Sinclair Broadcast Group streamlines metadata enrichment with Fabric Studio on AWS, boosting network ratings
Sinclair used Fabric Studio (powered by AWS) and IMDb licensed data to automate metadata management for its film and television catalog, reducing manual data entry and achieving year-over-year ratings increases across its Comet, Charge, and TBD networks.
Background
Sinclair's metadata management was labor-intensive: every piece of programming required manual data entry by clerks. As digital catalog volumes grew and distribution across content delivery networks required rich, consistent metadata, the manual process created delays, inconsistencies, and unnecessary costs.
What Was Implemented
- Fabric Studio (SaaS on AWS) deployed as metadata management platform for Sinclair's film and television catalog
- IMDb licensed data integrated via AWS Data Exchange, providing access to verified entertainment metadata (genres, synopses, ratings, keywords, tags)
- Single-click metadata retrieval replacing manual data entry for individual episodes and titles
- Unified commercial agreement (one agreement with Fabric) replacing multiple data provider licenses
- Near real-time API access to IMDb data updates
Results
- Manual metadata entry replaced by automated one-click retrieval via IMDb integration - Streamlined operations and reduced manual editing time - Year-over-year network ratings increases during the deployment period: Comet +17% , Charge +37% , TBD +10% (as stated by Ben Lister, head of programming, Sinclair)
Lessons
- Standardizing metadata through a trusted third-party source (IMDb) is more scalable than building proprietary enrichment pipelines
- Consolidating data provider agreements through a single vendor platform (Fabric) reduces administrative overhead and accelerates time to value
- Enriched metadata benefits extend beyond digital discoverability to programming acquisition decisions and audience development