Leveling Up Live Streaming: Akamai and Harmonic Bring Video Workflows to the Cloud

Rhea-AI Summary

Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) have unveiled Media Services Live 5 (MSL5), a next-generation live streaming platform. The enhanced solution, running on Akamai Cloud, delivers improved video streaming capabilities with reduced latency, greater reliability, and consistent performance.

Key features include faster performance with low-latency HLS delivery of 5-7 seconds, an expanded DVR window from 30 minutes to 12 hours, streamlined user experience with 5-second stream provisioning, and precision event tools for highlight creation. The platform specifically targets the growing live sports streaming market, where platforms are investing heavily in content rights.

Positive

• Enhanced streaming performance with low-latency HLS delivery (5-7 seconds end-to-end)
• Significant expansion of DVR window from 30 minutes to 12 hours
• Improved operational efficiency with 5-second stream provisioning
• Strategic positioning for the lucrative live sports streaming market

Negative

• None.

The next generation of Akamai Media Services Live is powered by Harmonic

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online, and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in video delivery solutions, today introduced Akamai Media Services Live 5 (MSL5) powered by Harmonic. The new generation of MSL expands the platform's capabilities through the support of diverse media formats, advanced monetization, and improved viewing experiences. With MSL5, streaming service providers and broadcasters gain an elevated video delivery platform that is ideal for reliable, high-quality live streaming, including live sports.

Running on Akamai Cloud, MSL5 allows media companies to deploy critical video workloads and deliver content from as close to viewers as possible, ensuring lower latency, greater reliability, and more consistent performance across networks and devices. The seamless upgrade from MSL4 to MSL5 can be executed at the press of a button.

"Harmonic is proud to partner with Akamai and bring the most reliable and highest quality streaming stack to Akamai's powerful distributed media cloud infrastructure," said Gil Rudge, Senior Vice President, Solutions and Americas Sales, Video Business at Harmonic. "MSL5 delivers a powerful next-generation platform to the media industry that meets the evolving demands of live streaming at scale, offering customers unparalleled reliability, flexibility, and video quality."

Out of the box, Akamai MSL5 comes with the following enhancements:

• Faster performance — Reduced time to first byte (TTFB) and low-latency HLS delivery (5–7 seconds end-to-end) for more responsive live streams
• Expanded DVR window — Live DVR extended from 30 minutes to 12 hours, giving audiences more control to pause, rewind, and replay
• Streamlined user experience — Streams provisioned in just five seconds, plus clearer interfaces with enhanced metrics and system status at a glance
• Precision event tools — The event management API supports subsegment accuracy clipping to create high-quality highlights from premium events

"Live sports are driving massive global audiences and streaming platforms are spending billions on rights every year to control the fan experience," said Jon Alexander, Senior Vice President, Product Management at Akamai. "Consumer expectations have grown accordingly, as audiences expect a flawless experience every time they hit play. With MSL5, Akamai and Harmonic are giving media companies the power to meet that demand consistently and at scale."

MSL5 marks the beginning of an ongoing evolution, with future updates focused on creating even greater efficiency and expanded monetization capabilities. Premium over-the-top live and low-latency transcoding and server-side ad insertion — including innovative formats, such as in-stream advertising — will help further improve video quality, viewer experience, and revenue-generating opportunities.

Akamai and Harmonic are exhibiting at IBC2025 in Amsterdam, September 12–15. Akamai will be located in Hall 13 (Elicium), Floor 3, and Harmonic will be in Hall 1, Stand B20.

About Harmonic
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in virtualized broadband and video delivery solutions, enables media companies and service providers to deliver ultra-high-quality video streaming and broadcast services to consumers globally. The company revolutionized broadband networking via the industry's first virtualized broadband solution, enabling cable operators to more flexibly deploy gigabit internet service to consumers' homes and mobile devices. Whether simplifying OTT video delivery via innovative cloud and software platforms or powering the delivery of gigabit broadband services, Harmonic is changing the way media companies and service providers monetize live and on-demand content on every screen. More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

About Akamai
Akamai is the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. Its market-leading security solutions, superior threat intelligence, and global operations team provide defense in depth to safeguard enterprise data and applications everywhere. Akamai's full-stack cloud computing solutions deliver performance and affordability on the world's most distributed platform. Global enterprises trust Akamai to provide the industry-leading reliability, scale, and expertise they need to grow their business with confidence. Learn more at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on X and LinkedIn.

Contacts
Akamai Media Relations
akamaipr@akamai.com

Akamai Investor Relations
invrel@akamai.com

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SOURCE Akamai Technologies

FAQ

What are the key features of Akamai's new MSL5 streaming platform?

MSL5 features low-latency HLS delivery (5-7 seconds), an expanded 12-hour DVR window, 5-second stream provisioning, and precision event tools for highlight creation.

How does MSL5 improve upon Akamai's previous streaming solution?

MSL5 offers faster performance, extends DVR capability from 30 minutes to 12 hours, provides streamlined user experience with 5-second provisioning, and includes enhanced metrics and system status monitoring.

What is the partnership between Akamai and Harmonic for MSL5?

Harmonic provides the video delivery solution technology that powers Akamai's MSL5 platform, running on Akamai Cloud to ensure lower latency, greater reliability, and consistent performance.

Where can people see Akamai's MSL5 demonstration at IBC2025?

Akamai will demonstrate MSL5 at IBC2025 in Amsterdam (September 12-15) in Hall 13 (Elicium), Floor 3, while Harmonic will be in Hall 1, Stand B20.

What future updates are planned for Akamai's MSL5 platform?

Future updates will focus on greater efficiency and expanded monetization, including premium OTT live transcoding, low-latency transcoding, and server-side ad insertion with in-stream advertising capabilities.