In March of 2009, Syncbak was founded to make live local broadcast television available over the top (OTT) to viewers across the country. Today, just 10 years later, Syncbak powers over 12 million hours of live local streaming to OTT destinations that reach over 99 percent of viewers in markets across the US. We sat down with Syncbak founder and CEO Jack Perry to learn more about the evolution of video and the future of television.
Who is Syncbak?
Syncbak is the world’s leader in live local broadcast streaming. With our core streaming technology, SimpleSync, and our direct-to-consumer OTT platform, SBTV, our technology reaches 99 percent of the United States with 1,500+ local channels. In 209 of 210 DMAs, we ingest about 12 million hours of live programming per year. We power more live streaming than any other provider on the market. Our proprietary DAI platform, adSync, takes our services a step further by replacing over-the-air ads in the stream with personalized ads targeted to each viewer based on who they are. We are a complete OTT solution allowing broadcasters to make their content available to viewers on their website, in their station apps or at any other OTT destination they choose, including our own consumer platform SBTV, then we monetize that stream for them.
What is the story of Syncbak and how did you bring it to life?
In 1996, I was sitting in a meeting in Washington D.C. for a company where I was brought in to help create a technology to help satellite subscribers access the right channels. It was there I created Geneva, a subscriber authentication technology that was used by all the major networks and local TV stations. It dawned on me that if this impacts satellite subscribers, imagine what it will be like when you can watch television on the internet or when you can stream live video, which is where we’re at today. Syncbak has been sitting on this and thinking about the technology for over 20 years.
What are the problems that Syncbak is trying to solve when it comes to TV consumption?
We help broadcast stations and advertisers follow viewers wherever they go. When a viewer is in binge-mode, they’re off the grid and advertisers can’t reach them. We set out to create an environment where we catch that viewer before they decide to go into, or when they are coming out of, binge-mode. We’re choosing to do that with local broadcasters who are not only giving us live programming that they create but are also syndicating more content that they offer the viewers in an advertising-supported way.
Where are moving towards in terms of user experience when thinking about linear and OTT?
TV is getting personal. Advertisers need to recognize that, and content owners need to recognize that. What I mean by “personal” is that the viewer is in control. They’re voting on content based on where they click and how long they watch, where they watch, what devices, etc. Where yesterday it may have been that we tuned in to 2-3 channels over the air, then came cable, satellite, and now we have the capability to search for anything on the internet. It’s become very personal to the user, and typically the only price you pay to get that programming is watching an advertisement. Relevant ad experiences and content distribution is only going to get better with the increasing amount of data and targeting available.
What are you most excited about with the convergence of TV and linear?
When I look at the future, the most exciting thing is that — in not too many years from now — the evolution of content and ads that we consume will be curated for each person, even more so than it is now. I think the way this will happen is that content will be consumed through one channel, with each channel tailored specifically to the individual person’s interests and desires. It’s going to be the programming we pick, and the ads that we see will only be increasingly more relevant for us.
This article was written by Jack Perry, founder and CEO of Syncbak.