Global sportscasting is undergoing a rapid evolution. From a historical perspective, it has traditionally been at the forefront of technology advances, being among the earliest broadcast programming for radio, starting in 1920. Since then, sports coverage has led the way in early technology adoptions: TV (1936 Olympics), color TV (1955), satellite (1962), CATV (1972 HBO), HDTV (1998), and today's charge to 4K/UHD.The 1936 Olympics introduced the idea of sports on television.
As revolutionary as these transitions have been, there is little doubt that today's changes are broader reaching and more disruptive. Internet delivery has massively complicated global sports broadcasting, presenting a host of technology challenges as sportsumers demand a more interactive, engaging experience than traditional television can offer. Broadcasters and their licensees are grappling with multidevice consumption and social media and are trying to grow the fan base in new markets.
While content owners and licensees continue to enhance the sports experience through IP-based delivery, they face new challenges that threaten their ability to deliver the best possible experience online:
Delivering broadcast-quality online video to a multitude of devices
Sudden surges in audience numbers and global viewership
Securing and protecting content from unauthorized access or theft
Failing to overcome these hurdles can undermine brand, reputation, engagement, and ultimately revenue.
Audience Expectations
Thanks to the Internet, expectations for the broadcast-sports experience have changed. Growing up with the instant on, instantly available gratification of electronic devices like the television and, more recently, the mobile phone, certain demographics - namely, Gen X (1965-1979) and millennials (1980-2000) - expect sports events streamed online to have the same quality as they would find on the television.
But it's not only expectations for broadcast-quality video that are changing. The same demographic groups have also been trained by the interactivity of digital. Whether it's being able to watch an event or clip on a mobile device, interacting socially during the event, or even engaging with real-time data, audiences are demanding more than just a television experience. In addition to a flawless, buffer-free stream, they want something engaging.
Broadcasters are meeting these challenges head-on. Just as they are trying to create more interactive experiences (using second-screen apps, like ESPN Sync, for example), they are working feverishly to reduce buffering and compress bitrates for a more TV-like quality, no matter the device being used or the location of the viewer.
Unexpected Results
There is another dynamic at work, something no one could have predicted: the globalization of sports audiences. Consider World Cup Soccer, World Cup Rugby, NFL games played in London, and the Arsenal Football Club. Delivery of sports events online in a more engaging, interactive manner than traditional television has spurred global growth and expansion of audiences. Fans are everywhere now, drawn to online streams by both the teams themselves and the promise of an interactive experience. It is not uncommon to find UK expats, for example, gathered in U.S. sports bars in the early morning watching their favorite football clubs (with second-screen apps at the ready) or to see Americans traveling abroad viewing NFL games together (even huddled around a mobile phone) anywhere from Beijing to the Middle East.
The ultimate goal is to provide the best possible Quality of Experience (QoE) and the only way to do that is to be prepared for the possibility of unpredictable spikes in the number of viewers.
Prepare for Traffic Surges
Most broadcasters plan their capacity well in advance. Using historical data and predictions, they put the right amount of infrastructure in place to handle projected traffic. But, with the organic nature of the online world (and how quickly news, such as a great play or a tight ending to a match, can spread), no prediction can prepare for a major traffic surge. Here are some of the times that a live sports production can generate sudden audience surges:
Sign-up/Sign-in: In a highly anticipated game, you may see a spike in sign-ups and, consequently, sign-ins as your audience prepares for the event to start. This can potentially overload your waiting room (returning a server busy message) or even prevent people from logging in, which may cause them to miss the start of the event.
Event start: If there is an inordinate number of people logged in to an event - more than there is capacity for - the simultaneous requests to start the stream may result in buffering or connection time-outs.
Special moment: What happens when a star player makes an unbelievable play and word gets out? Or, better yet, one of your viewers captures the moment and distributes it via social media? The result could be a sudden surge as people join to watch the rest of the event, potentially overrunning your capacity and resulting in buffering and time-outs.
Event closing: Let's say that your event is a barn-burner. Maybe it's between two rivals. Maybe it's all coming down to the wire. Whatever the reason, word gets out, and a flood of people join, maxing out your streaming capacity and creating a poor experience for everyone connected.
The effect of sudden scale and global viewership is additional latency. Although users may be able to access the content, the QoE will be less than desirable - starts and stops, buffering, artifacting, and more - all because your event soared in popularity. Luckily, even in the face of sudden scaling, you can ensure the best possible QoE.
Building an Edge Network
The key to providing a great live-streaming experience is ensured local delivery. To achieve that,
