World Series 2024: MLB Network Expands Live Cloud Production To Deliver Postseason Broadcasts to India BitFire's Media Platform helps network spin up live game infrastructures in the cloud By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital Monday, October 28, 2024 - 1:39 pm
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Growing the game. It's the mantra of every professional-sports league.
For Major League Baseball, this year has been a big one for that: the Dominican Republic Series during Spring Training; opening the season in Seoul, South Korea; another edition of the MLB London Series; and now one of the game's biggest overseas stars - Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Shohei Ohtani - is in the World Series.
This postseason, MLB Network has taken the mantra to heart, using a fully cloud-based solution to deliver postseason games to a massive potential audience in India.
With an expanded relationship between the broadcaster and cloud- and remote-production-solutions provider BitFire, this shift toward cloud-driven workflows is reshaping how the network handles complex, multi-regional productions, offering a blueprint for the future.
The Cloud Advantage: MLB's Partnership With BitFire MLB Network's collaboration with BitFire began during the pandemic, when traditional methods of production were disrupted. Explains Jason Hedgcock, senior director, remote technical operations, MLB Network, Our history with BitFire goes back to COVID, when we were looking for solutions to do our Draft remotely. They came on as a reliable partner, and we've been building with them ever since.
MLB Network crew members produce a live feed of an MLB Postseason game for India via a cloud-based control room set up in a conference room in the broadcaster's Secaucus, NJ, facility. (All photos: MLB Network)
The initial need for remote-production solutions has evolved into a long-term partnership, with BitFire now providing key infrastructure for MLB Network's cloud-based broadcasts. BitFire's cloud tools have allowed MLB Network to handle large-scale international productions without the logistical and spatial constraints of traditional control rooms.
One of the standout applications of this cloud technology has been put in play during this postseason, with MLB Network producing a customized broadcast for the Indian market.
They used our platform to build a control room in the cloud, notes Colin Bonzey, director, technical operations, BitFire, which, along with transport network, can be spun up and down on demand without the need for complicated configurations you see on other platforms.
India proved an interesting market to target. MLB Network produced a broadcast focused on educating new fans and leaning into the similarities between cricket and baseball.
We have announcers in India and in Secaucus, [NJ], notes Hedgcock. Everything is timed through the cloud - comms, feeds, everything.
This real-time communication allows producers to seamlessly add commentary and visual elements that explain the differences between cricket and baseball for Indian viewers.
Last year's India package was pretty basic, says Jacob Soto, VP, engineering and IP, MLB Network. We wanted to improve on that and approached BitFire to help us enhance it. Now not only are we providing real-time commentary, but we're also able to insert replays, breakdowns, and comparisons between cricket and baseball up to 10 or 12 times a game. That level of immediate interaction was something we couldn't do before.
Cloud Production in Action: A Live Global Broadcast The heart of this innovative system is BitFire's cloud infrastructure, which allows MLB Network to mix and match various live feeds, incorporate graphics, and manage commentary from remote locations. A clean feed comes into the cloud production environment and can be customized for different markets.
They have announcers talking on FireBridge, our remote-contribution platform, says Bonzey. They're using cloud-based tools to manage everything from live scoring to replays. This flexibility has been key in managing a broadcast as complex as the India package, which combines multiple live video streams and real-time commentary to create a new, tailored program.
MLB Network crew worked directly with on-air talent in India to provide fresh commentary on a postseason game.
BitFire's cloud-based replay system has also been a game-changer. Initially, the replay feature wasn't a part of the India broadcast, but, as the team grew more comfortable with the cloud tools, they added it to the workflow. Once the production team got the hang of things, Bonzey says, they started incorporating more features - like replays, instant switching, and multicamera views - all handled via the cloud.
Scaling Cloud Production for Global Reach The true strength of cloud production lies in its scalability. Looking to the future, MLB Network brass expresses the desire to further grow an effort like this in international markets that fit the league's overall expansion plans.
If we needed to produce eight or even 12 international broadcasts, says Hedgcock, we could easily set up new cloud environments with just a few clicks. The feeds come in once, and, from there, we can create tailored broadcasts for different regions, whether it's India, Spain, or any other market.
This enables MLB Network to manage multiple broadcasts without the need for additional physical infrastructure. This flexibility was particularly valuable during the MLB World Tour this season, with MLB Network broadcasting from various international locations, including the Dominican Republic and South Korea.
The cloud helps mitigate some of the latency and transport issues that come with international broadcasts, Hedgcock notes. We can push feeds from di
