They are usually sent to multiple recipients at once. Broadcast emails are comprised primarily of messages sent outside of the core application user experience - things like a Terms of Service update, sale announcements or other promotional offers. The first is transactional email, and the second is broadcast email (bulk/marketing). When it comes to businesses, there are two major types of emails.
As much as we continue to add more and more communication methods to talk to each other every day, email remains a powerful medium to reach and connect with people.