The service, which debuted ahead of IBC 2026, operates across NetActuate’s network of more than 45 locations. By managing diverse physical paths and merging them at egress, the substrate ensures continuous transmission even if a primary route goes dark. This architecture eliminates the need for broadcasters to procure, configure, or monitor secondary circuits, as the protection is baked directly into the network layer rather than the application.

Broadcasters retain their existing encoders and protocols, with support for eleven standards including SRT, RIST, ST 2110, and WebRTC. Because NetActuate controls its own autonomous system and BGP control plane, it can reroute traffic in real time without requiring adjustments at the customer's end. CEO Mark Mahle noted that the system solves the common industry hurdle of moving live feeds across markets without the overhead of building custom network infrastructure.

Users can choose between two tiers: the Managed Media Substrate, which leverages the company’s existing footprint for immediate deployment, and the Custom Media Substrate, designed for broadcasters requiring isolated, dedicated routing. The platform sits alongside NetActuate’s other specialized services, such as its C-Band Transition Acceleration and Media over QUIC (MoQ) relay, all of which will be featured at the upcoming IBC conference.