2018 FIFA World Cup: Net Insight and Controlware provided SI and managed services to ARD and ZDF

Net Insight and Controlware provided systems integration and managed services as well as support to broadcasters ARD and ZDF during their live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup in Russia from 14 June until 15 July 2018.

The HD and UHD networks were based on Net Insight’s media transport solution, ensuring excellent transmission quality and trouble-free operation of the networks throughout the entire duration of the event.

Controlware has supported ARD and ZDF for almost ten years with planning, implementation, analysis and troubleshooting of transmission links to the broadcasting centers and transmission links at numerous global sporting events, including the Olympic Games in Vancouver, London, Sochi and Rio de Janeiro as well as the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The broadcasting team is well acquainted with the needs of the broadcasters through these joint projects.

As Russia is a large country the broadcasters decided to renounce the broadcasting center in the host country and broadcast the 64 World Cup games from the National Broadcasting Center (NBC) in Baden-Baden in Germany.

The bundling of editorial staff, technology, production and moderation in the NBC made it possible to provide high-quality and cost-effective TV and online programmes that went far beyond the usual transmission standards.

In order to ensure a high-quality and trouble-free video transmission in complex networks, the Controlware team supported the ZDF and ARD teams to integrate the powerful media transport platforms Nimbra 688 and 680. The Nimbras optimised traffic in the redundantly designed ten-gigabit route between Baden-Baden and the central transmission hub in Russia, as well as in the one-gigabit route linking the NBC with the national team hotel near Moscow. The technical teams at ARD and ZDF were also supported by Net Insight’s professional services team onsite during the entire World Cup.

Henrik Svantesson, head of sales DACH at Net Insight, rates the World Cup broadcast from Russia as an important milestone in the field of transmission technology. He said: “The World Cup studio in Baden-Baden had a thirty-square-meter, crystal-clear UHD screen LED wall with live content from the stadiums in UHD quality transported by the Nimbra platform.”