Exeter increasingly embraces live streaming across a diverse range of sectors

Online streaming has gained tremendous ground across a wide range of industries, most notably for entertainment purposes such as streaming music or watching TV. Yet its impact is also felt in several other sectors, especially when it comes to live streaming. As we continue to turn to the latest cutting-edge tech solutions in order to address and resolve issues and streamline our daily activities, it seems that live streaming has consolidated its position as one of the most important developments of recent years. Exeter is well-known for welcoming innovation and being tech-driven, so it is no surprise that live streaming has been widely endorsed both by the public and the private sector within the local community.

Live streaming in Exeter: a diverse industry

In contrast to on-demand streaming, where the user can choose the content they wish to stream from a selection of pre-recorded video or audio files, live streaming refers to content that is recorded and streamed in real time. It is essentially broadcasting content in real time over the internet to a device that is connected, including mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Thanks to the underlying tech, there is no need to download a file in order to watch content – the user just taps into a continuous data stream. In Exeter, live streaming is increasingly used across several sectors of everyday life. It is mostly used to accommodate people who wish to attend an event but are unable to do so. This could be a professional event: Essential Information Group regularly features property auctions, for example, which are live streamed so that a wider audience can participate.

For a city that prides itself in its renowned university, it is no surprise that the University of Exeter has also endorsed live streaming technology. Graduation ceremonies at the University of Exeter are live streamed to allow loved ones who couldn’t be there enjoy the special day. Live streaming is also set to become a major game-changer for education in a more organic way, as it can be harnessed to live stream lectures and workshops to participants even when they are not physically present – or even to a global audience in the case of long-distance education. The students’ guild at the University of Exeter also endorsed the idea of live streaming lectures in 2017 as part of a student initiative to make the campus and quality of education better.

Furthermore, TedxExeter, part of the Ted conferences family that organises talk series on alternative and innovative topics looked at from a different perspective, has recently turned to live streaming in order to give more people a chance to listen to the talks – as tickets regularly sold out in a matter of a couple of hours. Live streaming can become a binding factor when it comes to bringing together professional or social groups, as it can allow people to feel like they truly participate and belong – it is not quite the same as watching content that is already recorded. That is why it works especially well in a context where those benefiting from the technology want to be part of a community. Exeter is a front runner in that respect, as it has seen the Rediscover Church use live streaming tech to allow people to worship from afar. Every Sunday, the Church will live stream the mass and the sermon, so that people who are unable to attend in person can join in online.

How online and live streaming rose to prominence

Online streaming has become broadly recognisable as a service thanks to pioneering on-demand online media streaming providers – think Spotify when it comes to streaming music or Netflix for video content. Their dominance continues without signs of slowing down, as a recent US survey published by Statista shows. According to it, 43% of respondents had paid for streaming music on Amazon Music in the past 12 months, while 38% paid for Spotify and 35% for iTunes. When it came to streaming video, a whopping 80% had paid for digital content on Netflix, 62% on Amazon Prime Video and 46% for Hulu. Yet live streaming has also become extremely popular, thanks to the wider choice it offers when it comes to watching content that is time-sensitive. Live streaming solutions have long been used for broadcasting events that have amassed a critical following, such as sports tournaments and news, which are of interest to people around the globe.

You will find more infographics at Statista. 

Keeping up with current trends, Exeter City FC is also known to have its matches live streamed on platforms like Sky Bet. The entertainment industry was among the first to embrace live streaming, including the rising sector of gaming. Today, big names in the online casino world such as Betway offer a wide range of live streaming popular casino games, while Twitch has become extremely successful as an online platform for live streaming video gaming content, especially hit games like League of Legends or Fortnite.

Lately, live streaming has evolved to incorporate other niche markets, like live streaming on social media. Facebook Live was an ambitious experiment that the popular social media platform launched to allow content creators to connect in new ways with their audience – and it has proven very popular so far.

As the live streaming market grows and more and more industries embrace the technology, it remains to be seen to what new uses it will be put – both in Exeter and elsewhere.