Event Highlights: Streaming Smarter - Identity and Rights at IBC 2025 - Open Gateway
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Event Highlights: Streaming Smarter – Identity and Rights at IBC 2025
Wednesday September 17, 2025

Event Highlights: Streaming Smarter – Identity and Rights at IBC 2025

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How telco APIs are helping media and broadcast platforms protect content, reduce friction, and unlock new opportunities

At IBC 2025 in Amsterdam, GSMA Fusion was proud to bring together the telecom and media industries on one of the sector’s biggest global stages. Our session, “Streaming Smarter: Identity and Rights in a Connected Media World”, focused on how telco APIs are supporting secure access, safeguarding content, and enhancing user experience across platforms.

Setting the Scene: Open Gateway and the Power of APIs

The session opened with a keynote from Paresh Modi, Senior Director at GSMA Fusion. He introduced the GSMA Open Gateway, a global framework that standardises network APIs and makes mobile network capabilities accessible in a uniform way across operators.

He highlighted examples like Quality on Demand, which enables dynamic prioritisation of network performance for critical use cases such as live events and e-commerce. This kind of programmability signals a shift in how telecoms can empower media platforms.

APIs in Action: Seamless Identity and Fraud Prevention

Next, Gautam Hazari, CTO of Sekura.id, delivered a compelling demo. He showed how APIs such as Number Verify and SIM Swap are already being used in real-world streaming services to reduce login friction, prevent password sharing, and stop account takeovers.

Hazari emphasised that mobile networks offer a “human-centric identity layer”, one that is secure, device-neutral, and cryptographically backed by the SIM card. This creates smoother user experiences and stronger fraud protection across platforms.

Exploring the Broader Impact: Panel Insights

A GSMA event panel discussion graphic. Left text reads: "Streaming Smarter: Identity, Rights and Revenue in a Connected Media World." Right shows panelists’ photos and names: Paresh Modi, Mark Smith, Matt Stagg, Gautam Hazari. Event: IBC2025, 14 September, RAI Amsterdam

The panel discussion, moderated by Paresh Modi, brought together expert perspectives from:

  • Mark Smith, Founder IBC Accelerators, Chair IBC Council, IBC
  • Matt Stagg, Senior Consultant & Founder, MTech Sport, Media & Entertainment 
  • Gautam Hazari, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Sekura.id 

Together, the panel explored how telco APIs are enabling new models of media innovation, from rights enforcement to immersive experiences.

Matt Stagg reflected on his experience with 5G-enabled sports broadcasting. He underscored the need for on-demand access to bandwidth through APIs, especially for live productions where performance is non-negotiable.

Mark Smith highlighted the role APIs can play in tackling piracy, improving identity management, and streamlining fan access. He also reinforced the need for deeper collaboration between telcos and media companies to scale these solutions.

Gautam Hazari added that APIs only create value when they’re easy to adopt. Without global standardisation, integration is slow and fragmented, a challenge GSMA’s Open Gateway directly addresses.

GSMA Fusion at the IBC Show 2025, Amsterdam

Key Takeaways:

  • Standardised APIs unlock seamless integration for enterprises across telco networks globally
  • Identity APIs like Number Verify reduce friction, fraud, and revenue leakage in streaming services
  • Enterprise collaboration is critical, media platforms need telcos to make APIs discoverable, scalable, and commercially viable
  • The future is converged, media and telecom must co-create to build resilient, secure, and monetizable platforms for digital content

Looking Ahead

At GSMA Fusion, we represent the voice of enterprise demand within the Open Gateway initiative. Our role is to ensure that the needs of media, streaming, and content platforms are heard and addressed within the telecom industry.

IBC 2025 proved that telco APIs are more than infrastructure, they are enablers of real-world business value.

If you’re interested in exploring how telco APIs can support your business, connect with the GSMA Fusion team, we’re here to help. Get in contact HERE

GSMA Fusion at the IBC 2025, Amsterdam
Three men in business attire sit on green chairs against a bright red background, engaged in conversation. The man in the center gestures while speaking, as the other two listen. Two small tables with flowers and glasses of water are in front of them.
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Four men sit on stage in armchairs, engaged in a panel discussion. They are surrounded by small tables holding water glasses and flowers. Behind them is a red backdrop with the IBC logo in white. The atmosphere is professional and focused.
A man with glasses, a bald head, and a short beard speaks while gesturing with his hands. He wears a dark blazer and green shirt, has a headset microphone, and sits in front of a red background. A bouquet of flowers is visible in the lower left corner.
A man in a suit stands on stage speaking, gesturing with both hands raised. Behind him is a red wall with an IBC logo and a curved light fixture. To his left, a screen displays a close-up of hands using a smartphone. Two green chairs and a table are on stage.
Four men sit onstage in armchairs, engaged in a panel discussion. They wear business-casual clothing, with glasses of water and small vases of flowers on tables before them. The backdrop is bright red with a white circular logo containing the letters “ibc.”.