The broadcast industry's transition from satellite to IP delivery is prompting significant adaptations from technology vendors, and Zixi is a prime example. Following its acquisition by Clearhaven Partners, the company underwent a strategic repositioning. “We went around and listened to customers and the consistent thing we kept hearing was, ‘I love your technology for what I do, but I don’t understand what else you do and where else you can help me,'” said Kris Alexander, Zixi’s VP of product & industry marketing, at the 2025 NAB Show. “And then the other thing we consistently heard is, ‘Your commercial model just doesn’t work for me.’"
This feedback led to a revised approach. “There were customers who were like – I want to use you – but your pricing model doesn’t work,” Alexander explained. “And that was primarily because… we priced it like a CDN. And it just didn’t make sense.” This hindered accurate total cost of ownership evaluation and margin prediction. Under CEO Marc Aldrich, formerly of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Zixi adopted a more predictable licensing model. “We can just license it for an event you’re running… for a station affiliate you’re sending it to… or channel,” said Alexander. The software now supports 14 protocols, including SRT and REST, enabling a gradual IP transition while maintaining equipment compatibility.
Zixi prioritizes seamless workflow integration. “This is why we spend a lot of time making sure that we can speak with SCTE-35 messaging,” Alexander stated. “That way you could use your existing as-run infrastructure, so you don’t have to throw anything away in terms of infrastructure… You don’t have to change your operational structure.” Sinclair Broadcast Group reported both cost savings and reliability enhancements. “The big differentiator, [Sinclair’s Del Parks] said, was we were able to bring down the cost,” Alexander noted, highlighting the software's efficiency in memory and compute utilization. Improved reliability translated into reduced troubleshooting costs. “Their costs of having to troubleshoot were significant,” Alexander added. Zixi’s automated orchestration and monitoring software further enhances these benefits.
Future growth targets include contribution and remote production, driven by the desire to avoid expensive satellite trucks and fiber. “Nobody wants to have to roll trucks with a satellite uplink. Nobody wants to pull fiber. It’s expensive, and there are also long lead times. It’s not flexible,” Alexander explained, pointing to the rise of bonded 5G or LTE. Alexander acknowledged broader industry disruptions like the C-band spectrum repack, ATSC 3.0 deployment, and media consolidation. “I suspect we’ll continue to see a lot of change, especially over the next three to five years,” he noted. Despite this uncertainty, Zixi positions itself as a crucial component in the IP transition. “In the move to IP, you’re going to need some software and ingredient to help in that transition. And so, regardless of the different players here, we feel that we offer something that can provide a lot of value in terms of flexibility and lowering cost as an ingredient for that final solution.”