Digital Event News April 2021 | Page 34

34 Interview April 2021

Going live

James Sutcliffe , LIVENow ’ s new chief marketing and content officer talks to Mike Fletcher about live streaming ’ s bid for mainstream acceptance
“ IT WOULD JUST BE UNTHINKABLE FOR A LIVE STREAM TO DROP OUT DURING A PAY-PER-VIEW MMA FIGHT OR BOXING MATCH SO OUR PLATFORM HAS BEEN RIGOROUSLY TESTED OVER THE YEARS TO HANDLE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH VIEWER TRAFFIC .”

Sitting at a desk flanked by artwork of Tupac Shakur and Liam Gallagher on the wall behind , LIVE- Now ’ s chief marketing and content officer , James Sutcliffe exudes excitement about the streaming platform he joined in December from his previous role as marketing director of Monster Energy .

His enthusiasm is understandable . LIVENow is owned by Aser Ventures , a global investment company that operates in the sports , entertainment and lifestyle sectors , headed up by the chairman of Leeds United Football Club , Andrea Radrizzani .
Within Aser , sits Eleven Sports , which since 2015 has been live streaming thousands of hours of ‘ pay-per-view ’ sport to fans around the world , including UEFA Champions League , LaLiga , Bundesliga , F1 , UFC , NBA and NFL action .
The technology behind the
sports broadcast platform is now being used to power LIVENow , a streaming solution for music , sport , fitness and entertainment events such as comedy and theatre .
“ From a technology perspective , we ’ ve basically had a seven-year head-start in terms of R & D , testing and proof-of-concept ,” Sutcliffe says . “ It would just be unthinkable for a live stream to drop out during a pay-per-view MMA fight or boxing match so our platform has been rigorously tested over the years
to handle exceptionally high viewer traffic .”
The LIVENow platform had its first significant test in November last year when it hosted Dua Lipa ’ s ‘ Studio 2054 ’ livestream concert .
Tickets for the event were priced at £ 7.50 (€ 8 / $ 10 ) and the show featured guests including Elton John , Kylie