Streaming Wars: From Broadcast.com to the Future of Digital Media

"Technology has a way of making us look to the future but forget the past. The past history of streaming is rich in learnings for those willing to put aside their perceptions and embrace a broader perspective. Patrick Seaman provides that perspective with his retrospective account of the origins of the streaming wars. A valuable tool for learning to manage change."
- James W Keyes, Former CEO, 7-Eleven and Blockbuster; Author, Education is Freedom

"Not just a history of broadcast.com and today's multi-channel, live-streamed sports and entertainment world, but also a reminder of how much can change in so little time. And that we are still in the middle of this crazy rapid multi-stranded technology development today. So looking forward to seeing what comes next. And hope I am around long enough to experience it."
- Ian Charles Stewart, co-Founder WiReD Magazine.

Before Netflix, YouTube, or Spotify, there was Broadcast.com, the pioneering platform that proved streaming was possible when most experts said it could not be done.

In this revealing insider account, Patrick Seaman, one of Broadcast.com's founding team members, takes you behind the scenes of the company that sold to Yahoo for $5.7 billion and laid the foundation for today's streaming revolution. From patching together networks of Radio Shack equipment to streaming the Super Bowl with the entire Internet watching, this is the untold story of how streaming technology evolved from an experimental curiosity into a global phenomenon.

Discover:

• How a scrappy startup overcame impossible technical challenges to stream the first-ever live sporting events on the Internet
• The business strategies and pivotal moves that transformed audio broadcasts into a billion-dollar acquisition
• Behind-the-scenes stories of negotiating with the NFL, building edge networks, and creating redundant systems when failure was not an option
• The critical lessons from Broadcast.com's success that today's streaming giants, such as Netflix, YouTube, and Twitch, have adopted and refined
• Insights into where streaming technology is headed next, from real-time sports engagement to 5G-powered immersive experiences

Whether you are a technology enthusiast, a business strategist, or a streaming media professional, this comprehensive history offers invaluable insights into the past, present, and future of a technology that has forever changed how the world consumes content.