IBC selects eight projects for 2025 media innovation

IBC has announced the selection of eight Accelerator projects for its 2025 Media Innovation Programme, involving collaboration between leading media and telecommunications organisations such as Verizon, Comcast, BT, and Olympic Broadcasting Services.

The initiative seeks to advance media technology by addressing issues related to low-latency streaming, private 5G networks, and AI-powered fan personalisation. Jo Mayer, IBC's Head of Marketing, noted the levels of interest generated, stating, "We saw an overwhelming response to the Kickstart Day event this year featuring a series of compelling innovation pitches reflecting some of the most important challenges for the media and entertainment tech sector today. We are thrilled to announce the projects selected to go forward and can't wait to see their showcases and demonstrations at IBC in September."

The projects will be developed with the support of Global Cloud as headline sponsor, alongside AMD and HP as associate sponsors. They will later be presented as Proof of Concepts (POCs) at IBC2025, set to occur from 12-15 September in Amsterdam.

Among the selected projects is "Ultra Low Latency Live Streaming at Scale," led by Comcast and BT Media & Broadcast. This initiative aims to deliver live internet streaming with the ultra-low latency expected from traditional TV.

The project "Private 5G from Land to Sea to Sky," led by Olympic Broadcasting Services and the University of Strathclyde, pioneers the use of private 5G networks for live sports production in challenging environments.

Verizon, AMD, and Xansr Media will lead the "IBC Incubator: Changing the Game Again" project, which explores AI-powered fan experiences that may transform engagement with live sports content.

Additional projects include a "Framework for Generative AI" proposed by RAI, Globo, and Yle, aiming to streamline media content creation through AI; "AI Assistance Agents in Live Production," which focuses on integrating AI assistants with control room operations, proposed by ITN, BBC, Cuez, and Google; and "Master Control Cloud," which involves a cloud-based system for managing live media streams, proposed by BBC, SVT, and BT Media & Broadcast.

The "Ecoflow II" project, proposed by ITV and EBU, is set to continue from last year's accelerator, focusing on digital twins to simulate streaming pipelines' energy consumption.

"Multi-Vendor Software Live Media Exchange," put forward by EBU, BBC, and Appear, addresses the limitations of current media exchange protocols by exploring new approaches to enhance performance and sustainability.

IBC's programme aims to deliver actionable solutions within a six-month timeframe, driven by collaboration between industry buyers and media technology developers. The initiative responds to common challenges within the media industry relating to AI, 5G, Cloud workflows, content provenance, and sustainability.

The Accelerator Programme has enabled over 44 projects with the contribution of more than 300 organisations in the past six years. Champions from organisations such as the BBC, Comcast, ITV, and Verizon have previously participated alongside a diverse range of global media companies.