Telstra connects 29 sporting stadiums across Australia to new Remote Production Hubs

Media Release, 29 May 2017

Telstra today announced it had been selected by FOX SPORTS to be its network partner of choice, using Telstra’s Distributed Production Network (DPN) to enhance FOX SPORTS’ outside broadcasting model.

DPN is an end-to-end IP network, which has been custom built for the media industry. DPN enables professional media customers to produce live broadcasts at a distance from the actual event by sending multiple raw camera feeds, audio and equipment control signals over the network back to centralised production hubs.

The long-term deal will see Telstra’s countrywide DPN connect 29 sporting stadiums across regional and metro Australia to new Remote Production Hubs located in Sydney and Melbourne.

Head of Telstra Broadcast Services Trevor Boal said the DPN would be fully operational ahead of the 2018 NRL and AFL seasons and would support more than 520 live tier one sporting events each year.

“Telstra’s DPN is designed to help our broadcast customers meet the rapidly growing demand for live content by offering access to our high capacity, low latency, multi-tenant network of scale,” Mr Boal said.

“The deployment of a remote production model in Australia requires a world-class countrywide network to overcome the unique challenges of Australia’s vast and expansive geography. In a world first, multiple channels of uncompressed linear contribution video at the lowest possible latency will be traversing our network from sporting venues up to 3500 kilometres away from the Remote Production Hubs.

“Telstra’s DPN will play a pivotal role in satisfying audience demand for live, high quality, content-rich sporting coverage and we look forward to strengthening our longstanding partnership with FOX SPORTS to deliver the next evolution of live sport broadcasting.”

FOX SPORTS’ Director of Operations and Digital, Les Wigan, said: “FOX SPORTS, in partnership with Telstra and NEP Australia, is proud to be leading the way for the outside broadcast production model of the future. These new hubs will allow us to cover multiple sports from a centralised, revolutionary facility that will deliver the highest quality broadcast to sports fans around the country.”

This deal builds upon Telstra’s reputation of delivering innovative technology solutions to enhance the way audiences engage with sport, with Telstra’s Globecam technology - a world leader in live, point-of-view miniature wearable camera technology – integrated in FOX SPORTS’ broadcasts.

About Telstra’s Distributed Production Network (DPN):

  • Telstra’s DPN has standard capacity of 100Gbps into each venue nationally, which is achieved through diverse network paths.
  • Telstra’s multitenant DPN is bookable using the ScheduALL Connector Cloud (API).

 

Telstra Media contact: Michael Zappone, +61 438 004 959, media@team.telstra.com.

Media reference number: 053/2017.