Perform plays out FIFA Football and Omnisport Bulletin with Broadstream

Perform, the digital sports content and media group specialising in commercialisation of multimedia sports content, is using BroadStream’s OASYS automated playout solution to air FIFA’s new global weekly magazine show, FIFA Football. The show is produced and distributed by Pitch International, along with its own daily sports show, Omnisports Bulletin, which Perform plays out to its global clients, 365 days a year.

Perform currently manages five shows from the OASYS platform, for a combined eight hours of programming per week, including content for its in-house Aviva Premiership Rugby Production team; recently recognised for exceptional service to the sport in a media context, at the Guinness-London Irish Rugby Union Journalist of the Season Awards.

Perform approached BroadStream on deciding to invest in its own playout provision, having used a hired system for a number of years. It wanted a solution that was simple for an operator to use as well as ensuring IP future-proofing and economies of scale in line with its impending expansion plans.

“We needed a solution that could be easily expanded, was simple to operate and would allow us to incorporate IP technology in the future. We also needed the flexibility to be able to execute playout through both fully automated and manual control,” said Mike Edwards, Head of Post Engineering at Perform.

“Compared to a lot of other playout systems in the market, OASYS was extremely economical, easy to install and upgrade, and incredibly intuitive. With just 2 days’ training, all of our master control room operators were competent users. Roll-out was rapid – it really was just a matter of plug-in and go,” added Edwards.

Perform has expanded its expertise into the broadcast arena, meaning that the need for a playout platform was essential to the success of their broadcast offering. The platform brings both business streams together using shared-file assets and incorporates an end-to-end, file-based workflow from ingest, through production and editing, to transmission. The deal has also meant that Perform is fully prepared to encompass the transition to IP.

Edwards: “If required in the future, OASYS will allow us to make use of our Outside Broadcast and IP contribution systems for an end to end IP playout workflow.“ With the OASYS platform, Perform can expand its one channel solution easily offering a variety of channels all for a nominal initial investment.

“Unlike some other systems, where you are forced to buy a six or eight channel box from the start, the BroadStream solution allows us to licence new modules and channels when we’re ready, without having to upgrade the hardware – which means we can upscale at will with minimal cost implications.”

BroadStream’s OASYS solution is responsible for the playout of FIFA’s new weekly magazine show, FIFA Football, which is produced and distributed by Pitch International. It delivers a half-hour TV show every Tuesday containing features, action, news, interviews with star players and magic moments from the archives.

Omnisport Bulletin; also played out using OASYS, is a global daily sports show with action, breaking news and features from across the sporting spectrum including Football Leagues and International Football, ATP 1000, 500 and 250 series, WTA Premier and International, NBA and FIBA, European Tour and PGA Tour Athletics and Winter Sports.

Perform owns one of the largest digital sports rights portfolios, covering more than 200 sports and their associated leagues, tournaments and events. It creates a broad range of multimedia-ready sports content — from sports video, editorial to data content — and distributes it directly to sports fans and business partners, including football clubs, sports federations, broadcasters, bookmakers, publishers, mobile operators and telcos.