London, November 2025
As one of the standout events in the industry calendar, the DPP’s flagship Leaders Briefing offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on the strategic priorities shaping the future of leading global streamers, broadcasters, and content owners. The programme is supported by a wide range of reports and online assessments, providing a comprehensive view of the current media technology landscape. As a sponsor, EIKON’s senior leadership team enjoyed connecting with fellow industry leaders, sharing perspectives, and engaging in meaningful conversations throughout the event. Below are some of our key takeaways.
Key Strategic Priorities
Several themes emerged consistently across the sessions. Efficiency and cost optimisation remain central concerns, particularly in relation to the management of IP workflows. Organisations are increasingly adopting cloud-native workflows rather than relying on simple infrastructure migration, enabling a shift from CAPEX to OPEX operating models. AI continues to gain traction as a practical tool for automating repetitive tasks, while the intelligent use of data is becoming essential for delivering more personalised content offerings and enhanced user experiences.
Broadcast CTOs
Among broadcast CTOs, there is a clear movement toward OPEX-led strategies designed to increase agility and resilience amid ongoing economic pressures. Three-quarters of participating CTOs identified AI and automation as their leading technology priorities, ahead of media workflow transformation (56%) and data integration and architecture initiatives (53%).
Despite this momentum, many organisations continue to face significant barriers to transformation, including entrenched legacy systems and shortages of skilled personnel. Data sovereignty also remains a major consideration, with 85% of CTOs rating it as “important” or “critical” when evaluating cloud services. This concern is particularly prominent among US-based respondents.
A sentiment echoed throughout the event captured the urgency of change: “The industry can’t carry on doing old things with new technology.”
Media Tech CEOs
From a vendor perspective, 85% of media tech CEOs are now actively seeking supplier partnerships and view participation in broader technology ecosystems as fundamental to their growth strategies. Notably, only 40% currently consider AI to be a core element of their product roadmaps, indicating a more cautious pace of integration compared with their CTO counterparts.
CEOs anticipate that industry investment will continue to grow across content production, content management and processing, and streaming technologies. These areas of focus closely align with the priorities identified by their customers on the CTO side.
Final Thought
The industry is entering a decisive phase in which smarter automation and more adaptive workflows will be essential to maintaining competitiveness and driving meaningful transformation. Both CTOs and CEOs recognise that progress will depend on embracing new technologies, strengthening strategic partnerships, and overcoming organisational resistance to change.
For EIKON, the Leaders Briefing provided an invaluable opportunity to connect with peers navigating similar challenges and to reaffirm our shared commitment to innovation as the media landscape continues to evolve.
Learn more about EIKON’s technology solutions here.
View the DPP Media Tech CEO Survey here.
View the DPP Media CTO Survey here.
