The Challenge:
Champions: IET, ITV, EBU, BT Media & Broadcast, Channel 4, Bouygues Telecom, Greening of Streaming
Participants: Humans not robots, Quanteec, Accedo, Bitmovin
The ECOFLOW II accelerator, presented at IBC 2025, builds on the momentum and foundational work of its predecessor (ECOFLOW I) and advances the media industry’s efforts toward greener streaming and broadcasting.
ECOFLOW II is a collaborative industry endeavour involving stakeholders across the media and technology supply chain, including Accedo, Bouygues Telecom, Bitmovin, BT, Channel 4, EBU, Greening of Streaming, Humans Not Robots, IET, ITV and Quanteec.
The project’s objectives are:
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To advance the conversation about standardised methods for measuring energy consumption in digital content distribution from origin to device.
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To develop data-driven tools, models, and frameworks that can explore how variables in infrastructure and configurations affect energy use. To achieve this goal, ECOFLOW II created a digital twin to mimic a live distribution workflow.
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To test real-world technologies and configurations for energy saving, assess their effectiveness, and share empirical findings transparently with the industry.
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To effectively prioritise impact and identify which parts of the media distribution chain offer the greatest opportunities for energy reduction.
In doing so, ECOFLOW II does not promise a one-size-fits-all solution but rather aims to move the sustainability conversation forward, grounded in collaboration, transparency, and evidence.
Kickstart Pitch:
PoC Results:
Measurement complexity: Capturing energy consumption accurately across multiple components (server infrastructure, network, content delivery networks, device decoding) is a tough technical challenge. Many varied data sources, ranging from high- to low-fidelity were used to create a starting point for measuring different parts of the chain.
Variability and benchmarking: Because of the diversity in device types, network conditions, codecs, and content formats, benchmarking energy use in a comparable way is nontrivial.
Prioritisation: There are many parts of the supply chain which can be inspected, but it is essential to focus on the areas where improvements will yield the biggest energy savings. Identifying “low-hanging fruit” is key to ensuring early wins.
Collaboration and openness: No single organisation can solve this alone; shared data, open frameworks, and transparent reporting are essential to widespread progress.
Real-world testing and validation: The importance of field trials and empirical data, rather than purely theoretical models, was underlined as critical to validating assumptions and driving adoption.
Impact:
ECOFLOW II represents a step toward a more sustainable media ecosystem. By focusing on transparency, shared standards, and real-world validation, the initiative seeks to provide the tools and evidence base needed for broadcasters, streaming platforms, content delivery networks, and device manufacturers to make more sustainable decisions with confidence.
While the project does not assert having all the answers, it aspires to catalyse further innovation and collective progress. As more parties participate by bringing data, experimentation, and domain expertise, the cumulative effect can nudge the industry toward lower-energy streaming and broadcasting practices.
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