Breaking Free from Legacy Systems: How LiveEdge® Transforms Production for Live Sports Rights Owners

Managing live sports production has always been a challenge, with complex workflows, multiple hardware requirements, and increasing audience demands. For sports rights owners, legacy production systems often rely on fragmented setups, with separate pieces of hardware required for live feed capture, connectivity, remote production, and graphics. While these systems may get the job done, they come with significant challenges that make them less effective in today’s environment.

• 100’s, 1000’s of Camera Feeds from Different Locations. How do you operationalize, normalize real time live feeds from many different systems and locations?

• Lack of Customization Tools: These systems lack APIs to extend workflows, automate processes, or integrate features like graphics and ad markers. Teams are forced to rely on static, one-size-fits-all workflows.

• Dependence on On-Site Technical Resources: Legacy systems require skilled people to be on-site for setup, management, and troubleshooting, making it difficult to transition to fully remote production or distribution models.

• Limited Support for Monetization: With no APIs or SCTE-35 support, legacy systems cannot support modern monetization workflows such as dynamic ad insertion or real-time audience engagement tools.

• High Latency from Disparate Steps: The reliance on multiple disconnected devices and workflows results in latency that impacts the viewing experience, particularly in time-sensitive live sports scenarios.  

• Limited Protocol Support for Seamless Workflows: Many legacy systems are restricted to a narrow set of supported protocols, making it difficult to feed live content into downstream workflows reliably. This limited compatibility can result in transmission issues, causing interruptions and headaches for both operations teams and viewers.

The Solution

Overcoming the limitations of legacy systems requires a solution designed with modern live sports workflows in mind. Videon’s LiveEdge® platform provides the tools and flexibility sports rights owners need to streamline operations, reduce costs, and unlock new opportunities, such as:

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• Remote Cloud Management for 100’s, 1000’s of Live Feeds: With powerful cloud-based tools, LiveEdge® Cloud Control allows teams to monitor, manage, and configure encoding and video processing settings from anywhere. This creates an agile infrastructure that can quickly adapt to new monetization strategies and business needs.

• Developer-Friendly APIs and Tools: LiveEdge® enables automation, customization, and seamless communication between on-premises systems and the cloud. Whether it’s automating workflows or tailoring operations to specific requirements, the platform opens the door to endless possibilities.

• Built-In Features with Continuous Innovation: From advertising integrations like SCTE-35 markers to timestamps, graphics, and enhanced user experiences, LiveEdge® offers robust functionality out of the box. Regular updates ensure the platform evolves alongside industry demands, keeping sports workflows future-ready.

• Adaptable Output for Seamless Integration: Support for stable transmission options—including Zixi, SRT, HLS, and WHIP—ensures compatibility across the broader video ecosystem, giving you the flexibility to integrate effortlessly with your existing workflows.

By replacing fragmented legacy systems with Videon’s LiveEdge® platform, sports rights owners can achieve a streamlined, efficient workflow that meets the demands of modern live sports production.

• Scalable, Automated Video Workflows: Any camera can go live quickly and affordably, with built-in monetization tools that simplify revenue generation.

• Increased Reliability and Uptime: A consolidated, end-to-end solution ensures consistent performance, with full monitoring to minimize downtime.

• Minimal On-Site Resources: With remote management capabilities, teams can reduce or even eliminate the need for on-site technical staff, saving both time and money.

• Future-Ready Foundation: The platform provides the flexibility to add new workflows and capabilities, helping you do more with your sports feeds while lowering overall costs.

Videon’s LiveEdge® platform empowers sports rights owners to break free from the limitations of legacy systems and unlock the full potential of their live sports production workflows. With scalable solutions, remote management, and continuous innovation, you can achieve more with less while staying ahead of industry demands.

To learn more, visit videonlabs.com or contact our team to explore how our in-house solution architects can help you design a workflow that’s right for you.

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