Real-time streaming technology specialist Red5 has come out punching in 2025 with a surprise acquisition. The Boston-based firm is buying Dale, a fan engagement software platform—in a bid to expand beyond its core streaming offering and challenge competitors like Wowza and Mux, while narrowing the gap with more natively interactive platforms such as Agora and Kaltura. With Dale’s technology already built on the Red5 streaming platform, the acquisition was a no-brainer, and is something of a cheat code for bringing interactive experiences to Red5’s customers across live streaming, broadcasting, and podcasting. Dale’s fan engagement features—which span custom Multiview layouts, attendee controls, remote guest management, and advanced production capabilities—will be integrated into Red5’s TrueTime Studio product. The TrueTime Studio portfolio is…