Caretta Research Sees Broadcasters Pivot To IP Workflows

Broadcasters are overhauling live operations around IP delivery as reliance on satellite and dedicated fibre wanes, according to new Caretta Research findings produced in partnership with Zixi.

The move is already reshaping live sports production. By shifting contribution feeds and master control to IP and cloud infrastructure, media companies can scale far beyond the confines of traditional outside broadcast trucks and fixed control rooms, supporting many more simultaneous events, extra camera angles, rapid highlight creation and additional streaming outputs.

"IP delivery is fundamentally changing the economics and flexibility of live video distribution," said Robert Ambrose, CEO and co-founder, and the report's author at Caretta Research. "Broadcasters are moving away from fixed satellite and fibre infrastructure toward software-defined workflows that allow them to scale production, reach new distribution partners and respond much more quickly to changing audience demand."

Early adopters such as Sky and the NHL are using IP contribution and cloud-based master control rooms to extend coverage and improve efficiency across linear and streaming platforms.

"Broadcasters are moving beyond simply replacing satellite circuits with IP transport," said Marc Aldrich, CEO of Zixi. "They are rebuilding live operations around flexible, cloud-based workflows that allow them to scale events, reach new distribution partners and maintain broadcast-grade reliability across global networks."

The white paper, 'Unlocking Live Video Workflows with IP: Transforming the Economics and User Experience of Live Video Delivery', explores how broadcasters, sports leagues and media organisations are swapping satellite and private fibre for scalable IP and cloud workflows for contribution and distribution.

Historically, satellite transponders and private fibre have offered reliability but demanded long-term commitments and high operating costs. IP delivery over the public internet and cloud provides a more agile alternative, enabling rapid scaling and management of multiple live events at once.

Drivers vary by region: in the United States, the ongoing reduction and repurposing of C-band capacity is accelerating the search for alternatives; elsewhere, cost pressures, the growth of streaming, and the need for flexible event production are pushing adoption of IP-based delivery.

Enterprise-grade platforms for monitoring, orchestration and automation are becoming critical to manage complex IP workflows. Platforms such as the Zixi Platform help coordinate multi-protocol delivery and uphold reliability across global networks.

For channel owners, IP distribution is unlocking new commercial models, from extending international reach and launching localised variants to enabling dynamic ad insertion within IP-native workflows.

Caretta Research concludes that IP is reshaping broadcast operations by empowering scalable cloud production, more efficient global distribution and greater operational flexibility.
The report can be downloaded here.