ESPN, DMED Pull Off First End-to-End Cloud-Based Live-Game Production With A-10 College Hoops Game The Davidson-George Mason game is believed to be the first live end-to-end-cloud production of a U.S. sporting event By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 3:13 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
ESPN and Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) continued to push the boundaries of cloud-based production on Jan. 14, when they teamed up on the first-ever fully cloud-based live-game production in the U.S. during the Davidson-George Mason Atlantic 10 Conference basketball game in Fairfax, VA.
Operators on hand in Bristol: (from left) Director 1 Ashley Ward, Senior Associate Producer Greg Burud, Media Replay Operator 1 Maddie Boccardi
Feeds from onsite cameras and microphones were sent directly into an AWS cloud instance, where software-based production tools were running virtually. Meanwhile, operators used control surfaces in a control room at ESPN's Bristol, CT, campus to produce the show remotely. The software-based approach not only reduced costly hardware and physical infrastructure but also eliminated transmission bottlenecks associated with hardware-based REMI productions.
We see this as a major step forward in our evolution as it related to cloud-based production, says Chris Strong, director, specialist operations, Disney Media & Entertainment. The beauty of cloud is, we can take the REMI model or any type of traditional model and be able to make it a far more scalable solution. In a traditional fixed facility, you build a set amount of rooms that is the total rooms you have available. If you want to scale that up, you're going to have to build more brick-and-mortar facilities. But, with the cloud, you can take all those resources and send them to a cloud instance, which allows you to scale almost infinitely.
Building the On-Ramp to Distributed Production in the Cloud The proof of concept comes on the heels of ESPN/DMED's recent successful deployment of a cloud-based workflow for super-slo-mo replay for REMI productions and marks a major step forward in their efforts to create a sustainable cloud-based live-production model. Although the production crew was located in Bristol for the initial production, ESPN believes this cloud-based production model will eventually allow its production workforce the flexibility to work from anywhere.
The next generation of this [model] will move to a distributed workflow where our operators can work from home, says Strong. The goal is to build an efficient, scalable, and sustainable model so that, when our [ops team] has two college-basketball shows to cover at once, we could spin up a [cloud] instance instead of using resources in one of our fixed facilities. We also would be handing a single program output to the facility versus trying to accommodate eight to 10 more individual resources like in a REMI or REMCO [model].
Senior Audio Operator Cody Hardin in Bristol uses an SSL audio-mixing control surface for the cloud-based production.
Live Cloud Production From Beginning to End During the production, ESPN successfully tested video switching, replay, graphics, multiviewer generation, audio mixing, comms, file transfer, and transmission QC in the cloud.
All the typical things that we would normally have within the facility to produce the show were running in the cloud, says Daniel Lannon, manager, REMI operations, DMED. Then we had the director/TD, replay operator, producer, audio operator, comms specialist, and our graphics operators and graphics producers all located within the facility. They were all controlling the [technology] that was running in the cloud data center from [control surfaces] in Bristol.
Graphics Interface Coordinator Keith Rall
The cloud-based operation was based on a ViBox all-in-one production video switcher and slo-mo replay system from Simplylive (now owned by Riedel Communications). The team also used a Simplylive Venue Gateway onsite encoder/decoder and multiviewer for IP encoding of all the camera and audio feeds and transported them to an AWS cloud instance using SRT.
All the necessary tools for the live production were running in the cloud, including Vizrt's Viz Trio, Viz Engine, and Clock & Score Control Interface for graphics; Scoreboard OCR (optical character recognition) for clock-and-score data extraction; Solid State Logic audio mixing (with a 16-fader console surface in Bristol); Unity Connect audio comms; Audinate Dante Domain Manager; ENCO DAD audio-asset-management and -playout; Avsono audio NDI gateway and processing; Sienna ND NDI routing, processing, and multiviewer generation; and Signiant high-speed file transfer.
Quality and the expectations from the production team were key, says Strong. We did not give up any level of production that would have been done in the hardware brick-and-mortar facility by putting this in the cloud. It has exactly the same quality with the same level of resources as the REMI ViBox model would have been. Our production was afforded everything they're used to in our normal REMI model: switching, audio, graphics, video, camera isos, replay, scorebug, comms, and even talent onsite.
Added Challenges: Announcers Onsite and Preparing a Backup Plan With ESPN's announcers at EagleBank Arena calling the action, all camera and audio feeds had to go into the cloud, the show was cut in Bristol, and the mix-minus audio, program feed, and tallies went back to the arena for the announcers via the Simplylive Venue Gateway and Unity Connect.
As a redundant backup plan, ESPN also took four isolated camera feeds directly into a separate AWS cloud instance equipped with small-switching and audio-mixing capabilities. If there was a failure in the primary cloud-based production chain, ESPN would
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
07/05/2026
Recreating the 1974 Doctor Who Time Tunnel in After Effects
Graham Quince May 6, 2026
0 Comments
The Time Tunnel from Doctor Who titles is one of th...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...
06/05/2026
New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool
NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...
06/05/2026
Popular mixing & routing software overhauled
Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...
06/05/2026
New SOS Video Feature
Focusrites ISA C8X is a milestone product that brings together the companys analogue heritage and their expertise in digital audio. Yo...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
06 May 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & ...
06/05/2026
UKTV has secured the exclusive rights to the early back catalogue of iconic Australian drama series Neighbours, following a landmark content deal with Fremantle...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversa...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy
Sky in the UK & Ireland to remain the home of Formula 1 until ...
06/05/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign launches nationwide, supported by new...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
ESPN, DMED Pull Off First End-to-End Cloud-Based Live-Game Production With A-10 College Hoops Game The Davidson-George Mason game is believed to be the first live end-to-end-cloud production of a U.S. sporting event By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
