As the German TV broadcaster ramps up the use of next-generation networks to satisfy the demands of sports fans wherever they are, Sky Deutschland has deployed LiveU’s LU-Smart app over a dedicated 5G Telefónica O2 Network to power its initial 5G multi-cam sports broadcast.
The live production was based on a handball match taking place at the Flens-Arena in Flensburg, Germany, where Telefónica installed a dedicated 5G network to live stream and used LiveU’s IP video technology to deliver live video content on Sky’s online platform skysport.de.
Supported by netorium, LiveU’s longstanding partner in Germany, Sky was able to capture the live action on the handball court and simultaneously transmit the live feed. The German TV broadcaster deployed several smartphones equipped with LiveU’s proprietary software for real-time encoding and upstreaming to cover multiple camera angles. The Sky video stream was said to have confirmed the effectiveness of LiveU Reliable Transport (LRT) technology under real-life conditions.
The live feeds, using Telefónica’s 5G network on the production site, were received via physical LiveU servers located in Sky’s mobile control room outside the arena. With each server providing four SDI output channels, the camera feeds could be fed into a hardware mixer and cut on the production site. LiveU’s IFB feature (Audio Connect) served as the audio backbone for two-way communication between the control room and the field.
“Reinforcing our reputation as an early technology adopter, Sky successfully completed the first end-to-end 5G transmission in Europe on skysport.de,” said Alessandro Reitano, SVP sports production at Sky Deutschland. “With LiveU's latest IP transmission technology and the great support of netorium, we were able to produce a solid 5G stream of the handball game and to let our online audience become part of a dynamic and highly engaging viewing experience.”