Today, the convergence of AV and broadcast technologies is continuing to the point where it is no longer a trend but an established part of both sectors. This was confirmed at last year’s International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), which saw what could be termed ‘AV broadcast’ bringing in visitors and exhibitors that previously would not have even considered attending the Amsterdam show. ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) has been the scene of a similar crossover in recent years and that will be fully realised at the 2025 event in Barcelona with even more broadcast companies exhibiting than before.

Among those taking stands at ISE for the first time are high-profile names in broadcasting technology, including camera, production switcher and playout systems manufacturer Grass Valley, mixing console makers Solid State Logic (SSL, which made the move into live sound with its L Series desks), Calrec Audio, MultiDyne video and fibre optic systems, metering and monitoring specialist RTW, the Telos Alliance (its Infinity IP intercom, audio-over-IP interfaces and streaming processors being most applicable to AV), Cobalt Digital (audio/video processors and routers, and NDI (Network Device Interface) audio-video connectivity.
SUMMIT DEBUT
How this cross-pollination is influencing content production for both brands and corporate clients in AV and broadcasters will be discussed during the AV Broadcast Summit on 5 February between 10.30am and 5pm. Organised in partnership with the IABM (International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers) and chaired by broadcast industry veteran Ciarán Doran, this will, among other things, look at a range of technologies that have moved into AV, including virtual studios, augmented reality (AR), streaming, IP and the cloud.
Doran agrees that the convergence is accelerating but not so fast that people cannot keep up with it. “ISE 2025 we will see a significant increase in exhibitors from the traditional television broadcast market, but not because ISE is suddenly entering television,” he says. “On the contrary, it’s because more brands and corporates are creating and delivering their own content. The AV Broadcast Summit will have examples of case studies from entertainment venues looking to monetise their live content with viewers internationally, along with white goods manufacturers who are already creating content using much more agile workflows that enable them to do things quicker, more easily and cost-effectively.”
This will be underlined in the summit’s keynote speech by Louis Hernandez, chief executive and founder of Black Dragon Capital, who will talk about how his company has been working with Grass Valley to support pro AV and AV broadcast market customers. As for what has driven the convergence, Doran points to companies producing high-quality goods, particularly in sports and fashion, aiming to present them to their markets in the most effective way. “This is why they are looking to access professional broadcast quality technology and the people who operate that technology to assist them in creating the best for their brand,” he says.
GAINING MOMENTUM
ISE managing director Michael Blackman describes the convergence of AV and broadcast as gaining momentum, which has led to the coining of a new term for this expanding market, AV broadcast. “We are seeing this through the integration of broadcast-quality video production tools, such as advanced cameras, streaming technologies and real-time graphics, into AV systems,” he says.
“According to Tom Morrod, research director and co-founder of Caretta Research, the term ‘AV broadcast’ encompasses the media technology products and services that are sold to non-traditional buyers, in other words other than broadcasters, operators, streaming services and live production.
He sees this market segment growing in value twice as fast as sales into traditional broadcast and media companies. His latest research indicates that the overall growth of AV broadcast is 5.3 percent in 2024 versus 1.8 percent for broadcast and media companies. AV broadcast is expected to grow by 3.5 percent CAGR versus 2.2 percent for broadcast and media over 2023-28.”
WHOLESALE SHIFT
Sean Wargo, vice president of market intelligence at AVIXA, observes that there is an argument for seeing the “wholesale shift to video as the medium of choice for enterprise business” as the primary driver of AV-broadcast convergence. “This clearly began prior to the pandemic, but was solidified as we went through it, particularly now that the ‘video generations’ are entering the workforce and expanding their roles,” he says.
“They expect video content, having grown up with YouTube and the newer platforms like TikTok. Corporate buyers, seeing fewer employees in offices and so having extra space, also saw a chance to convert some of it into production areas. Broadcast equipment manufacturers then began to notice the democratisation effect as streaming services eroded traditional broadcast opportunities. In all, a new market is being born.”
Wargo comments that the trend could be accelerating due to the “heightened focus” on it within the two sectors, but adds that market research does confirm the crossover is continuing.
He explains: “AVIXA’s annual forecast, the Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis [IOTA], show that the broadcast AV solution area is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.5 percent, which is slightly above the industry average. Our quarterly end-user demand study, Market Opportunity Analysis Report [MOAR], shows AV production rooms as one of the top five spaces that companies are planning AV upgrades for in the coming quarter.”
INTEGRAL PART
Video communications are now, as Joyce Wang, lead market analyst with research consultancy Futuresource Consulting, observes, an integral part of daily life for both businesses and individuals. “Consumers are also more familiar with using devices to create and distribute videos,” she says. “As such, the need to produce better-quality video content drives end-users from verticals such as corporate, education and houses of worship to incorporate broadcast technology into content production workflows.”
The convergence between the two technology areas, Wang continues, benefits both, with techniques from one now becoming commonplace in the other. “AV can benefit from leveraging broadcast-grade equipment such as cameras, encoders and switchers, as well as video-over-IP protocols such as IPMX, which is a subset of the broadcast IP SMPTE ST 2110 standard,” she explains. “Broadcasters also benefit from AV’s influence, such as using PTZ cameras for ease of operation and incorporating LED screens in virtual productions. As a result, the influence between broadcast and AV is a two-way street and both parties benefit from the innovation of the other.”

As with other market developments, the crossover of AV and broadcast is not a new phenomenon and was being seen at ISE as far back as the late 2000s. “We first exhibited at ISE something like ten to 15 years ago when it was in Amsterdam,” comments Gustavo Robles, sales director of IP intercom and mixing console manufacturer AEQ. “We designed our booth and what we were showing to cover industrial, museums and pro audio visitors,” he says.
“But AEQ’s booth for ISE 2024 was oriented not only to show intercom and communications for traditional ISE visitors, but also for new ones from broadcast that are quite common now in the corridors. This will also be the case at ISE 2025, so you will see specific radio mixers and intercom belt packs as well.”
Glensound has been a stalwart of the broadcast market since 1966, producing distribution units, rack mixers, commentary systems and intercoms for both radio and TV. Managing director Marc Wilson explains that the company began to move more into AV in 2016 when it adopted the Dante AoIP protocol.
GROWTH AREA
“Over the last three to four years AV has been our biggest growing area,” he says. “At ISE 2025 we will be introducing the Greater Divine to the AV world. This is a larger version of our Divine speaker, which now, in response to requests from AV people, has more power and more channels. Network audio in the form of Dante and AES67 is driving the convergence because one of our products can be easily integrated into an AV system without having to invest in a new infrastructure.”
IP has also broadened the product offering of Lawo, which was well-established in broadcasting with its live TV audio consoles, but is now also producing video networking systems. The company has been working on a variety of AV projects, including for corporate clients and in parliament buildings, stadia and churches. Spokesman Christian Scheck comments that a strong area right now is theatre and opera houses, which increasingly need facilities for relayed broadcasts as well as within the auditorium itself.
This, he adds, will be reflected at ISE 2025.
“After hosting a presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid last year, we will be focusing on high-profile theatre applications using our products during the show,” he explains. “Here again, the ability to serve both AV service providers and broadcasters with a unified platform benefits both sides of the imaginary divide. AV requirements have advanced in leaps and bounds over the last few years, providing increasingly stunning audio, video and other effects that add to the excitement of top-notch performances. Audiences need to be entertained and deserve broadcast-grade value for their money.”
INCREASED DEMAND
Vizrt would have been regarded as very much in the TV market with its graphics and virtual systems, but since acquiring NewTek’s TriCaster live video production switcher and NDI connectivity (now a stand-alone brand but still supported by Vizrt) business, it has seen more take up in the AV sector. Product manager Liam Hayter observes that 2024 in particular saw an increase in demand for solutions that blended traditional broadcast and AV features.
“From broadcast, we’ve seen more demand for simplification; from AV, an increased demand for sophistication,” he says. “In the corporate space, it’s becoming more common for large companies to want to invest in a production system that attends to internal communications needs, but also expands their external communications possibilities.” An example, Hayter adds, is Vizrt customer Sharp Healthcare, which has built a live production system based around a TriCaster for employee communication and education purposes.
AV and broadcasting technologies have clearly formed a symbiotic relationship that is proving advantageous to not only each sector but also, perhaps most importantly of all, those using the systems it has produced. How much further the convergence will go and whether it will produce a single, unified market is a slightly mischievous question that may take some time to answer. For now, ISE 2025 will undoubtedly show the two sectors converging more than ever.
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