DPG Media and Limecraft Set New Standard for Content Delivery

Ghent, Belgium, 12th December 2023 – DPG Media is one of Europe’s fastest-growing and ambitious media groups, with a variety of TV, radio and print interests in Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. Following a wide-ranging review of business operations post-pandemic, DPG identified the content delivery process as a significant area for improvement and approached Belgian mediatech innovators Limecraft to develop a new solution that brings greater structure, security and efficiency to the content delivery process.

“We managed the complexities of the pandemic reasonably well”, notes Eric Michiels, Programme Manager at DPG Media, “but we used that experience as an opportunity to take a closer look at various areas of our operations, and we could clearly see the problems inherent in the content delivery process”. With DPG managing an increasing number of content producers and overseeing an ever-growing portfolio of content and collateral media, it was clear that a better framework was needed – one that would remove the phone calls, emails and manual work that have been the hallmark of the process traditionally. “In 2023 we’ve been working with 60 different content producers on 1400 individual episodes”, comments Wim Van de Voorde, Executive Producer with DPG. “In addition, we require series and episode trailers, social media assets, still images, material for electronic press kits and metadata; getting everything we need at the right time, in the right formats, to the right quality standards has often been a big logistical headache, and one that has only got worse as we have grown”.

DPG had already worked with Limecraft in the past, and so got back in touch to discuss how the problem might be tackled. “Our first discussion with Eric’s team took place at the end of December 2022”, notes Limecraft co-founder Maarten Verwaest. “They said ‘we believe there is a better way of managing this process and we’ve drafted a blueprint for a solution’. Co-incidentally this was an area we had also identified as needing improvement. When we saw DPG’s outline proposal we felt confident we could work with them to deliver an effective solution within the year. We collaborated on this over the next few weeks, and a final specification came together very quickly and organically. DPG were obviously very motivated to solve this problem and we could see a wider industry need for a more structured solution, so it was exciting to bring this to life. Having worked with both broadcasters and production houses (such as Warner Bros and Hotel Hungaria) for many years, we could also ensure that everyone at both ‘ends’ of the delivery process would have their needs met”.

Limecraft set an ambitious target to provide the new Delivery Workspace to DPG Media by the end of September 2023, as well as offering visitors to IBC 2023 a working technology demonstration. “In March (upon agreement of the specification) we told DPG Media to expect delivery of the final version by 26th September”, comments Verwaest. “We were right on time and hit the date perfectly. The development process was highly iterative – every time we made updates we’d send them over to DPG Media’s test environment and they were very quick to try them out and give us feedback. Development like that is very efficient, but it’s only possible when you have an excellent partner working alongside you, so this was very much of a joint effort. As a result, we’re confident we have created a highly robust and secure solution that gives everyone involved in content delivery the structure and information they need, alleviating the need for manual intervention and ad hoc communication”.

With DPG now rolling out the Delivery Workspace solution across its content suppliers, 2024 will see a big ramp up in its use. “This solution really is a first – there’s nothing else like it available – and it’s very pleasing to be establishing a new industry standard” notes Van der Voorde. “It’s going to make a big difference to DPG in terms of the efficiency of our operations, and to production houses in terms of their ability to deliver the right content, at the right time, in the right way”. Eric Michiels agrees. “We’re delighted to have worked so closely with Limecraft on this project which is strategically very important to DPG and will help support our future growth plans”.

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About Limecraft:
Loved by award-winning creators and trusted by the industry’s largest content producers, Limecraft offers a fresh approach to managing your video workflows. From pre-production to post-production and delivery, we help producers and storytellers improve collaboration and create more compelling content.

Limecraft’s cloud-based solutions enable content creators to store, manage and share everything from the first rushes to thousands of masters, easily and securely. We help you keep track of locally stored assets and use AI transcription and image recognition to index content and automate repetitive work, letting you focus on creative story editing. Limecraft Workspaces can be easily customised for specific formats like scripted TV, documentary and non-scripted entertainment, getting you up and running in minutes. Delivery logic helps bridge the gap between content producers and broadcasters/streamers by handling file transfer, traffic management reporting, metadata, version control and communication between all stakeholders.

Media enquiries:
Stuart Russell
Head of Marketing
T: +44 (0)7393 656800
E: stuart.russell@limecraft.com