Eurovision Sport Delivers Multi-Cam Remote Production of International Skiing Event
Eurovision Sport and Actua Films bring Ski Mountaineering World Cup event to sports fans worldwide using LiveU's remote production technology
THE CHALLENGE
With the goal of providing dynamic live coverage of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) World Cup, Eurovision Sport tasked Geneva based production company Actua Films with a multi-camera production. The skiing route in Morgins, Switzerland, took the athletes up 600m through the snowy Swiss mountains. Wiring up all the cameras along the track was not a feasible option and a wireless transmission solution had to be found.
With no SAT connection or internet landline available in the mountains, it became clear that cellular connectivity would be the best option. The production gear had to be compact and simple-to-use so it could be set up quickly anywhere in the field, while camera signals had to reach the control room in high quality, with no interruptions.
“With Eurovision Sport developing more and more cost-effective remote production concepts to support federations and organizations covering events, there is a need to optimize set-up time and avoid running long cables to each camera position. This is exactly the benefit LiveU technology brought to the ISMF project where our nine-camera production could be delivered within a couple of days by a small on-site team. Such a project would have been much more challenging without the strong commitment from the LiveU team.”
Franck Choquard, Head of Content & Servicing, Eurovision Sport
THE SOLUTION
Eurovision had successfully worked with LiveU on other sports events, and it was the logical step for Actua Films to turn to LiveU for the ISMF project. Signals from various cameras, incl. handheld, drone and PTZ cams, were wirelessly transmitted using LiveU’s portable encoding solutions. While each of the stand-alone cameras on the skiing track were connected to a separate LiveU unit, the LU800 proved its multi-cam capabilities in the most crucial spot. Positioned at the start and finish line, a single LU800 unit delivered three PTZ camera feeds and one drone feed in parallel, with all frames fully in sync.
THE RESULT
Aggregating multiple SIM connections, LiveU’s cellular bonding technology ensured a stable uplink connection and enough bandwidth to deliver the live feeds with low delay to the control room. Covering the first mile of the remote production chain, LiveU successfully set the scene for the remote switching and editing.
Eurovision eventually broadcast the final PGM feed on linear TV and digital platforms across Europe. In addition, winter sports fans could follow the World Cup run on ISMF TV, the dedicated OTT platform of the federation. Using the LiveU Matrix cloud-based distribution solution, Eurovision is also capable of sharing the live feeds with takers globally at a click of a button.
“With only a little time to set up and test our nine-camera production and with locations being quite "remote", we were happy to rely on LiveU to have the camera crew exactly where they should be on the race track, instead of only where the LOC could provide a fast network and power. The wireless capability is a game-changer. Since the mountains don't always offer the required infrastructure, going wireless is key to providing a good show for our growing audience.”
Patrick Siegenthaler, Managing Director, Actua Films S.A.