LAS VEGAS — Verizon Business, some two months after striking a partnership with the National Hockey League, devoted the bulk of its presence at the 2024 NAB Show to “putting co-innovation on full display” by way of a new 5G-enabled cloud broadcasting product.
It comes to fruition thanks to AWS Wavelength Zones, a mobile edge compute service that delivers ultra-low-latency applications for 5G devices.
Latency is a particularly vexing issue, in particular with streaming video. Verizon Business says the speed from content capture on ice to broadcast has effectively been reduced from seconds to milliseconds.
“Innovations in production and distribution ultimately highlight the power of our network to content owners like the NHL,” said Iris Meijer, Chief Product and Marketing Officer for Verizon Business. “Through cloud-based content delivery, we’re enabling them to innovate, bringing new views, angles, and experiences for fans worldwide.”
NHL SVP/Technology Grant Nodine added, “Providing our fans with a premium experience whether sitting rinkside or in the comfort of their home is what the NHL has become synonymous with. Partnering with Verizon Business in expediting content delivery from the cloud allows us to find innovative ways to create content and design experiences for the fan.”
Together with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the NHL produced their first-ever live-to-air cloud broadcast on March 22, when the Carolina Hurricanes faced the Washington Capitals. The technology enabled the NHL to broadcast the game through AWS Elemental MediaConnect, a transport service for live video, giving the league the scale to maximize centralized production crews in the league’s offices and production headquarters.
“Through a secure and reliable connection, live cloud production allows the NHL to leverage distributed production and operations personnel for future broadcasts,” Verizon Business notes. “Additionally, because of the rapid delivery that cloud efficiency can drive, the league can streamline content distribution to social media channels and new platform partners to create enhanced fan experiences.”
Julie Souza, Global Head of Sports at AWS, comments, “Live cloud production empowers the NHL to produce high-quality content from virtually anywhere and at practically any scale, using the optimum combination of resources. The speed of Verizon 5G unlocks new opportunities for the continued adoption and deployment of live cloud production across sports and beyond.”
At the 2024 NAB show, a demo was showcased at the Verizon booth in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center in collaboration with AWS, the NHL, and its partners to create a live cloud production environment.
Verizon Business currently works with sports leagues around the globe.
