The platform of choice for speed, security and simplicity at the edge, Edgio, Inc., has announced it has appointed Eric Black as CTO/General Manager, Media. Having been at the forefront of digital video and live event streaming with NBC Universal for more than twenty years, Black joins Edgio to lead the company’s growth in delivering the highest quality linear, live and on-demand video experiences, to every device worldwide.

Prior to joining Edgio, Black led NBC Universal’s media technology strategy across a host of digital properties during pivotal moments in the evolution of live streaming. He managed the first-ever live stream of a Super Bowl in 2010, delivered six Olympic Games (including the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the largest digital event in history at the time), 2018 FIFA World Cup, and Presidential debates. He also guided the team that launched NBC Universal’s Peacock in 2020. The systems built by Black have focused on both high concurrent traffic and scale, and now deliver more than 20,000 events per year, resulting in billions of consumed minutes.

His enormous contribution to the success of live event streaming has been recognized with nine Emmy awards. He is also a two-time winner of the IOC Gold Ring for Best Olympic Digital Service for the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2018 Winter Olympics, and the recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award for 9/11 coverage in 2004. In addition, he was honored with the 2013-2014 technology and engineering Emmy Award for Pioneering Delivery of Pay TV Linear Video to Consumer Owned and Managed Devices Over an IP Connection.

“The appointment of such a well-regarded industry leader as Eric underscores the strength of Edgio’s standing today,” said CEO at Edgio, Bob Lyons. “We are extremely proud of our achievements in building digital video solutions that deliver successful business strategies for leading media and technology companies. Eric’s experience of the biggest live events is unparalleled, and he is the perfect fit for us as we enter the next phase of streaming at scale.”

At Edgio, Black will be responsible for the management and growth of Edgio’s Media Platform, which includes Edgio Delivery, its global CDN network, and Uplynk, its streaming platform. Uplynk reduces the complexity of delivering live events, broadcast/OTT, and free ad-supported TV (FAST) syndication, and scales operations with minimal resources enabling customers to reach more viewers. Its advanced advertising solutions include server-side ad insertion (SSAI) and performance monitoring to help customers refine and perfect their revenue strategies. Powered by a secure global edge network designed for the unique demands of media, Uplynk ensures the best-viewing experiences regardless of where audiences are in the world.

Edgio’s media solutions operate in a field in which Black has rich expertise, enabling him to hit the ground running and further propel the company’s growth. Edgio has handled hundreds of thousands of live events, including the world’s biggest sports events, such as the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl. Its Uplynk solution generated 2.4 billion event views, 3.3 billion hours of streamed video, and more than 220 million hours of advertising in 2022 alone. With Black at the helm, Edgio is well-positioned to lead technology and business innovation in the next era of streaming, which will see concurrent viewing numbers surge even further.

Edgio was formed as the result of Limelight’s acquisition of Edgecast in June 2022. “I’m incredibly excited to work with the talented team at Edgio that has been at the cutting edge of streaming for over a decade now,” said  CTO/GM Media at Edgio, Eric Black,. “Customers trust Edgio as a valued partner – a trust that has been forged over a number of years by consistently solving the complexities of digital video in the most simple and scalable way. I’m looking forward to the future and the groundbreaking opportunities that Edgio brings to our customers.”