NAB 2024: Imagine to focus on sustainability and profitability for linear TV

At the 2024 NAB Show, Imagine Communications will showcase the latest innovations in its portfolio of Make TV and Monetize TV solutions.

“Growth was the key focus of the M&E industry for the past few years ― growth in subscribers, viewership, library size, hours of live sports, etc — and much of that growth came at a cost that is just not sustainable,” said Steve Reynolds, president of Imagine Communications. “We’re now seeing customers looking to pivot to more rational, scalable business models for both CTV and linear, which remains the core revenue source for most media businesses. At this year’s NAB Show, Imagine is leading the way in support of this industry shift, demonstrating innovative solutions that move beyond pure technical enablement of linear and CTV operations to a more business-savvy view of ‘how can we do this more profitably?’”

Imagine Make TV solutions power the efficient delivery of premium video content for linear and connected TV, enabling media companies to maximise profitability across every screen.

“Our customers are looking to capitalise on the opportunities of digitalisation ― most are deploying a mix of linear channels and CTV streams,” said Brendon Mills, general manager, playout and networking, at Imagine. “At NAB, we will showcase solutions that support multisite and multimodal operations as a unified ecosystem, enabling media companies to consolidate operations and achieve economies of scale, all while innovating for the future of TV.”

Demos at the show will include the Selenio Network Processor (SNP), a flexible and practical signal processing device in both IP and SDI workflows. Making its NAB Show debut, the new SNP-XL extends the platform’s capabilities — UHD and HDR conversion, multiviewers, master control, JPEG XS, and more ― with increased SDI flexibility and a new double-density gateway personality. The SNP pairs with Imagine’s Magellan Control System to support customers navigating any technology transition — including providing an on-ramp to the cloud.

The latest advances in the company’s playout portfolio, which enables media companies to efficiently originate and deliver channels everywhere, will also be in focus. Visitors will get a first look at new capabilities in the Aviator platform, which enables automation and orchestration of multisite operations (both geographic and on-prem/cloud) using a common UI; and multimodal origination, allowing broadcasters to create unified environments for linear, digital and CTV streaming.

Live demos will encompass a full spectrum of playout applications, including origination of premium, on-prem channels via the latest version of the Versio integrated playout solution; management of on-prem and cloud sites using Aviator Orchestrator; and live signal connectivity enabled by the recently launched Magellan Connect, which maintains a consistent, familiar approach across ground, cloud and mixed scenarios.

Imagine Monetize TV solutions empower media companies to work smarter and make more money. The company’s broad portfolio of ad tech tools accelerate the transition to revenue-driving new business models, from audience-based, linear addressable, FAST, programmatic and direct-sold ― all the way to Total TV trading.

“Imagine has decades of experience in managing linear and streaming advertising at scale across the globe, making us uniquely positioned to help linear providers optimise cost structure more efficiently in the ‘new normal’, as well as help digital platforms diversify monetisation strategies,” said Rob Malcolm, general manager, ad tech at Imagine.

NAB will mark the first showing of Imagine CrossFlight, the a cloud-based ad sales platform, which enables North American broadcasters to streamline complex sales processes, drive revenue growth and prepare for a converged, audience-first future. The platform integrates with Imagine’s OSI traffic and billing solution, providing a modern, unified monetisation solution that eliminates the time that sales teams spend in non-productive activity — allowing more time for actual selling.

Show attendees are also invited to experience GamePlan, Imagine’s dynamic ad placement engine and yield optimiser for linear TV. Other demonstrations include the SureFire video ad server, which now provides linear-like placement of direct-sold CTV ads and a new interface for direct selling of FAST.