Pacific broadcasters are turning to streaming to reach audiences far beyond the region, but building a global OTT operation can introduce expensive layers of storage, transcoding, content delivery and monetization infrastructure. New Zealand-based Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) is taking a different approach with Pasifika+, a direct-to-consumer streaming service that will use Eluvio’s Content Fabric to distribute Pacific programming globally while creating new revenue opportunities for regional broadcasters and creators.
Eluvio Brings Zero-Copy Streaming and AI Video Tools to New Pasifika+ OTT Platform
Pacific media organizations have long faced a distribution problem that is as much geographic as it is technological. Audiences across the Pacific and diaspora communities in countries such as New Zealand, Australia and the United States may have strong demand for local news, sport and entertainment, yet much of that content remains tied to regional broadcast infrastructure.
Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL), the New Zealand organization behind Pasifika TV, is preparing to address that gap with Pasifika+, a new direct-to-consumer OTT service scheduled to launch later in 2026.
PCBL has selected Eluvio to provide the underlying streaming and media infrastructure. The partnership will extend PCBL’s existing network of more than 30 free-to-air Pacific broadcasters into a global digital distribution model.
The announcement is notable not simply because another broadcaster is launching an OTT service. Pasifika+ is being designed around a revenue-sharing model intended to return value to the broadcasters and local content creators supplying the programming. It also illustrates how newer media infrastructure companies are attempting to replace fragmented combinations of media clouds, content delivery networks and duplicated video files with unified platforms.
A streaming service built around regional content ownership
Pasifika+ will aggregate programming from PCBL’s broadcaster consortium and Pacific creators, covering areas such as news, sport, documentaries, cultural programming and original entertainment.
The target audience extends well beyond the Pacific Islands themselves. PCBL expects the service to appeal particularly to Pacific diaspora communities in New Zealand, Australia, the U.S. and other international markets.
That gives the service a dual purpose: expanding access to Pacific content while creating a digital distribution channel that can generate revenue for the organizations producing it.
Natasha Meleisea, CEO of PCBL, described the project as a way to create a new revenue stream for the organization’s more than 30 broadcasters and local creators while strengthening access to Pacific stories and information.
The commercial model could include subscriptions, pay-per-view and advertising, although PCBL has not yet announced final pricing or availability details.
For advertisers, the development is also worth watching. Niche streaming audiences are increasingly attractive when platforms can provide reliable audience measurement and content-level context. A dedicated Pacific streaming service could give brands a way to reach geographically dispersed audiences that are difficult to aggregate through traditional broadcast.
Eluvio’s “zero-copy” approach
The technical centerpiece is Eluvio’s Content Fabric, which the company is positioning as a Global Broadcast Fabric for Pasifika+.
Rather than treating video files as assets that need to be repeatedly copied between storage systems, transcoding environments and CDNs, Eluvio’s architecture is designed to ingest live or VOD feeds and dynamically generate streaming outputs for viewers.
The platform supports HD and 4K delivery, adaptive streaming, low-latency HLS and DASH, live-to-VOD workflows and DVR functionality. PCBL will also use Eluvio’s Media Wallet platform to build a white-label experience for browsers, mobile devices and connected TVs.
The architecture is particularly relevant for an organization operating across multiple territories because rights management is built into the distribution layer. Eluvio says the system supports encryption, DRM, forensic watermarking, geographic restrictions and dynamic authorization for individual content offerings.
In practical terms, that means PCBL can manage who gets access to particular programming based on territory and rights agreements without having to build those capabilities independently across several technology vendors.
AI enters the video workflow without creating another asset pipeline
The partnership also brings AI-powered video analysis into the same infrastructure.
Eluvio’s Video Intelligence Editor, or EVIE, provides frame-accurate analysis, indexing and search, while AI-assisted tools can support content composition and transformation. One example is automated creation of vertical video for mobile-oriented distribution.
The distinction is important because traditional AI video workflows can create another layer of file processing. Content may need to be exported, uploaded to an AI service, transcoded, processed and then stored again before being distributed.
Eluvio’s approach is to perform these functions inline within its media infrastructure.
For PCBL, that could allow a relatively lean media operation to extract more value from existing programming. A live broadcast, for example, could potentially become searchable clips, short-form social content or mobile-oriented video without requiring an entirely separate production pipeline.
The platform’s analytics layer is intended to provide source-to-viewer visibility across audience behavior, quality of service and sales performance.
Competing in a crowded OTT infrastructure market
Pasifika+ enters an OTT ecosystem dominated by technology stacks from companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and specialist video infrastructure providers.
Large cloud platforms offer enormous scale, but media companies often have to assemble multiple services for encoding, storage, content delivery, rights management, analytics and monetization. Eluvio’s pitch is that consolidating those functions can reduce operational complexity and eliminate unnecessary media copies.
That proposition could be particularly relevant to regional broadcasters. A global OTT service does not necessarily require the same infrastructure footprint as a Netflix-scale operation, but it still needs secure delivery, rights enforcement, monetization and audience analytics.
Pasifika+ therefore provides an interesting test of whether an integrated media infrastructure model can make global streaming more accessible to smaller or mission-driven broadcasters.
The larger industry trend is clear: broadcasters are moving from linear distribution toward direct audience relationships, while AI is becoming embedded deeper inside media production and distribution workflows.
For PCBL, the objective is more specific. Pasifika+ is intended to turn a network of regional broadcasters into a global digital media ecosystem without separating cultural ownership from commercial distribution.
If the platform can attract diaspora audiences while consistently returning revenue to its content partners, it could offer a model for other regional media organizations looking to build sustainable OTT businesses without relying entirely on global streaming platforms.
Market Landscape
The OTT market is shifting from simple video delivery toward integrated streaming infrastructure, where distribution, monetization, analytics, rights management and AI-assisted content operations increasingly intersect.
The opportunity is substantial. According to Gartner, global public-cloud spending is expected to continue expanding rapidly, reinforcing the broader migration of media workloads to cloud infrastructure. Meanwhile, Grand View Research has projected continued growth in the global video streaming market as connected-TV and digital consumption expand.
For broadcasters, the competitive question is increasingly less about whether to stream and more about which infrastructure model provides sufficient scale without creating unnecessary operational complexity. Eluvio’s zero-copy architecture is one answer, while cloud-native stacks built across AWS, Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure represent another.
The rise of AI adds another dimension. Video intelligence, automated clipping, search, localization and format conversion are becoming potential ways for broadcasters to increase content output without proportionally increasing production costs.
Top Insights
- PCBL is launching Pasifika+ to bring programming from more than 30 Pacific broadcasters and creators to global audiences through a direct-to-consumer OTT model.
- Eluvio’s Content Fabric combines streaming, monetization, rights management and analytics while using a zero-copy architecture designed to reduce duplicated media workflows.
- Inline AI video intelligence could help PCBL search, analyze, clip and transform existing programming without building a separate AI production pipeline.
- The revenue-share model aims to direct economic value back to Pacific broadcasters and creators, making monetization central to the platform’s regional media strategy.
- Pasifika+ illustrates a broader OTT shift toward direct audience relationships, cloud-based infrastructure, AI-assisted video operations and more specialized streaming services.
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