The best way to learn about other countries and cultures is to experience them. On 16-18 May 2023, Spherex attended CabSat in the Emirate of Dubai, a regional trade show similar in focus and content to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in the U.S. At CabSat, two things stood out among the technologies and topics discussed: the region's market size and its resolve to produce local film and television content.

In recent years, the Middle East, African, and Southern Asian (MEASA) Media and Entertainment (M&E) markets have witnessed significant growth and transformation. Fueled by the expansion of streaming platforms into the region, the demand for original, regionally created content, and the desire for culturally relevant stories from their populations worldwide, these regions have actively invested in expanding and growing their content creation and distribution capabilities. This article delves into the changing dynamics of these markets and their impact on the global business community.

Due to government-mandated regulations, exporting content to international markets poses a significant challenge for many in the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry. These regulations can take different forms and are intended to guide the public on the age appropriateness of film or TV titles. From a creator and distributor perspective, keeping up with the changes and understanding their rationale requires skills and knowledge outside their core competency. Non-compliance can result in financial penalties and is complicated because regulations are subject to change, and no two countries implement rules similarly. This post explores three types of changing regulations globally: local content requirements, prohibitions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content, and revised age-rating criteria.

Media is abuzz about the pending release of two films featuring characters children have known for generations. The first is about the doll, " Barbie ," and the second is a reimagining of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, " The Little Mermaid ."

Experience Spherexgreenlight™ at NAB 2023The first version of Spherexgreenlight™ was and still is, the only artificial intelligence/machine learning technology available to analyze video content for cultural and regulatory compliance and provide accurate age ratings for original or catalog content worldwide. Before that, content intended for international release underwent a protracted, expensive trial-and-error investigation process to identify necessary edits to achieve regulatory and market compliance. Spherexgreenlight 's expert-in-the-loop AI/ML technology reduced that time to days at a fraction of the cost.

Hardly a day goes by without someone talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), and apps like ChatGPT , DALL-E , Flawless , Midjourney , Google Bard , or other generative AI technologies are severe threats to original film and TV content creation. Every major news outlet has done stories on AI's potential detriment to the industry.

How to respond to budget cuts and better compete in the global marketplaceDespite governmental and economist statements to the contrary, a review of content-buying companies' Q4 earnings , news reports , think tank analyses , and layoffs suggest that many in the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry believe a recession is already upon us. Amazon , AMC , Roku , DirecTV, Warner Brothers , and others have responded to the threat by announcing job, budget, and production cuts.

Legendary novelist and screenwriter William Goldman famously said , "In Hollywood, nobody knows anything." He was right in referencing Media and Entertainment's ability to predict what will happen. With that, we offer our predictions of the events that may impact M&E in 2023.