Streaming Video

Survey: Live Streaming a Top Priority for Most Universities Despite Lack of Budget, Equipment

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 12/09/15

Two-thirds of universities say that live streaming is a top priority or strategic initiative, according to a new survey from Wowza Media Systems.

"While live streaming of public lectures continues to grow, data from the survey indicates that live campus streaming is rapidly moving outside the lecture hall," according to a news release. "Universities are streaming guest speakers, concerts and athletic events daily, thanks to the increased availability and affordability of tools for live broadcasting."

The top three challenges to adoption or increased use of live streaming cited by survey respondents included lack of budget, equipment and expertise.

Other key findings include:

• Nearly two-thirds, 63 percent, of respondents said their university live streams on a weekly or daily basis;
• Of the schools that aren't yet live streaming, 59 percent told researchers they plan to start next year;
• The most common uses for live streaming were speakers, concerts and other events, commencements and sporting events; and
• Nearly all, 96 percent, of respondents said that management of live streaming was handled by staff, rather than third parties.

"This survey highlights how universities are live-streaming video and audio to further engage on campus and extend their reach to the larger world," said David Stubenvoll, CEO and co-founder of Wowza Media Systems, in a prepared statement. "The connected world, real-time social communications for online collaboration and added social value for live experiences are bringing live streaming to the forefront. Higher education has been quick to adopt the technology, and our survey results suggest we're seeing just the tip of the iceberg."

Full results of the survey are available at info.wowza.com.