As media and entertainment (M&E) companies race to deliver high-quality content more efficiently, agility, reliability and cost efficiency are essential. Studios, content production stages and post-production companies face mounting pressure to move large, original content files and datasets, all while managing complex vendor and partner ecosystems and unpredictable spikes in demand. Traditional network models—rigid, CapEx-heavy and slow to adapt—simply can’t keep up.
That’s where Lumen® NaaS (Network-as-a-Service) comes in, turning connectivity into a flexible, on‑demand resource that supports how M&E businesses work today. But modern production requires more than bandwidth alone—it needs an infrastructure partner built for the full workflow.
Production companies and studios that partner with Lumen also benefit from our seamless integration with hyperscalers, edge bare metal and storage solutions, giving teams a single infrastructure partner across compute, transport and livestreams.
What is NaaS?
NaaS is a cloud‑like networking model that allows organizations to consume connectivity on demand, scale bandwidth dynamically and pay hourly for what they use. Instead of deploying and managing fixed network infrastructure, NaaS delivers software‑defined, programmable networking through a service‑based approach.
For M&E companies, on-demand network services support high‑capacity data transfers, private connectivity and rapid scaling across studios, production facilities, cloud platforms and partners—without the delays and capital investment associated with legacy networks.
5 ways on-demand network services enhance content production workflows
In M&E, the network is more than infrastructure—it’s an essential part of production. When bandwidth can’t flex, files stall, teams slow down and deadlines are at risk. Here are five ways on-demand networking keeps work moving to enable faster scaling, tighter control and better protection for high-value content.
Elastic scale for production, post-production and AI workloads
Large-scale content transfers can create sudden bandwidth spikes that traditional networks struggle to manage. With NaaS, companies and creative teams can rapidly scale connectivity up to 110 Gbps and down again, enabling seamless performance without overprovisioning or long-term contracts.* This elasticity means you’re always ready for the next big moment, whether it’s a three-day shoot, a post-production deadline or a data-intensive machine learning studio workflow.
“Our infrastructure really needs to support both ends of the spectrum—somebody here for an hour versus somebody on the LED stage for two weeks, and it can’t be static,” explains Bill Lafontaine, Chief Marketing Officer of Skyway Studios. “Network as a service—being able to scale it up and down with Lumen—is incredibly valuable to us.”
Flexible network economics for production peaks and valleys
Legacy networks require significant upfront investment and ongoing maintenance, tying up capital and IT resources. On-demand services shift network spending to a pay-as-you-go model, reducing CapEx and aligning costs with actual usage. This flexibility is especially valuable for M&E companies with fluctuating project cycles, enabling them to optimize budgets, scale up or down and benefit from additional revenue streams by reselling temporary high bandwidth to production customers.
“NaaS and the level of connectivity that we have here at Skyway is a critical part of our pitch to winning the business. They’re not going to remember what model cameras we have … they’re going to remember how they were treated and what type of service they got,” says Tom Gregory, Skyway’s head of sales and production.
Reliability for high-value content and intellectual property
M&E workflows demand uncompromising security due to sensitive intellectual property. Lumen NaaS delivers private, high-performance connectivity with built-in redundancy and advanced threat protection. This allows critical assets to move securely and efficiently, supporting seamless collaboration across locations and teams without coming into contact with the public internet.
Centralized network control for multisite studios and teams
Managing complex, multisite networks can overwhelm creative teams and obscure performance issues. On-demand network services centralize network management with near-real time monitoring, reporting and automation. This gives you end-to-end visibility and control, enabling proactive troubleshooting and continuous optimization so you can focus on storytelling, not network headaches. And Lumen owns its own fiber, which helps keep costs low.
Enabling cloud, AI and software-defined workflows
The M&E industry is embracing cloud-based workflows, remote collaboration for editing and visual effects, and software-defined tools. Lumen on-demand services provide the foundation for these innovations, offering standardized APIs, seamless cloud integration and agility. As the industry evolves, NaaS helps ensure your network is ready for what’s next.
Taken together, these benefits can mean less waiting and more doing. When you can scale bandwidth on demand, protect high-value assets and manage connectivity from one place, teams can move from planning around network limits to executing at full speed.
NaaS use cases in media and entertainment
On-demand networking is already enabling modern M&E workflows in a variety of ways, including:
- Stadium and venue operations: On‑demand, high‑capacity connectivity for venue file sharing and collaboration that complements Lumen® Vyvx® Broadcast Solutions, 24/7 specialized services for the movement of live video
- Remote editing and collaboration for film and episodic TV content: Secure, private connections between editors, studios and cloud platforms
- Post‑production file transfers: Fast, reliable movement of large files, assets with sensitive IP, and raw footage for film and television editing and visual effects work
- AI‑driven content workflows: Scalable networking to support machine learning, rendering and analytics
- Multisite studio operations: Unified connectivity across distributed production environments, production stages and studio locations
By removing network constraints, NaaS helps creative teams work faster and more flexibly across the entire content lifecycle.
From fixed networks to on‑demand agility
Lumen delivers NaaS on a foundation built for the demands of media and entertainment. Our fully owned, global private network enables secure, low‑latency connectivity across studios, venues, clouds and partners.
Why network ownership matters
Unlike resellers who depend on third-party infrastructure, Lumen owns and operates one of the world’s largest private fiber networks end to end. That ownership translates directly to cost efficiency, consistent performance and seamless integration with Lumen edge compute and storage solutions and our security portfolio—so M&E organizations get a single, accountable partner across the entire content chain, not a patchwork of providers.
With Lumen on-demand network services, organizations gain the agility of software‑defined networking combined with the reliability, scale and expertise of a trusted network provider. By transforming networking from a fixed asset into an on‑demand service, Lumen helps M&E companies reduce complexity, protect valuable content and stay ready for what’s next—whether that’s live events, AI‑driven production or new distribution models.
If you’re ready to modernize your content production connectivity, discover how Lumen On-Demand Network Services can help you scale, secure and simplify your media and entertainment workflows
*Lumen On-Demand Network Services require access to a NaaS-enabled port subject to eligibility requirements and subject to separate minimum term agreement and associated early termination charges.
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