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“ Not really ,” agrees Hindhaugh . “ We launched Match Day experience , and there were a lot of world firsts there . We launched Dolby Atmos streaming as well . Regardless of the Olympics , World Cup , which we don ’ t have the rights to , we were the trailblazers in 4K , 8K , HDR , Dolby Atmos , etcetera . Our focus had to move to remote production . We had a four-year roadmap that we delivered in five weeks . The crashing together of the seasons means that everyone is on their knees . Our roadmap is still there for 8K . you ’ ll see something happen there this side of Christmas ,” he reveals . “ It hasn ’ t slowed down our innovation . Our roadmap is still the same and we ’ ve delivered the majority of it . It doesn ’ t make any difference to me if there ’ s an Olympics or World Cup . Our focus is on European Champions League , Europa League and FA Cup Final . We broadcast the [ Europa League ] final live on YouTube at 60 frames , which has not been done before in a live environment and it looked phenomenal .” PIPELINE . “ If anything , it has propelled organisations to create alternative solutions to overcome the challenges that have been forced upon them ,” suggests Clarke . “ The extra down time has meant that broadcasters have been able to take a step back and really get to analyse the changes in consumption habits . There were many innovations in the pipeline prior to the pandemic , and although it has undoubtedly been a tough year , it has meant that new solutions have been developed to enhance the broadcasting and viewing experiences .”
“ While the momentum based on these events may have been delayed , developments in technology have been moving faster than ever before ,” says Capon . “ The need for innovation has been greater , as the world had to find new ways of working . Sporting organisations had to find new ways to deliver content while production teams were locked out of studios , this meant the move to remote working and adoption of cloud services accelerated dramatically . Events in the summer of 2021 will see the technology services that implemented for the first time in lockdown be at the forefront of production , as we move towards a
16 EUROMEDIA were hybrid model of remote services and on-site production . Technology evolution accelerates over time and delaying sporting events by 12 months will not have changed that . We have learnt to communicate , collaborate and deliver sports in an entirely new way in the last year , this new muscle memory will have the most lasting impact .”
Fautier suggests that we have actually gained one more year of innovation . “ For the Olympics , only people residing in Japan will be in the stands , and broadcasters will have to make the experience more immersive for users . The next generation of immersive sports streaming experiences will be powered by the innovations such as multiview and Watch Together .” INNOVATE . “ I think it ’ s exactly the opposite ,” adds Burk . “ Last year ’ s postponements have hastened the adoption of new technology and solutions . The broadcast industry was forced to innovate to capture audiences without traditional event coverage . Broadcasters have drawn fans closer with virtual engagement strategies while broadening audiences and future-proofing their distribution models .”
“ In the last year , we ’ ve seen an enormous overhaul of back-end broadcast technology which has been necessary simply for broadcasting to keep going ,” suggests Kunhya . “ Before this , many broadcasters chose to stick with what they knew - traditional fixed function equipment and workflows – as they recognised these as reliable . Technologies that were seen as ‘ optional ’ efficiency-improving strategies are now being seen as necessities . We ’ ve seen a huge uptake in IP contribution and distribution technologies due to it being low cost and flexible and we ’ ve also seen this feed into an increase in cloud-based infrastructures and workflows . I do think that perhaps features such as 4K and AR may take a back seat for a while , as the focus is going to be on content distribution as opposed to high-resolution formats or immersive viewing experiences .”
“ I believe the postponement of major events has actually been a catalyst for innovation in sporting events ,” asserts Ponda . “ Despite the pandemic , fans have continued to demand content from sporting organisations , and in turn we have seen major enhancements around creating and delivering this content . For example , the pandemic has increased the
“ Focus is going to be on content distribution not high-resolution or immersive viewing .” - Kieran Kunhya , Open
Broadcast Systems adoption of remote operations , allowing broadcasters to deliver content from any part of the world to the viewers globally . Our solution on video assistant referee ( VAR ) enables umpires , judges and referees from all over the world to analyse the action and officiate remotely as if they were on the ringside of the event . Technology will increasingly become the foundation for how the sector continues to evolve and will drive instrumental change to deliver the content fans want , at a high quality , all the time . We ’ re increasingly seeing sports federations tap into cloud technology to reinvigorate fan engagement and others using specific solutions to design and create new sporting equipment or vehicles and this momentum will only continue as we become an even more digitalised world .”
“ The delays and postponements introduced by the pandemic have made the competition for viewer attention even greater ,” says Lepke . This is forcing broadcasters to innovate at a much faster pace to capture viewers when these events inevitably return . Technology will have to keep pace as user expectations evolve and boundaries are pushed .” NUMBERS . Has there been a noticeable way audiences trended , particularly for the early , behind closed-doors matches without crowds and with piped reactions ?
“ We made the decision that as soon as fans were back in , we ’ d turn [ the canned noise ] off ,” reveals Hindhaugh . “ We would never have done it before , and as soon as you ’ ve got the sound of the crowd there , that ’ s when you should go . The biggest trend over the last year , and it ’ s hard to tell whether it ’ s technology , but there ’ s a real trend for people moving to digital viewing . That may be compounded by , with Covid , that you ’ re competing for that big screen in your front room . It ’ ll be interesting to see how that goes , but there ’ s a definite movement . It is still clear that there ’ s the old adage that people want to watch live sport on the biggest screen available . There are just more screens available now .”
“ The pandemic has accelerated the roadmap for everyone in the industry , including enhancements to on screen graphics , interactivity , and yes , artificial crowd noise ,” says Lepke . “ Initially , much of the reaction were negative , with many viewers opting to turn the sounds off . In a study conducted by Statista , just 4 per cent of respondents found recorded noise made watching a sporting event much more enjoyable , with a further 25 per cent finding it created a much less satisfying experience . However , for others , the atmosphere provided a sense of comfort , familiarity , and normality . Following the UK government ’ s announcement that up to 10,000 fans or the equivalent of 25 per cent of a stadium ’ s capacity can attend a match , features such as artificial crowd noises may lose their relevance . While other more interactive features that aid in increasing viewer retention and loyalty , such as co-viewing and ‘ watch together ’ social experiences are here to stay .”