How to maximize your live content ROI from any event to any screen

By: Juliet Walker, Chief Marketing Officer, Globecast

Last year we launched Digital Media Hub (DMH), a suite of services for live sports and events. Now we’ve gone a step further: we’ve taken more than 20 years’ experience in the live content acquisition market, working across sport, news and special events, to create a turnkey suite of live content gathering services, integrated with DMH. This creates seamless, end-to-end live video workflows for any and every occasion and here we’ll explain how.

Stepping back, DMH was developed over several years. Working with a range of customers, it aggregates multiple virtualized technologies into a single ecosystem. Digital Media Hub allows a live feed to be dynamically treated in multiple ways to create content suitable for cross-platform use, to any screen, in both real-time and for use at a later date. And with Globecast’s extensive network of partners, onward delivery is simple and straightforward.

The new live video possibilities

Where once acquiring broadcast quality live video from the field was both expensive and logistically complex, this is no longer the case. Technological innovation across the past decade has opened up the use of live video. For example, we’ve seen significant growth across the live streaming market, with second and third tier sports now able to access services at a price point that’s commercially viable, driving an increase in viewership and fan engagement.

This also dovetails with the increasing need for more live content from events, especially, though not exclusively, from major sporting competitions, where there’s now a need for a huge range of content: linear feeds; player cams; fan interviews; in-car footage and data; interviews with the players and so on. The ever-increasing costs of sports rights is a key factor driving this, with ROI requiring both business and technical expertise to achieve.

As with the sports market, with live events – the 2018 Royal Wedding in the UK being a prime example – viewers are following these across multiple platforms, from traditional Tier 1 channel coverage through pop-up channels to social media and anywhere in between. They want the most immersive experience possible. Broadcasters and event providers need to be able to serve this changing demand cost-effectively, from 4K HDR to suitable bit-rates for live streaming platforms. Then there’s the need to be able to clip, store and re-sell content during and after events.

End-to-end solution: from the field to viewers’ screens

The technological shift in content acquisition is in no small part down to the rise of the internet, and, more specifically, technologies that use IP as their fundamental underlying protocol. This is in no way to say that the use of dedicated satellite and fiber is no more but now there are alternatives that change both the price point and the speed of deployment while providing new levels of flexibility.

Hybrid cellular bonding/Ka-band small vehicle solution/flyaways

This is a key example of the changing ways we can acquire content. A hybrid solution, it combines cellular bonding with Ka-band satellite connectivity. Using Ka-band means smaller dishes can be used whilst still providing a very powerful signal. The combination with cellular bonding provides an even greater level of signal reliability, increasing the range of options available for customers. This takes the form of either Globecast’s M’lCar (small vehicle) solution or flyaways. This solution is ready for action faster than ever, and thanks to the plug and play setup, your content is available where you want it, when you want it.

Satellite and fiber

As previously mentioned, more traditional fiber and satellite connectivity is still the ultimate, both for primary and redundant feeds: Globecast has created the number one global hybrid satellite network for video contribution. We work with federations and rights holders across all the major, global sports events and have unrivalled expertise in this sector. Globecast supplies fully equipped broadcast positions, SNGs, flyaways and OB vans as well as onsite technical management.

Globecast Live handles any video format. Two-way communication with those in the field – live video and intercom – is also available, as well as file transfer.

Connecting with Digital Media Hub

Our Digital Media Hub then captures, processes and generates cross-platform content – up to premium broadcast quality – from the feed/feeds. This includes delivery to our Content Marketplace for archiving and content re-use/re-sale. Working with our customers, we can create bespoke packages that precisely fit each and every one’s requirements.

Conclusion

By taking advantage of Globecast Live, you can ensure that you are maximizing your content reach and ROI. Globecast Live clearly highlights the benefits of working with a single supplier; one who is embracing the benefits of virtualized and cloud-based technologies.