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Harnessing 5G technology at live events will result in more interactive content for fans , deeper audience engagement and lucrative new commercial opportunities according to executives from leading sporting , broadcast and tech companies participating in the 5G VISTA ( Video in Stadia Technical Architecture ) project , which aims to take full advantage of 5G New Radio , enhanced Mobile
Broadband , and 5G broadcast services , trialled with LTE feMBMS ( Further evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service ), to showcase new and exciting in-stadia digital experiences .
Representatives from organisations including O2 , Rohde and Schwarz and TOCA Technical note the potential of 5G technology has to transform live events by enhancing viewer experience , allowing venue owners to disseminate crucial event information and unlocking new advertising and sales opportunities .
“ By harnessing 5G , a project like VISTA delivers on two fronts ,” noted Sam Riches , technical officer , British Touring Cars . “ It delivers on the technical need for sharp connectivity and high-quality broadcast instadia or on a racing circuit . Meanwhile , from a consumer perspective , something like this completely catapults events getting people into venues , giving them value for money , and allowing them to feel like they ’ re part of the action .”
Industry majors explore 5G live event potential
“ A project like 5G Vista also gives a nod to a generation used to engagement on devices .”
“ Like we ’ ve seen today with the example of ITV and British Touring Cars , there is a brilliant opportunity to level up the terrific work broadcasters do - giving them a chance to have a deeper presence on site , and deliver a richer experience to audiences ,” added James Wilson , commercial director at Cloudbass . “ A project like 5G Vista also gives a nod to a generation used to engagement on devices , by developing solutions with ‘ generation screen ’ at front of mind .”
According to Ciaran Doran , director of marketing at Rohde & Schwarz , the 5G VISTA
consortium has managed to identify an allround problem at live events , and turn this into an opportunity . “ We ’ re so excited to be involved in a project which is pushing boundaries to deliver more - and higher quality - content for fans .”
“ The 5G VISTA project has today demonstrated the value of 5G to the media and entertainment industries ,” stated Alex Buchan , strategic technologist , DTG and Project Lead . “ The consortium brings together a convergence of mobile and broadcast expertise and has shown how 5G Broadcast can bring fans closer to the action . DTG are proud to be leading the project and we look forward to continuing the success into our final showcase in early 2022 .”
“ With its ultra-fast speeds and capacity for higher quality streaming , 5G still has incredible potential to elevate audience experience at live events - unlocking dynamic new experiences such as multi-camera views , while increasing accessibility and engagement ,” advised Kostas Katsaros , lead 5G technologist , Digital Catapult . “ Today ’ s demo at O2 Blueroom took us one step closer to making that a reality and was a useful platform for expert discussion around the emerging opportunities in this area . I look forward to working with our fantastic partners to take this project over the line .”
“ The Project VISTA team has made real progress over the past year , and it ’ s great to be able to showcase this exciting project at such an iconic venue ,” declared Rob Searle , head of 5G at O2 . “ This trial paves the way for numerous 5G-powered opportunities , not only in live entertainment and broadcasting but wider fan engagement . Something that ’ s very close to our hearts at O2 .”
“ 5G has well and truly landed ,” said Paolo Pescatore , TMT analyst at PP Foresight . “ Live events are the next frontier , with potential to be completely transformed by the high-speeds and sharp quality delivered by the latest broadcast technology . From today ’ s event , there ’ s a huge appetite to elevate the audience experience and participation . Personalisation and further collaboration will be key , which underpin the ongoing efforts being made with the 5G VISTA project .”
A demo event has taken place ahead of a full demonstration at a live sports event in February 2022 .
The 5G VISTA project was awarded £ 1.3m (€ 1.5m ) of Government funding in January 2021 as part of the Department for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport ( DCMS ) 5G Create Competition . 5G Create is part of the government ’ s £ 200 million investment in testbeds and trials across the UK to explore new ways that 5G can boost productivity , grow existing businesses or spark new ones .
Analyst : C4 sale threatens UK production sector
The UK government has reaffirmed its intention to review the ownership model and remit of Channel 4 ( C4 ), but the proposed privatisation of the publicly-owned broadcaster would significantly impact the UK ’ s independent production sector , suggests Ampere Analysis ’ s Neil Anderson .
He notes that the UK ’ s television industry ’ s international success is widely felt to be a result of the unique ecology of the sector . “ Public service broadcasters ( PSBs ) play an important role due to the quota requirements for commissioning original content from independent production companies , most of whom are small- and medium-sized businesses ,” he suggests . “ As a publisher-broadcaster , C4 commissions over 70 per cent of its programmes from UK-based production companies , with more than half of its current first-run commissioned content coming from the nations and regions outside London ,” he notes .
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