Ancast Intelligence Newsletter – Thursday, November 13, 2025

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This week in AI, technology, and broadcasting, the industry witnessed significant partnerships and strategic moves that signal a shift towards more integrated and technologically advanced media operations. Notable developments include extended collaborations that enhance localization services, legal battles over technology patents, and strategic expansions into new media and data service markets. These activities underscore the sector’s ongoing transformation, driven by technological advancements and the increasing importance of intellectual property in digital media.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Amagi powers launch of Kogan TV+ in Australia
Amagi, a leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcasters, has facilitated the launch of Kogan TV+, a new streaming service by Kogan Australia. This service aims to blend e-commerce with digital streaming to enhance user engagement.
Research: 38% US internet homes subscribe to sports streaming service
A new study by Parks Associates shows a dramatic increase in U.S. households subscribing to sports-specific streaming services, with figures jumping from 4% in 2019 to 38% in 2025. This surge is largely fueled by the popularity of platforms offering exclusive NFL content.
Next Text: As DirecTV and Dish Try to Seize the Remains of the Day, Does It Even Matter?
This week, we delve into the implications of the DirecTV and Dish merger, exploring its potential impact on the broader broadcasting and streaming landscape. The discussion also touches on how AI is transforming media consumption.
TECHNOLOGY UPDATES
Whisper of future remote production growth in Wales with Calrec Audio deployment – Calrec’s consoles aim to provide adaptability and flexibility, allowing the Cymru Broadcast Centre to meet future production needs as it expands its roster of live sports. This deployment is indicative of the growing trend towards more dynamic and versatile production environments in broadcasting.
France: TV-streaming hybridisation driven by young audiences
The integration of traditional TV channels into streaming platforms continues to reshape France’s audiovisual sector. A study by Havas Media Network indicates that this trend is predominantly driven by younger demographics, who favor the convenience and flexibility of streaming services.
MARKET TRENDS
Paramount CEO: Our goal is to become the most technologically capable media company – David Ellison has been discussing why technology is key to the company’s vision going forward, and why there are no ‘must-haves’ in terms of acquisitions. This statement reflects a broader industry focus on building technological capabilities internally rather than through expansion via acquisitions.
Report: 61% marketers plan to increase creator marketing in 2026
According to WARC’s “The Marketer’s Toolkit 2026,” a significant majority of marketers are gearing up to boost their investment in creator marketing next year. This shift is part of broader strategic adjustments as brands aim to tap into the authenticity and reach of influencer collaborations.
LOOKING AHEAD
As we look towards the future, the intersection of technology and consumer behavior continues to dictate the trajectory of the broadcasting and streaming industries. The increasing scrutiny of content delivery and editorial standards, particularly in public broadcasting, suggests a potential tightening of regulatory frameworks. Meanwhile, the technological empowerment of platforms like Kogan TV+ through companies like Amagi indicates that the future of broadcasting will lean heavily on innovation in service delivery and content personalization. These trends not only highlight the rapid pace of change in the industry but also underscore the importance of adaptability and forward-thinking strategies in staying relevant and competitive in this dynamic market.

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Featured Blog Posts
Client: Adaptable International – Awe Realm Studios, Fukuoka, Japan What happens when visionary talent is held back by bandwidth? That’s the question we helped answer in our latest consulting engagement with Adaptable International—a music production and content studio based in Fukuoka, Japan. Founder Tom Southerton, operating solo out of a premium creative studio, faced a common problem: incredible creative potential—but limited time, zero scalable workflows, and a studio sitting below its potential. 🎯 The Challenge Tom was operating solo in a fully equipped, acoustically treated studio in Japan. But the business was bottlenecked by bandwidth It was clear: the studio had scale potential. But it needed a strategy. 🚀 The Solution: AI x Digital Nomad Talent Over a 2-week embedded consulting sprint, Ancast Intelligence developed a transformation strategy combining: 🔧 Deliverables Included: 📊 Forecasted Impact 👇 Why It Matters This wasn’t just about tech. It was about unlocking time, creativity, and new business models. For solopreneurs, boutique agencies, and creative founders—this project proves that scaling doesn’t mean losing control. It’s possible to automate the grind, protect your creative energy, and build something that works while you sleep (or jam). This strategy doesn’t just solve a production problem—it redefines what’s possible for solo creative entrepreneurs. It blends automation, real-world community, and AI-enabled scale without sacrificing authenticity. For small teams or founders looking to do more with less, this is the blueprint: 🔹 Human-centred AI workflows 🔹 Creative systemization 🔹 Smart collaboration models 🎛️ Want something similar? Explore ancast.co.uk or try out the conversational AI agent on our site—ask it about this project, our services, or how we build scalable AI solutions for creative businesses. Explore our strategy consulting and product innovation services at Ancast Intelligence or try our AI voice agent—ask it about this very project. #AIConsulting #DigitalTransformation #CreativeBusiness #VoiceAI #AIWorkflows #SolopreneurTools #RemoteWorkSolutions #DigitalNomadLife #ContentAutomation #MusicBusiness #AIinMedia #TechForCreatives #FutureOfWork #ScaleSmart #AdaptableByDesign
💡 Executive Summary Conversational AI is rapidly redefining how companies engage with customers — but it’s voice, not just text, that’s setting the next frontier. AI voicebots now allow brands to hold intelligent, human-like voice conversations at scale, enabling real-time support, sales engagement, onboarding, and more. At Ancast Intelligence, we’ve been exploring how voice-driven agents can augment human teams, reduce operational overhead, and create powerful new customer experiences — without the constraints of traditional IVR systems or live agent bottlenecks. 🎙️ Real Conversations. Real Impact. Voicebots are here. In a world where digital interactions often feel cold and mechanical, AI voicebots bring warmth and presence back into customer conversations — and they’re proving to be game-changers across industries. At Ancast Intelligence, we began experimenting with voice agents in mid-2025, following a demo of a basic RAG (retrieval augmented generation) chatbot during the UC Berkeley AI course. That demo, while simple, sparked something bigger — what if we could give that chatbot a voice? Already using ElevenLabs for podcast narration, we discovered its powerful voice agent capabilities and quickly built a conversational AI assistant, powered by our own cloned voice and a finely tuned knowledge base. The result? A seamless voicebot that now interacts with visitors on our site, guiding them through: And crucially — it feels like you’re talking directly to our founder. 🎙️ Why Voicebots (Not Just Chatbots)? Chatbots are now commonplace, but voice is how humans naturally communicate. AI voicebots unlock: Voice isn’t replacing people. It’s extending teams with superpowers. 📺 Broadcast & Media: Industry-Specific Applications With our deep background in broadcast workflows, we see several powerful use cases: 💡 Use Cases That Transcend Industries Voicebots are no longer a novelty. They’re intelligent, always-on assistants that can streamline operations, enhance user experience, and extend your team’s capabilities. 🏥 Healthcare 24/7 symptom checkers, Appointment confirmations, Post-visit surveys, Wellness reminders 🏢 Real Estate & Property Virtual property tours, Real-time Q&A about listings, Rental application screening, Multilingual tenant support 🛍️ E-commerce & Retail Conversational order tracking, Returns/refund queries, FAQ bots for product info, Loyalty program assistants 🎓 Education & Training Onboarding for online courses, Personalized tutoring, Answering admissions FAQs, Voice-led surveys and feedback collection 💼 Recruitment Vacancy match conversations, Candidate Q&A with a recruiter voice, Interview prep voice coaches, Auto-scheduling follow-ups 📞 B2B & Professional Services Lead qualification, Discovery calls, Explaining complex services with tone and clarity, Embeddable widgets on every client-facing page 🔍 The Tech Behind It Modern voicebots aren’t built on decision trees. They’re powered by: We build agents that learn, improve, and adapt to real-world customer interactions over time — not just regurgitate scripted flows. 🤖 Human in the Loop: Augmented, Not Replaced We’re not advocating for replacing teams — we’re augmenting them. Voicebots can handle the repetitive, high-frequency tasks so that your teams can focus on storytelling, strategy, and relationships. In broadcast, that might mean helping schedulers focus on macro programming trends. In property, it’s about freeing agents to handle serious leads. Across the board, voicebots reduce burnout, accelerate workflows, and increase satisfaction. 🚀 What We Built at Ancast Our voice agent: 🧠 Try the Voicebot Experience Want to hear what it sounds like to talk to an AI voice agent — or better yet, yourself? 👉 Visit our site to chat with our voice agent #Voicebots #ConversationalAI #AI #VoiceTech #BroadcastAI #AIConsulting #LLM #AugmentedIntelligence #AncastIntelligence #CustomerExperience
June 21st, 2025 By Ben Anchor Capstone project submitted for the Berkeley Executive Education Program in AI Strategy (April – June 2025) 📌 Executive Summary During my time at Berkeley, I explored a business case that had been forming in my consulting work: could external, real-time signals (like search trends, news sentiment, or social media) be used to inform broadcast scheduling — not to replace human decision-making, but to augment it intelligently? Rather than presenting a technical build or proof of concept, this capstone was designed as an eight-slide business case, showing how broadcasters might benefit from AI-powered scheduling layered with human editorial oversight. 🎯 The Challenge In the first module of the program, we were prompted to define a potential capstone topic — a “straw man” use case ripe for AI application. I initially considered projects related to accessibility in live sports and real-time captioning workflows, but I eventually settled on something that aligned more closely with my decade of experience: intelligent scheduling for server-based playout systems. Scheduling teams — the people responsible for aligning programming, creative content, and commercial obligations — work in high-pressure, manual environments. The aim of this project was to explore whether AI agents, augmented with external signals, could support these teams in making faster, audience-led decisions. 🧪 The Approach The capstone proposed a model that could ingest historical broadcast schedules, recent performance data, and third-party signals — such as: The concept wasn’t about full automation. Instead, it focused on “augmented intelligence” — with a human-in-the-loop approach designed to maintain trust and editorial oversight. To give it a realistic framework, I modeled the project using metrics like Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) — commonly used to track the gap between forecasted and actual viewership. Thresholds were established to guide how much intervention might be required, depending on performance range The plan also accounted for future hand-off to ML Ops teams to handle retraining, monitor model drift, and ensure the AI system would remain calibrated to changing audience behaviors and broadcast cycles. 💬 Reflections This capstone project felt like the culmination of the last ten years of my work in broadcasting — migrating scheduling systems, working side-by-side with programming teams, and observing how operational bottlenecks emerge. It also reframed what AI can offer to the industry. Instead of replacing creative and strategic input, this system is designed to free up time, so teams can focus on bigger-picture storytelling, campaign planning, and strategic collaboration — not just lining up promos in a spreadsheet.And importantly, it lets broadcasters respond to change at the speed of culture — adapting to shifts in minutes or hours, rather than days. 🚀 What’s Next This isn’t just a concept on slides — it’s now being positioned as part of the strategic advisory services we offer through Ancast Intelligence. Whether you’re exploring AI scheduling, signal-based insights, or the future of audience workflows, feel free to connect for a full slide deck presentation. 📬 contact@ancast.co.uk 🌐 Visit the new website!