The trend toward Streaming Video Networks is accelerating and bringing with it massive gospel opportunities.
Christian organizations using media can learn from mainstream companies that are capitalizing on the trend by creating new pure-play digital video networks that sit side by side with traditional networks.
The Huffington Post – news website and content aggregator – is gearing up to launch its new live-streaming video network named HuffPost Live.
And one year after starting his new web-TV venture, Glenn Beck has announced that his company will merge GBTV with TheBlaze.com, its news and opinion website, and Markdown.com, its eCommerce site, into one multimedia company, to be called TheBlaze TV.
These companies know that the internet and video streaming is really changing people’s viewing habits. In his keynote at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show, Robert Kyncl, Global Head of Content Partnerships, Google, predicted that by 2020 up to 75% of channels will be delivered via the internet.
The global audience and adoption of video-enabled devices represents the single biggest media opportunity for the Church in my lifetime – to put gospel video on every device. Creative uses of video and pervasive digital video platforms may be the perfect solution for telling the story of Jesus. Christians can now touch lives with the gospel in limitless ways – in homes, in offices, in schools, on park benches, on smart phones, tablet’s and TV’s – anywhere, anytime.
The trend is not going to slow down. We believe that the quality and variety of gospel-focused video content will continue to improve, especially in churches.
As audiences continue to migrate toward cloud-based programming, and more Christian groups put their content in the cloud, we will see interesting shifts in Scripture interaction, programming formats, and funding strategies.
Christian media convergence
Legacy Christian broadcasters still have powerful spiritual impact and a large arsenal of communication tools. Digital video networks are exploring, developing and executing on content aggregation, live linear channels, high quality viewing experiences, technology efficiencies and scalability.
This year and next will very likely show if some using traditional media and some using streaming video will come together around a common platform for a common mission.
We view that as a massive gospel opportunity too.
(Photo courtesy of Air-Playit)