Delivering content: Modular broadcasting technology and the role of content delivery networks

Abstract

Television distribution has changed profoundly over the past 10–15 years. Now increasingly geared towards streaming, broadcasting’s value chain hinges on content delivery networks (CDNs) to reach audiences. CDNs are important for content quality, as they constitute the part of the chain that stores and transmits data from broadcasters to the end-user. In this article, we investigate what this value chain shift means for television distribution in Norway, a country where global actors like Akamai and Amazon’s CloudFront dominate the CDN market. Based on seven whiteboard-based, co-creation sessions with 15 industry experts representing broadcasters, telecoms, regulators and interest organisations, a value chain analysis reveals that the distribution part of the chain is outsourced and modular. As the technology of television distribution becomes increasingly outsourced, we ask what this means for television’s autonomy as a universal service provider.