Playback

How far can AI actually take you in a running streaming service? In this episode, Accedo's Edit Kovacs, VP of Europe and Latin America, and Michael Chan, VP of Operations North America, make the case for forward deployed engineering in the AI era. While AI has made the first 80% faster than ever, the last mile, the challenges from device fragmentation, DRM compliance, recommendation engines th...

What does 20+ years in streaming PR teach you about what actually matters? In this episode, host Neil Van Zyl sits down with Helen Weedon, founder of Radical Moves PR, for a candid look at how the streaming industry has evolved, told through the lens of someone who has been shaping its communications from the very beginning. Helen brings a refreshing and rare perspective: not as a technologist or...

Mrugesh Desai, VP of North America at Accedo looks back at CES 2026 and unpacks the trends he observed at the event that are about to shape the next phase of streaming. From the rise of digital third spaces and co-viewing experiences to increased investment in immersive XR sports, they examine how platforms are rethinking engagement, discovery, and audience expansion. The conversation also covers...

In this episode of Accedo Playback, host Neil Van Zyl is joined by Accedo co-founders Michael Lantz and Fredrik Andersson for a forward-looking conversation on where the streaming industry is headed and what video businesses should be preparing for next. Drawing on decades of industry experience, they reflect on how recent market shifts are influencing strategic decision-making across OTT, and wha...

Host Lucy Trang Nguyen (Director of Strategic Alliances & Business Development for Emerging Technologies, Accedo) is joined by Laurence Boyd (Chief Content & Product Officer, E1 Series) and Charles-Edwin Root (Digital Manager, HBS) to unpack the first pilot of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA) — and what it means for rights holders, broadcasters, and tech partners who are beginning to take imm...

In this episode of Playback , host Bleuenn Le Goffic , VP Business Transformation at Accedo is joined by Michael Schmidt , Global Director, Industry Partnerships at AWS and Simon McGrath , Chief Marketing office at Merapar to explore how AI’s role in media and entertainment is rapidly evolving from experimental projects to fully operationalized, business-critical systems. Together, they dive into...

In this episode, Stephen Shaw (Senior Solutions Architect at New Relic) and Luke Gaydon (Head of Offering and Portfolio Management at Accedo) talk about the hurdles organizations face when deploying observability tools, and why it’s time for the industry to stop flying blind. From real client objections to the evolution of the technology itself, they explore and exchange experiences on what’s work...

How do you turn an idea into a growing streaming business? It takes more than just great content—and our guest speakers know it well. In this episode, David Guinan (General Manager at Major League Table Tennis) and David MacPhie (Global Sales Director at Accedo One) dive into the must-ask questions and practical decisions every organization faces before going to market: Is there real demand for yo...

Mathias Johnson (Product Manager, Hibox) and Rasmus Almqvist (VP Global Sales) join us to explore how video is transforming the guest and patient experience across the hospitality, healthcare, and enterprise sectors. They explain how Hibox as a global provider of interactive TV and OTT solutions is driving innovation by enabling seamless, multi-screen video services tailored for hotels, hospitals,...

Featuring Vijay Sajja (Founder and CEO of Evergent Technologies) and Michael Lantz (Co-founder and CEO of Accedo), this episode dissects the critical shift from pure subscriber growth to sustainable monetization in video streaming. The conversation explores the resulting challenges and delves into potential future monetization options that can effectively balance revenue generation and user experi...

Recorded live at NAB 2025, this episode explores the findings of the latest industry study on Streaming Analytics in the Age of AI, led by Mrugesh Desai (VP North America) and Professor Serguei Netessine (The Wharton School). Guest speakers David Guinan (Major League Table Tennis), Kirby Grines (Founder & CEO at The Streaming Wars), and Jesús Herrero Valverde (Co-founder at Jump AI Technologie...

Pernilla Wraneus and Sadie Groom take the stage in this special episode celebrating Women’s History Month. The conversation highlights the importance of mentorship, inclusive leadership, and industry-wide efforts to create equal opportunities for women in media and technology. They discuss Sadie’s career journey in the media tech space (1:15), the inspiration behind Rise (9:18), what companies can...

In this episode, Neil van Zyl talks to Chris McNair, Head of New Business & Strategy at Accedo, and Paddy Buckley, Business Development Director at Accedo, about how publishers can no longer wait with implementing a video-first strategy, taking cues from broadcasters and the wider media and entertainment industry. The discussion centers around themes such as the importance of owning the entire...

In this conversation, the guests Tommy Flanagan and Mrugesh Desai cover key themes such as the focus on profitability, innovative monetization strategies, the impact of AI and personalization, lessons from Netflix's success, device expansion strategies, and the ongoing fragmentation in the TV OS landscape.  The dialogue also explores the rise of multi-view support, insights from CES, the shift...

Will Pickett and François Polarczyk discuss the multifaceted aspects of sustainability in the streaming business, emphasizing the importance of assessing the impacts of companies on society as well as the environment.  They explore the complexities of emissions reporting (3:00), the DIMPACT initiative aimed at reducing emissions in digital media (6:04), and the ECOFLOW project focusing on energy c...

In the latest episode, Neil Van Zyl had the honour of hosting Kirby Grines, founder of 43Twenty and The Streaming Wars, and Mrugesh Desai, Accedo's VP of North America, to discuss the evolving landscape of the streaming and OTT industry. They explore the importance of user experience (5:20), the challenges media companies face in adapting to new technologies (11:44), and the need for collabora...

The conversation with Chris McCarthy, Industry Solutions Lead, New Relic, and Steven Kopec, Head of Service Management, Accedo, sheds light on the vital role of observability and metrics, the proactive nature of observability tools in resolving platform issues, and touch on key trends such as generative AI and the integration of diverse data sources. To learn more about how to tackle observability...

In an insightful conversation with Vishal Parikh, CPO, LiveLike, the episode discusses how interactivity can help retain users(2:00), increase revenue opportunities, and capture valuable user data. Vishal highlights how sports and entertainment brands leverage engagement and interactivity (7:00) and how LiveLike's platform, with its unique features, enables audience engagement and gamification...

In Episode 12, our host, Neil van Zyl and guest Eric Tang, CTO and founder of LivePeer, discuss the high-performance and cost-effective video streaming platform and the benefits of blockchain and decentralization in the video ecosystem (1:47). They also explore the potential for alternative revenue streams for creators and the concept of digital scarcity (2:55). Tang also highlights the use of blo...

In the latest episode, our host Neil is joined by Siva Natarajan, SVP, Amagi, to explore the dynamic world of FAST. Tune in on your favorite podcast platforms as they dive into the rise of original content in FAST (6:06) and examine how big media brands are making strategic moves into this space. Siva also shares why Single IP Channels have succeeded (9:50), and invaluable advice for content owner...

Michael Lantz, founder and CEO of TV app specialist Accedo, buries the hatchet with some contentious coverage on the pages of Faultline from years gone by. Fast forwarding to the present day - managed services, personalization, acquisitions, and the "new media" customer all come under the microscope in this exclusive interview. Music by:  ⁠Jahzzar⁠

In part 2 of our UX series, continuing our conversation with Nikki Perugini, our host, Neil van Zyl, delves into the trends and predictions in UX Design that we foresee in the upcoming period. Tune in to the episode to gain thought-provoking insights on Content Discovery and how to end the pain point for users (1:30), how interactive video is growing (8:12), and what are Super Apps and why is it p...

In episode 10, part 1, of Playback, Nikki Perugini and Sonia Lafontaine, explore what UX in OTT entails and how it goes beyond aesthetics- functional design, intuitive navigation, and accessibility across devices (1:06). They also share insights about the advantages of user research (5:16), the considerations for designing a high-quality UX (11:58), the common design pitfalls (20:20), and the role...

In this episode, we explore the critical aspects of OTT that have changed, improved, or remained constant over the last decade. From the rise of Roku as a dominant force in the streaming device market (3:11) to the emergence of ad-supported streaming models (5:30), the OTT space has seen substantial shifts.  The conversation also delves into how user expectations and their viewing experience have...

Dive into the near future of the OTT and the streaming industry with our latest podcast episode, straight from CES 2024. Our host, Neil van Zyl, and our guests, Mrugesh Desai, Ashley Desatnik, and Pritesh Modi, dissect the trends and innovations unveiled at the event (3:59), the changes in consumer behavior, and the essential strategies OTT providers need to adopt for both immediate and long-term...