At ATxSG, Tara Neal, Editor-in-Chief of The Fast Mode, sat down with Elson Soong, Bitmovin’s APAC Sales and Business Development Manager, to discuss the evolving streaming landscape across APAC. Soong highlighted how audience fragmentation, the rise of mobile-first viewing, and the rapid growth of ad-supported streaming are reshaping content distribution strategies. Bitmovin also discussed the growing importance of AI-driven innovations such as hyper-personalization, automated vertical video conversion, contextual ad placement, natural language analysis, and automated stream testing to help publishers deliver more adaptive, intelligent, and scalable streaming experiences.
Tara: What do you think is the biggest transformation happening in the broadcast, streaming and satellite industry right now?
Elson: Broadcasters and streaming services are facing tremendous pressure from audience fragmentation as audiences rapidly shift to mobile devices and social video. According to the latest Bitmovin Video Developer Report, AVOD (37%) and SVOD (36%) are nearly equal, while Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) grew at 26%. Streaming is no longer a secondary platform but a core revenue engine, and at Bitmovin this has shaped our thinking about what streaming technology needs to do next. The industry is moving from one-size-fits-all delivery to more intelligent systems that adapt to devices, geographies and platforms, and we are actively driving this transition with our customers.
Tara: Looking ahead to the next few years, what trends and technologies do you think will most shape the future of content distribution and connectivity?
Elson: We believe the future will be defined by hyper-personalization and how content adapts to how people actually consume it. Viewers no longer expect a one-size-fits-all experience. They expect content to be delivered to them on their terms, on their devices, and in formats that fit their context. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have already made vertical short-form videos the default for mobile viewers, and that expectation is now shifting to sports, news, and premium content as well. The coming years will depend on how publishers and platforms can automate that transition at scale, converting long-form libraries into format-native content without the manual effort required by today’s processes. At Bitmovin, this is the challenge our customers are addressing, and we’re focused on building tools that allow publishers to automatically find the right moment in long-form content, reconfigure it for vertical formats, and publish it at scale without the manual overhead that has historically made that process impractical.
Tara: AI is a major theme across the industry this year, but where do you think AI will have the biggest real-world impact in media and communications?
Elson: The real-world impact of AI has gone beyond the conversational hype and is now delivering measurable value in two areas clearly seen at Bitmovin: contextual monetization and data accessibility.
On the monetization side, AI is being applied to understand what is happening within each scene. For example, Bitmovin’s AI scene analysis analyzes the context, mood, and pacing of your content to identify natural scene boundaries and assess suitability for ad placement. This improves cue point decision-making, strengthens brand safety controls, and creates a less confusing ad experience for viewers.
On the data side, AI is removing the barrier between streaming performance data and the people who need to act on it. Tools like Bitmovin’s AI Assistant allow anyone to query complex playback metrics through natural language, so insights are no longer locked behind specialized knowledge. Additionally, solutions like Stream Lab that automate stream testing across real devices allow teams to significantly reduce manual effort and catch issues early. The time between problem identification and resolution is decreasing, directly impacting the viewer experience.
