AWS for M&E Blog

Hearst Networks EMEA drives workflow transformation with SDVI and AWS

Media companies are juggling more content than ever, amidst delivery pipelines that grow increasingly complex. To better navigate changing business requirements and unify processes, Hearst Networks EMEA, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment brands, migrated its entire content supply chain (CSC) to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

With the multi-stage integration well underway, the network now uses cloud-native media supply chain management platform Rally. Developed by AWS Partner SDVI, Rally supports Hearst’s longform content sourcing, processing, localization, enrichment, storage, and distribution workflows across Europe and the Middle East. The modernized supply chain spans multiple video on demand (VOD) platforms, linear feeds, and Hearst’s archive, hosted on AWS, to create unprecedented agility, efficiency, and scalability.

Scaling for growth

Hearst Networks EMEA (formerly A+E Networks UK) operates 29 linear channels, such as The History Channel and Crime + Investigation. It also supports 60 VOD services, each tailored locally for different countries and in 24 languages. As its portfolio and market penetration expanded, the company found its ability to deliver large volumes of content efficiently at scale under pressure.

“A couple of years ago, we faced a challenge in that our media processing platform was based on out-of-date hardware that was hosted on-prem,” Jan-Hendrik Hein, VP of Media Operations at Hearst Networks EMEA explained. “The central strategic question was do we invest in more of the same hardware or was now the right time to move into the cloud? We concluded that cloud would be the perfect fit for our needs.”

Headquartered in London, with offices in Munich, Rome, Warsaw, Madrid, and Johannesburg, Hearst Networks EMEA was keen to facilitate a decentralized model. The company wanted to ensure that personnel had equal access to view, manipulate, and collaborate on content, regardless of where they were based. They also looked to implement a solution that would increase agility and performance, accelerate the pace of innovation, and enhance staff productivity.

“Our joint venture partner, [Comcast-owned] Sky in the UK, had already moved into AWS and given us great advice and references, so AWS was the first choice. We then ran an RFP to select the best content supply chain tools and that’s how we decided on Rally from SDVI,” Hein reported. “The fact that Rally has integrated third-party applications hosted in AWS was really appealing to us. It allows us to cherry pick media processing tools for closed captions, transcoding, AQC [automated quality control], and more in a fluent and flexible way without having to invest a lot of effort in bespoke integrations.”

Migrating to the cloud

In helping Hearst Networks EMEA migrate to Rally, the SDVI team noticed a lot of siloed activity in which individual departments were moving the same information across repetitive tasks. There was also a lack of visibility into costs and task duration. Using the cloud, Hearst Networks EMEA has unified its approach, leading to greater transparency and efficiency across the content supply chain.

“It is not just about new technology. It is about innovative ways of working and making the best out of the opportunities that technology gives you,” Hein emphasized.

The Rally media supply chain management platform integrates many AWS services, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools such as Amazon Rekognition and Amazon Transcribe. This versatility helps customers quickly modernize and optimize their supply chains from ingest through compliance and distribution.

Sustaining innovation

Hearst Networks EMEA first began using Rally for source content ingest workflows in November 2023 and has continued to migrate additional workflows to the platform. “This project has been transformative for us,” said Hein. “Now that we have AWS, everyone has the same access and visibility into our content metadata to populate our VOD platforms, linear feeds, and archive. That really makes working in close collaboration with our colleagues and partners across Europe so much easier.”

He concluded, “With the M&E industry going through so much uncertainty, the one thing we know for sure is that there’s going to be more change. That means being able to react quickly, which cloud allows us to do. Instead of spending time on hardware installations, long-term licenses, manual processes, and duplicate workflows we can respond to opportunities and changes in the market with greater flexibility, speed, and control.”

Learn more about using AWS for content supply chain workflows, or get in touch with an AWS for Media & Entertainment representative.

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Emily McKinzie

Emily McKinzie

Emily McKinzie is an Industry Marketing Manager at Amazon Web Services.