At the Fast Company seminar at SXSW earlier this year, a famous face took to the stage to hype up what they see as the future of media. Brushing aside much more polished broadcasts, John Stamos emphasised that the future of media looks to be “life in real time.”
As the chief innovation officer at Zeam, this take doesn’t come as a surprise. The startup aims to let people stream local TV and content from elsewhere – similarly to what’s being done somewhat dubiously on Twitch. Still, Stamos sees an in with an alternative to the ocean of overproduced live and broadcast content.
Live Streaming Continues to Trend Upwards
Live streaming has been around for a very long time, but in recent years, an expansion of the tech’s applications has helped to propel it into the mainstream. It’s evolved from a real-time, but passive, viewing experience into more of an active one at the online casino, where live-streamed games can be played as you see them.
In specialised studios kitted out with luxury tables, all the digital boards they could need, a professional host, and some additional cameras and readers, casino tables and game shows are live-streamed to online users. People watching also get to bet on the live action, seeing any winnings they may land added to their balances immediately.
Online casinos were once seen as having mostly static content, but like those, another such platform is betting big on live streaming. YouTube has been trying to amp up its live-streaming arm for a while. Most recently, the video platform introduced a new ad feature that would stop the ads from running at moments of high interaction.
For Fresh and Authentic Content
The many applications of live streaming are starting to be realised and expanded. Stamos sees the next step as being one that emphasises its authenticity and accessibility. As he noted at SXSW, “We’re giving people freedom to be authentic and to be real,” saying that that’s what audiences want.
Zeam is being held up as the answer to this demand, with there being a perceived gap in the market for a place to find authentic and fresh content without an agenda. CEO Jack Perry envisions Zeam as a way for local stations, local events, and performers like comedians to reach wider audiences without compromising their authenticity.
Stamos also mused on getting his first tattoo at SXSW and live-streaming it, with that being a prime example of authentic content. Viewers might have been interested in seeing him undergo that experience – particularly his fans and those intrigued by getting a tattoo themselves. It seems to have appeal, given its 33,000 downloads following Stamos’ Super Bowl LIX commercial.
Elsewhere, the focus is more on refining and polishing live streaming to increase its visual appeal and reliability. We’ve seen this in the live casino games, as well as in webinar tech. Zoom was a headline act in this regard, first offering easy video calls and now becoming an Emmy Awards winner for its Zoom for Broadcast tech.
Audiences continue to lean towards making a live stream the first port of call, and Zeam looks primed to capture the audiences seeking instant, authentic, and intriguing content.
