The way we consume media has changed rapidly, especially over the last few decades. If in the past everyone gathered in front of the television or a radio set for a moment of entertainment or to catch up on world news, today anyone can use their smartphone or other device to watch movies, listen to music, read newspapers, or books. This evolution has transformed behaviors, communication, and the entire media and entertainment production industry. And behind this evolution, increasingly powerful technological support is necessary.
What is Streaming?
Streaming is the name given to the technology that transmits data from files such as music, text, and video over the Internet in “real time”, without the need to download the content to a device.
OTT: The Added Value of Streaming
The most popular examples of streaming today are Netflix, Spotify, Tik Tok, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, also known as OTT (Over The Top). This expression is used to designate business models that generate value by transmitting data over the Internet directly to the consumer, bypassing traditional distribution platforms.
It Seems Simple, But It’s Not…
As with other data transmission systems, in streaming, audio, text, static image, and video files are divided into small parts and sent separately over the network. Once a device receives this packet, the player has the function of reassembling them, returning them to their original format.
For users not to receive a partial file, this data transport must be fast and reliable.
Key Aspects for Uninterrupted Streaming:
- Buffer Function: Loads videos or music even before they are played, thus providing a better sense of continuity.
- Quality Adjustment: If there are connection problems, players lower the content quality to avoid pauses.
- Live Streaming: In this format, there is no pre-loading. Everything happens live, and any change in the connection directly affects data transmission.
A 100-Year History
Almost no one remembers, but radio was the first streaming medium created toward the end of the 19th century, mainly for military purposes.
- 1920s: U.S. Major General George Owen Squier patented a system for transmitting and distributing signals over electrical lines.
- 1950s: Television established itself as one of the most important technological and cultural advancements.
The evolution of streaming accompanied technological advances worldwide, becoming dependent on an Internet connection to play multimedia titles and live broadcasts. Services grew at an accelerated pace globally, and the pandemic added even more speed to this trajectory.
Growth in Numbers (Latin America):
The social isolation caused by the pandemic skyrocketed the number of weekly minutes of paid videos (via streaming). Latin America is expected to reach 81 million video-on-demand (SVOD) and OTT subscriptions by 2025, almost double the 42 million recorded at the end of 2019.
The Infrastructure Supporting Massive Demand: CDN
Platforms with this magnitude of traffic growth require a Content Delivery Network (CDN) that supports such high volumes of queries with low latency and high security.
This is precisely one of the key solutions we offer to support our clients in the Media & Entertainment sector.
Supported by our IP backbone network, our CDN optimizes its resources to achieve global data distribution reliably and securely.
This technology is vital as it helps content providers maintain service stability with international, low-latency connections, ensuring a good digital experience for their consumers — whether watching a movie, streaming an online class to thousands of users, or consuming on-demand content.
The present belongs to streaming. And so does the future.
What’s Next in Streaming
Alternative streaming markets are strongly entering this growth trend.
Live Commerce: The Intersection of Sales and Entertainment
This format has been gaining popularity in China, where major retail players organize live events online to promote a true festival of discounts, merging the shopping experience with real-time entertainment.
Cloud Gaming: The Future of Interactive Entertainment
The gaming industry is already deeply integrated with video streaming, including a community of 7.5 million gamers who watch and stream games via Twitch.
Now, the trend is for technology to be present in the very act of playing, thanks to the combination of 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Over the next three years, the global cloud gaming market is expected to grow from $500 million to nearly $5 billion by 2023, according to the Global Cloud Gaming Report by Newzoo, 2020 (Note: this statistic may require an update with more recent data).
Cirion and the Adaptable Platform for the Future
To continue supporting this traffic growth, Cirion has made and maintains strategic investments:
- CDN Expansion: We have quadrupled our CDN capacity in Latin America, expanding the content delivery network to meet the growing demands of global broadcasters, OTT platforms, and gaming companies.
- Physical Infrastructure: We added more than 260 racks in data centers in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Argentina, providing customers with additional space to host servers and IT equipment.
It is clear that the potential of the streaming market is immense and that there is still plenty of room to grow. As the demand for technology increases and becomes more complex, we are ready for the challenge with an adaptable platform designed to ensure the best possible digital experiences — in any segment, anywhere.
Does Your Streaming or Gaming Platform Need Ultra-Low Latency Support?
Cirion offers a global and robust Content Delivery Network (CDN) to:
- Ensure stability: even during massive demand peaks (live events).
- Reduce latency: fundamental for Cloud Gaming and Live Commerce.
- Ensure high definition: in UHD video transmission.
