Live IP broadcasting for contribution and distribution doubles over 2020
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Joseph O'Halloran
| 15 December 2020
As the Covid-19 global pandemic has impacted the way live news, sports, and a variety of other markets have gathered, managed, and disseminated live content there has been a 100% increase in usage for US and international content sharing over 2020 according to a study by LiveU based on data generated from its global customer base over the course of the year.
LiveU 15dec2020
What is said to be most notable in the LiveU 2020 State of Live report has been the significant increase in content sharing over IP, for US and international viewership. It notes that the consolidation of newsgathering efforts and the reduction of on-site staff at live events have increased the reliance on IP-based content contribution and distribution across the globe. This ranges from network-to-station, station-to-station, and production crews to sports teams, leagues, and associations.

The study found that the average number of sessions by users has doubled with global media organisations relying on Matrix to pool live content, which has allowed for expanded live coverage for newscasts. In a major milestone marked in summer 2020, more than 1,000 customers took more than 30,000 live feeds per month for distribution to local, national and global news broadcasts. There was a marked increase in international content sharing with international broadcasters particularly interested in the US election.

“With the ongoing pandemic and subsequent health, logistical, and budget concerns, our cellular-based portable units have enabled live broadcasts to carry on from home and other locations. At the same time, the move to IP-based workflows has required producers to think differently about the way they create and share live content,” commented LiveU CEO and co-founder Samuel Wasserman. “In the midst of the pandemic, our customers were able to rise above the challenges and deliver content that informed, engaged, and entertained viewers. As the market hopefully stabilises with the availability of vaccines, we see the return of live sports and the use of live streaming, remote production, and IP contribution and distribution growing even more.”

Going forward LiveU anticipated further opportunities and growth in 2021 with major events such as the US Presidential Inauguration and the Summer Games in Tokyo.