beIN is the first streaming service to go live with Synamedia’s Senza cloud video platform, extending its reach to new markets and moving on-premises functionality to the cloud.
Sports and entertainment broadcaster beIN MEDIA GROUP has launched a new subscription service, beIN STREAM, in selected countries in the MENA region. The beIN group distributes and produces a large number of entertainment, live sport and major international events across 40 countries spanning Europe, North America, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA).
The new launch makes beIN the first customer to go live with Synamedia’s Senza cloud video platform that was introduced at the IBC Show in 2024. beIN chose Senza to help drive subscriber growth and extend its reach to new markets and segments.
Thin Client Model
Senza is Synamedia’a move to a thin client model that does not rely on hardware or on users investing in devices. The Senza platform migrates functionality that is normally handled on-premises to the cloud. It consists of a low-cost thin client device called the Cloud Connector, deployed with low latency streaming protocols and cloud-hosted graphics processing. Users join the Senza Content Hub – a selection of video streaming apps that are available to all users of the Senza platform – for free and retain any subscription and advertising revenue generated.
The Cloud Connector doesn't run apps directly on the device, and doesn’t use the device's hardware capabilities to render the UI. Instead, apps run in a browser in the cloud while the interface streams to the Cloud Connector as a low latency video stream.
Senza Content Hub
This approach is more scalable and cost-efficient than device-based services can be, and supports real-time updates. In particular, the Senza platform can be used to access graphics and interactive processing and create customised user experiences – in other words, real-time personalisation for subscribers. Dynamic UX updates of this kind haven’t been achievable with on-premise hardware. In effect, with a thin client and the Senza platform, you can transform most screens into smart devices.
Pay-as-You-Go Cloud Resources
According to Synamedia, up until now, the factors preventing this design model from working reliably for streaming services have been network stability, latency and bandwidth, availability of edge compute and ways to use cloud resources efficiently enough. But recently, these constraints have become more controllable. Pay as you go SaaS pricing, for instance, is a key element of Senza, using cloud resources only when necessary. Users only pay for the time viewers spend in their UI browsing content
Using Senza’s nearly entirely cloud-based architecture, beIN can launch and operate beIN STREAM in a flexible, responsive way, including the ability to update the user experience as quickly as a webpage, with minimal development effort and without the need for software updates to every device. Changes are deployed in a few seconds, either globally or to specific cohorts and audiences.
Senza also changes the economics of reaching consumers by avoiding platform system fees – including ad and subscriptions revenue sharing – lowering onboarding costs and almost completely removing the need for hardware.
Israel Esteban, CTO at beIN said, "beIN is at the forefront of embracing advanced technologies with the power to grow our business by reaching new customer segments across a broader array of devices. We have adopted several breakthrough technologies from Synamedia over the years and we look forward to extending our partnership as we explore the opportunities offered by Senza."
Paul Segre, CEO at Synamedia commented, "Senza gives operators like beIN a simple way to increase their market share by reaching new audiences. Senza's innovative approach reduces deployment and operational costs yet delivers a viewing experience unlike any other platform. Furthermore, it will only improve with time, resulting in lower operational costs for the service provider and a better viewing experience for viewers." www.synamedia.com
