NBC Olympics Selects Cisco IP Video and Networking Solutions for Production

NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, has selected Cisco to provide Internet Protocol (IP) video contribution and distribution solutions, along with networking and security solutions for its production of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, which take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to 21, 2016.

Cisco will help with on-site production by streamlining the management and publishing of video content to consumer devices using solutions from the Cisco Media Blueprint, along with premium network protection.

Cisco Media Blueprint is a new applications and converged IP infrastructure approach for producing, storing, distributing, and securing broadcast media content. It is based on open standards, and is directly supported by many of the media industry’s key software providers.

Cisco will provide a wide range of products and services to support 24/7 broadcasting from 26 venues, and multiple gigabytes of video content delivered online. Key components include:

• Wireless and POE-enabled (power over Ethernet) switching infrastructure
• Network routing and switching technology via the Cisco carrier-class ASR9000 and Cisco Nexus^® portfolio
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) services via Cisco ASA firewalls
• Intrusion Prevention (IPS) and robust network security, including Lancope solutions
• Telepresence technology facilitating producer and talent communication

“Cisco is helping us transform how we scale the massive amounts of video content for events like this, for delivery to more distribution channels,” says Craig Lau, Vice President, Information Technology, NBC Olympics. “As we continue to transition from SDI to IP in our network operations, we are able to better manage our workflows with precise timing and synchronization.”

“With a pervasive and highly secure IP network, they can better scale video transport in the production environment to deliver all types of content, including more HD to the tens of millions of people watching on different types of devices,” says Dave Ward, CTO of Engineering and Chief Architect, Cisco.