A+E Networks Doubles Remote Editing Production Through Blackbird

A+E Networks will double the volume edited through the Blackbird platform to both enable a significant expansion of remote video production capability, while ensuring the overall safety of its editors who will now be able to work even more effectively, remotely.

A+E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst and Disney, has a portfolio of global brands that includes A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, LMN, fyi, and Viceland. The international media network first incorporated Blackbird within its infrastructure for a range of key cloud video production workflows in June 2019 – delivering major productivity enhancements across its operations.

“We have moved swiftly to enable our video production teams to work safely and remotely,” says A+E Networks SVP Production Operations, Ed Russo. “Blackbird gives us all the tools needed to do this by providing professional grade cloud video editing and publishing capabilities in a browser, even under low bandwidth conditions.”

This latest expansion sees A+E Networks double the volume of file-based content available to its production teams for access through Blackbird. The visibility, immediacy and management of A+E Network’s entire video archive will be significantly accelerated for the repurposing of content. Production teams will use Blackbird to rapidly ingest, view, edit and publish content using a choice of hybrid workflows – on-premise through the Blackbird cloud as well as on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud.

Blackbird will also enable A+E Networks’ entire production team to work remotely and collaboratively offsite. Production staff will have access to Blackbird’s professional suite of editing tools in a browser from home or anywhere else as needed – even on low bandwidth.

“A+E Networks and Blackbird have been building a very strong partnership this past year,” says Blackbird CEO, Ian McDonough. “As changes to working practices rapidly come into force, we will be there to fully support them as we will the rest of our global client base.”

Blackbird drives awareness, reach and monetization for brands in the sports, news, entertainment and enterprise sectors. Customers include IMG, Deltatre, Peloton, TownNews, Eleven Sports and the U.S Department of State.