Telstra expands with MediaCloud acquisition

Telstra Broadcast Services has completed the acquisition of the business and assets of MediaCloud.

The acquisition brings software-defined and cloud-based capabilities, media cloud delivery experts and a London master control room to Telstra. Australian bradcaster SBS has also renewed its deal with MediaCloud for another seven years as part of the deal, meaning all its content will be assembled and played out via Telstra.

The key additions to Telstra from the deal include managed streaming that enables broadcasters to specify, launch and monitor over-the-top services while maintaining broadcast-grade SLAs, and internet delivery that delivers high-quality video content and live broadcast streams including HD, SD and Ultra HD (4k) to any registered destination point, across the public internet. It is expected that this internet delivery capability will form a new entry-level tier of services, the Telstra Internet Delivery Network, available to broadcasters and media companies wishing to use TBS’s global networks but not requiring the premium service level agreements offered by its current solutions.

It also adds media management and content orchestration – a managed, or platform-as-a-service offering that provides media asset management, content orchestration of complex media workflows and localisation. It also includes the ability to import, manage and preview video, audio and subtitle assets, along with various transmission schedules. Playout, a managed 24/7 service for the creation of broadcast-grade linear and complex television channels, is also added to Telstra’s offering. 

Head of Telstra Broadcast Services, Andreas Eriksson, said: “The global media industry is expanding to cloud-enabled and software-defined capabilities. Adding these leading new capabilities alongside TBS’s existing global fibre and satellite networks sets us up to meet the evolving needs of the broadcast market as well as expand our value proposition to our global client base by providing a world-class broadcast operations in London.

“The new capabilities will help broadcasters deploy new services and channels to respond to special events, programming opportunities and new markets in these changing times.”