EBS provides BT Sport with EPG functionality to record BT Sport Extra

Last summer EBS announced that it had been chosen to facilitate the supply of EPG data listings for all BT Sport’s channels, BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, ESPN on BT Sport, BT Sport Europe, as well as its red-button service, BT Sport Extra, across multiple platforms. EBS has since been contracted to also supply EPG data for BT Showcase and BT Sport Ultra HD, Europe’s first 4K television channel. In addition, EBS is providing BT Sport with data that enables the functionality to record events directly from its red button interactive service.

The packed schedules of major exclusively live sports competitions on BT Sport, including the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, mean that there can be up to eight matches being played simultaneously. In this instance, BT Sport will show the matches live on its main channels and also across the six channels on the BT Sport Extra red-button service. EBS has made significant developments to its Pawa software to provide BT Sport with the functionality for viewers to record not only the games on the main BT Sport channels, but also the additional games that are showing on the red button BT Sport Extra channels on the digital satellite platform. EBS is the first third-party EPG supplier to deliver the data to power this feature.

Using Pawa, EBS’ sophisticated scheduling application, in-house, BT Sport operators are able to control their entire EPG workflow. This enables the team to be flexible and accurate in a fast-paced environment that’s often subject to change.

Keith Bedford, EBS managing director, said: “Our close relationship with BT Sport means that we can continue to adapt Pawa to meet the changing needs of its channels. Major sports competitions like the UEFA Champions League require a variety of options for viewers to be able to view and record the matches that they want to see. EBS is at the forefront of EPG data technology and is able to meet the demands of television services as they evolve.”