Turner heads for the cloud with AWS

Turner is tapping Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider and is migrating infrastructure for channels including TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network to the AWS cloud.

Turner joins a growing list of media outfits – including Amazon Video, the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery, Hulu and Netflix – that have tapped AWS to host their media supply chains and OTT TV service delivery.

According to AWS, Turner has re-engineered its end-to-end media supply chain on AWS, meaning that it will use AWS to distribute digital content to its customers.

The broadcaster is moving “decades” of content to the cloud, including a 15-petabyte library of CNN’s archive, and is using AWS to provide functionality spanning compute, storage, networking, databases, developer tools, analytics, and machine learning.

AWS’s machine learning capabilities will allow the broadcaster to analyse and extract video metadata to make decisions about how to personalise its content and deliver information to advertisers, content creators and research analysts on viewing trends.

“We’re going through the largest technology transformation since Ted Turner started the company, and the advancements we’re making today are enabling us to reimagine what television can be for our viewers,” said Jeremy Legg, CTO at Turner.

“We’re changing our broadcast technology stack to a fully digital, cloud environment built on AWS, which will enable us to adapt to new video delivery models, as well as provide our viewers with more personalised content and advertisements. Our relationship with AWS and the services they provide are essential to our success. Given that we reach over 80% of adults and 70% of millennials every month, we needed a cloud provider that has the ability to support massive-scale media businesses like ours which often have spikes in demand across our diverse portfolio.”