Amidst the battle among streaming platforms to win over subscribers with exclusive content and rights to sought-after live events, content providers are now looking for new avenues through which to increase revenue. The latest innovation is live streaming outside the home, where audience members gather to watch high-profile events as exemplified by IMAX, who live streamed the Paris Summer Games opening ceremony in July 2024, as well as college league games and NBA Finals. Despite the prevailing trend and towards solitary streaming on laptops, tablets, and phones, (in mid 2024, an estimated 96% of the global digital population used a smartphone to access the internet) this emerging innovation highlights how live streaming could start to encourage more shared experiences outside the home.

In this article, we take a closer look at this new trend of collective viewing experiences and the solutions provided by System73 that could help deliver large-scale live streaming.

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Live streaming outside the home

A recent development in the live streaming industry has emerged that contradicts the notion that streaming is becoming an increasingly solitary activity: out-of-home (OOH) live streaming. As mentioned above, this phenomenon involves broadcasting a live event to a public audience in shared venues, such as cinemas, betting lounges or fan zones. Colin Moran, VP of Production Products at LTN, has commented on this new trend, noting how, beyond the subscription race among streaming platforms, content owners are also looking for multipoint distribution models that bring live events to larger, collective audiences. These new opportunities can lead to new streams of monetization through direct partnerships, as well as hyper-targeted advertising that can be tailored to specific audiences and regional demographics. 

This model is already proving to be highly lucrative, as audience members have demonstrated a desire to pay for more immersive, collective alternatives to at-home streaming. It is an experience that cannot be replicated with individual viewing models, no matter how advanced the streaming technology. At the core of this transformation is technological innovation. Advanced multipoint video distribution allows content providers to stream simultaneously across multiple locations with minimal delay, crucial for maintaining engagement in subjects such as live sports, e-sports and cultural events, where even a few seconds of lag can disrupt the viewing experience.

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The power of collective viewing experiences

Despite the rise of personal streaming services, there is a notable increase in event-based viewing. In-person viewing experiences, such as those in sports bars, theaters and public screenings, play a vital role in fostering community bonds. For example, a survey of 2,000 U.S. sports fans revealed that attending live games is a cherished activity, which often begins with pre-game rituals that enhance fans’ sense of belonging and loyalty, adding to a sense of identity. The transition from solitary to shared viewing experiences, although not physically present at the event, leads to a similar shared sense of community and greater engagement. Research indicates that co-viewing can significantly enhance emotional responses and memory retention. 

Another study by the NeuroLeadership Institute found that sharing emotionally rich experiences, such as a sports game or music event, cultivates shared memories that influence future behavior. Participants who attended these events reported vivid recollections and heightened emotional connections, suggesting that collective viewing not only deepens engagement, but can also support greater monetization opportunities, as fans seek to relive past experiences and repeat attendance. 

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Delivering large-scale live streaming

Successfully delivering large-scale live streaming requires robust infrastructure to ensure seamless viewing and high QoE for viewers. Content delivery networks (CDNs) can play a crucial role in distributing content efficiently across multiple locations, but the infrastructure and edge servers sometimes present shortcomings and fail to serve quality viewing experiences to hard-to-reach regions. Adaptive bitrate streaming is also paramount, adjusting video quality in real-time to match the internet connection and prevent buffering events, which greatly hinder live event viewing. The same argument applies to low latency protocols, which ensure real-time viewing, hugely important for live events such as sports betting. 

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System73’s Data Logistics Platform, powered by Edge Intelligence, is designed to optimize content delivery by constantly monitoring and analyzing the vast, open internet, based on proprietary data. Edge Intelligence then harnesses AI to find and send live content along the least-congested route. Using P2P technology, the solution creates centrally orchestrated broadcast trees to scale up content delivery as needed according to demand, maintaining high QoE for up to 94% of the audience, even in typically hard-to-reach regions. For a more detailed look at Edge Intelligence, download our report, Reduce churn and increase revenue with System73. This advanced solution can prove particularly beneficial for collective events involving live streaming outside the home, relying on synchronized, high QoE, low latency streams.

For more insights into trends in live streaming and content consumption or to find out more about our content delivery solutions, visit system73.com.

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