In 2025, broadcasters are focusing intensely on operational efficiency due to a fragmented media landscape and economic pressures. This goes beyond simple cost-cutting; it involves modernizing workflows, streamlining content delivery, and optimizing resource allocation. The competition from digital platforms and streaming services heightens the pressure to achieve more with less.

Industry experts highlighted automation, cloud technologies, and artificial intelligence as crucial for efficiency gains in production and distribution. This impacts all aspects of broadcast operations, from studios and remote production to content management and distribution. A balance is needed between immediate cost reduction and strategic technology investments for long-term improvements.

“With steep competition from an increasing range of streaming and digital platforms, and younger viewers choosing to consume content away from traditional media outlets, broadcasters need to move fast to remain relevant,” noted Bea Alonso, strategic marketing lead, Projective. The goal isn't just cost-cutting but measurable improvements while maintaining quality and expanding distribution.

“Broadcasters are likely to prioritize operational efficiencies to streamline costs and maintain competitiveness. Pay-TV providers will focus on safeguarding their ad revenues, while FAST platforms will work to grow their advertising income. A big focus will be on reducing churn by enhancing user engagement and retaining audiences more effectively,” explained Peter Docherty, CTO and founder of ThinkAnalytics.

The shift to IP-based systems from traditional broadcast infrastructure is a major operational change. While promising efficiency gains, it requires careful planning and investment. “The transition from traditional broadcast engineering to IT-based systems represents perhaps the biggest cultural and technical shift our industry has seen. Training broadcast engineers to be comfortable with networking concepts and managing complex IP infrastructures will be crucial,” emphasized Russell Johnson, director at Hitomi Broadcast.

Cloud adoption is driving efficiency, but organizations are adopting a measured approach. “Commercial models from technology suppliers should align with the need to operate across different infrastructures. For some companies, CapEx may suit their requirements and corporate budgeting, especially in cases with predictable usage patterns. However, operations requiring flexible broadcast patterns can benefit from OpEx, which better aligns costs with revenues,” said Neil Maycock, CCO at Pebble.

Automation is key, especially in content production and distribution. “Automation eliminates repetitive tasks, accelerates content processing, and reduces human error, leading to faster, more efficient production workflows. With a technology partner skilled in workflow automation, broadcasters can automate routine functions like file transfers and metadata tagging, allowing teams to focus on creative and strategic tasks,” stated Sam Peterson, COO at Bitcentral.

AI is also significantly impacting efficiency. “AI-powered tools are quickly becoming part of day-to-day workflows, like newsroom scripting, video clipping and highlights editing, language translation, basic subtitle generation, compliance image detection, and more. These technologies create time savings and efficiencies, enabling media companies to deliver more content in less time,” added Alonso.

Remote production is another crucial aspect. “Remote production of live content is transformative. Sending only minimal crews to an event and streaming all sources back to a central production base slashes the cost and carbon footprint, and massively boosts the utilization of expensive production technology,” said Sergio Ammirata, founder and chief scientist at SipRadius.

The move to remote operations offers environmental benefits as well. “Remote and distributed production seem a logical sustainability response that simply makes good business sense. Broadcasters can produce more content using fewer resources while maintaining high production standards. Smaller onsite crews, less equipment, and fewer vehicles mean less travel and transport — which in turn leads to lower emissions and reduced expenses,” noted Robert Szabo-Rowe, head of engineering and product management at Tata Comms Media.

Budget constraints heavily influence technology adoption. “Amid a tightening economic climate, broadcasters are taking a more strategic approach to technology adoption. The focus for 2025 is expected to shift from pursuing innovation for its own sake to implementing solutions that deliver clear, measurable results. To thrive, broadcasters must achieve high-quality output with a streamlined tech stack, striking a balance between managing operational costs and investing in sustainable, effective solutions,” Peterson reiterated.

This drive for efficiency impacts workforce needs and skills. Change management is a key challenge. “Change management remains the biggest challenge when adopting new technology solutions, and this isn’t likely to change. It’s always easier to change technology than it is to change people’s habits. For any media organization planning significant technology upgrades, careful planning will be essential to ensure teams transition smoothly,” Alonso emphasized.

IP-based workflows and cloud technologies require new expertise. “The transition from traditional broadcast engineering to IT-based systems represents perhaps the biggest cultural and technical shift our industry has seen. Training broadcast engineers to be comfortable with networking concepts and managing complex IP infrastructures will be crucial,” Johnson repeated.

The evolving roles extend beyond technical skills. “Editorial, producing and content creation teams are now extending their roles to include historically more production and technical type roles. This efficiency play is a result of solutions now finding their way to market that collapse previously complex features and functions to more user-friendly, automation driven, workflows,” said Rick Young, SVP and head of global products at LTN.

Ultimately, broadcasters must focus on measurable improvements, maintaining quality, and meeting audience expectations. The integration of technologies like AI and cloud-based systems continues to reshape operations and workforce needs. A balance of innovation and practicality is essential for success.