pesäpallo Federation, the Finnish Baseball and Softball Federation operates as the governing body for baseball and softball in Finland.

During its pilot month, PesisTV provided a new and excellent way to enjoy the highlights of young baseball players, with evident success. Even though the camps already gathered a large number of on-site supporters, the video platform offered the opportunity to watch games live from the comfort of one’s own home. Viewers from all around Finland got to enjoy a virtual coverage of a total of 450 matches during the three camps, and this opportunity was eagerly embraced. The camps achieved impressive numbers: there were nearly five thousand registered viewers, streamed games were watched for over 7700 hours, and the highest concurrent viewership occurred during the Youth Camp’s CT competition, with a whopping 443 viewers tuning in!

Registered viewers
> 0
Streamed games
0
Streamed hours viewed
> 0

All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the camps’ contribution to the production, as it was the camps themselves that were responsible for the match production.

The development of PesisTV was handled by the Finnish technology company Icareus Ltd. Icareus Ltd is a respected player in Finland, with extensive experience in collaborating with sports clubs and federations. The company has successfully partnered with organizations like F-Liiga and the Finnish Floorball Federation. Icareus Ltd’s strong experience and expertise have played a crucial role in the development of the Baseball Federation’s new video platform.

In the future, we can certainly anticipate even more exciting moments as PesisTV continues to grow, delivering unforgettable experiences for baseball enthusiasts both from the sidelines and the comfort of their own homes.

“The launch of PesisTV was a great success during the nationwide summer camps. The service was well-received, allowing us to bring the joy of camp games live to homes.”

Miika Rantatorikka
Executive Director, Finnish Pesäpallo Federation

“For us at Icareus, sports is a central area of focus that we want to invest in. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to collaborate with the Pesäpallo Federation in bringing the PesisTV service to our national pastime.”

Toni Leiponen
Toni Leiponen
CEO, Icareus Ltd

Contact us for more info:

Jessica Glad

Marketing & Communications
Icareus Ltd
E-mail: jessica.glad[at]icareus.com
Phone: +358 (0)9 2289 0801

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The Finnish Pesäpallo Federation organizes both recreational and competitive activities in baseball. The highest level of baseball in Finland is Superpesis, and Superpesis matches are available on the Ruutu service. Baseball has maintained its position as Finland’s national game and is the country’s third most popular ball sport. Its top leagues in Finland are Men’s Superpesis and Women’s Superpesis. There are a total of 360 registered baseball clubs in Finland, with 18,000 licensed adult and junior players.

Icareus Ltd, founded in 2001, is a growing and profitable Finnish company specialized in video cloud services. Approximately 60% of our sales come from outside Finland, and internationally, our main customers consist of video professionals such as TV channels, TV operators, and media companies. Over the years, we have accumulated clients from around 60 countries, spanning Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, as well as South and North America.

Icareus Video Cloud is the most versatile online SaaS cloud video service in Europe, catering to a diverse range of users including sports organizations, TV channels, operators, corporations, public entities, and even micro-enterprises. Icareus Suite offers numerous features such as virtual and hybrid events, live broadcasts, video-on-demand streaming, customizable video portals, video captioning and editing tools, social media integrations, subscriber management, ad control, paywalls, and a convenient mobile application for uploading videos from phones. All of Icareus’ video services are brand-safe, customer-branded solutions tailored to specific customer preferences.

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Icareus Sports Video Cloud for Sports Organizations

Further information about the service and its numerous applications.

Icareus Video Cloud for Sports

Read more about the customizable Icareus Sports Video Cloud on our website:

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Jessica Glad

FloorballTV – a sports streaming service success story

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In the autumn of 2022, the Finnish Floorball Federation launched their own, Icareus built and hosted branded OTT service, FloorballTV (official name in Finnish: SalibandyTV). Its goals were clear and simple: to enable clubs to easily stream their games and monetize them, for the sport to have a single place for all video content, and for that place to be easily discoverable.  

– The heart of the matter is that we genuinely are doing this for the Finnish floorball community and for the floorball clubs. The federation and a few stakeholders will invest in this, and when a club streams a game on FloorballTV 80-90 percent of the ticket sale revenue is automatically returned directly to the club. Such high revenue return percentages have not been reached before. In this way, clubs will have an excellent way to generate revenue for their activities, Mr. Jussi Ojala, the communications director of the Finnish Floorball Federation, explained. 

After the first six months it’s quite clear that FloorballTV is a resounding success. Hundreds of registered clubs, thousands of streamed games, tens of thousands of registered users and happy viewers. The revenues have also exceeded all the floorball clubs’ expectations. 

What, then, made the launch so successful? A number of things: 

  • The content is easily discoverable, and thus viewers have found it. 
  • It’s widely accepted by the floorball community; it is, after all, from the players to the players. 
  • The clubs and the federation have been actively promoting it as “our own media”. It’s also providing good sponsorship placements for the federation via display and video advertising. 
  • The streaming of games is very easy with a purpose built mobile application included in the service, which has led the clubs to actively stream their games. 
  • Paid games bring income to everyone from Division I to the “grassroots” junior leagues – with the clubs getting most of the revenue. 

The community has embraced FloorballTV with great enthusiasm and will likely keep on that path. 

The future roadmap for the Floorball TV service will add various features like scoreboards, integration to statistics services, subscription services in addition to pay-per-view, tournaments and using AI based automatic cameras. 

Finnish Floorball Federation was founded on September 23, 1985. The floorball federation is a nationwide sports organization whose purpose is to promote, supervise and guide the hobby and development of floorball in Finland. Floorball is the third most popular sport in Finland after football and ice hockey, according to registered players (over 65,000 license players) at the moment. The Finnish Floorball Federation has about 800 member clubs. It is a founding member of the International Floorball Federation (IFF). Floorball is played in 80 countries and the International Floorball Federation  has 75 member countries from all inhabited continents. The IFF has ranked 46 countries in the men’s series and 40 countries in the women’s series. 

More information: https://salibandy.fi/ and https://salibandy.tv/

Icareus Ltd is an online video cloud and broadcast TV specialist founded in 2001 and having offices in Finland and Spain. Icareus provides video cloud solutions and trusted broadcast TV platforms, and our solutions are enjoyed by millions of consumers via our broadcaster, operator, OTT and OVP customers in over 60 countries.  Combining online and broadcast has been the core of our activities over almost two decades. We’ve been making the change from linear TV to today’s multi-screen experience. 

More information: https://www.icareus.com  

Icareus Sports OTT is a turnkey white-label video cloud solution for sports of all kinds, team or individual, from floorball and football to tennis and martial arts. It offers versatile tools for the production, management, publication and (optionally) commercialization of sports videos and events. Both professional leagues and “grass roots” non-professional sports clubs can make use of this solution. 

More information: https://icareus.com/solutions-for-customer-groups/sports/ 

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Annilotta Haataja

Considering Video Accessibility

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What makes a video accessible? How can you benefit from accessibility? And how can achieving accessibility be made easy for you? 

Jatka lukemista
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Annilotta Haataja

Icareus Video Cloud – New Features

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Icareus Video Cloud continues to grow and develop with great speed

During the past year, we have gained dozens of new customers around the globe from various fields of operation. They range from private companies to public and third sector organisations. It is our aim, here at Icareus, to be the leading video cloud service in Europe.

Icareus Video Cloud

Produce

Create

Edit & Caption

Edit

Manage

Manage

Publish

Analyze

Analyze

Icareus Suite Video Cloud is  a service platform running on the scalable environment and targeted for broadcasters, operators, enterprises and  public organizations to manage and distribute their video based content. Icareus Suite allows you to manage your Live, event and on-demand content, subscribers, content packaging, services, access control, user experience, advertisements and monetization on pretty much any platform.

Icareus Video Cloud new features

Icareus invests heavily in product development. We have published hundreds of improvements and numerous new features this year. Most of the work done on product development we base on the needs of our clients, in addition to which we do a great deal of “invisible” work to improve our service platform. 

Here are the top 6 new Icareus Video Cloud features published during this past year.

1. Icareus Studio video editor

Icareus Studio is a browser-based, easy-to-use video editor that doesn’t require you to install anything on your computer.

With Icareus Studio, you can publish brand-appropriate video with no previous video editing experience, fast and easy. Edit video files, take screenshots – even capture webcam footage for a video.

Icareus Studio

2. MyIcareus mobile app

MyIcareus mobile app

MyIcareus mobile app is a handy tool that allows users to film, upload, and publish video to the cloud with ease.

The app works on both phones and tablets, and is available for download from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

3. Video and event analytics 2.0

At the start of year 2022, Icareus published a new video and event analysis platform, based on big data, for our clients to make use of.

This new solution provides its users with precise statistics of all views, watch times, and device types used to watch video, whether live or a recording.

4. Icareus caption tool

Icareus tekstitystyökalu

Before summer holidays, we rolled out the first version of Icareus’s very own caption tool – a tool especially yearned for by organisations following accessibility guidelines.

Icareus caption tool allows the creation, editing, translating and publishing of both captions and subtitles. The handy timeline and keyboard shortcuts make captioning easy, and text files can be uploaded to the tool to speed the process up even more.

5. Icareus chat/message board 2.0

Icareus is constantly improving already existing features, and a great deal of product development is based on client feedback.

One such long longed-for feature was the new and improved version of Icareus Message Board: among other things, liking and answering messages is now possible.

6. User access management

Our bigger clients can have dozens or even hundreds of admin users. In those cases, users are divided into different groups or units, with admins at the helm.

With the Icareus User Access Management tool, users can be divided into roles, such as main users, admin users and viewers. They can also be grouped up into specific teams, such as Communications, Education, etc.

Each user or team can then be given access to specific content.

Additional information

Wish to know more, either about features mentioned above, or anything else Icareus-related? Contact us. More info will be provided at our Helpdesk.

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