The BBC has revealed more details of its election night coverage operation.
Working in partnership with TVU Networks, the BBC’s coverage of the UK General Election remotely managed 369 live feeds from locations across the UK. Captured using the TVU Anywhere app, the feeds were streamed across the BBC News website, BBC iPlayer and transmitted to a virtual mosaic screen at Broadcasting House, providing a peak audience of 4.6 million UK viewers with immersive coverage of unfolding events.
Custom-designed smartphone and tripod kits running the TVU Anywhere app were sent to every count, enabling BBC News to capture hundreds of real-time video feeds. These were ingested and recorded in real-time on the TVU Search cloud platform, eliminating the need for extensive server setups. The kits’ compact design reduced both the need for equipment and reliance on OB trucks, impacting positively on the corporation’s sustainability goals.
Geraint Thomas, leading the project for BBC News, said, “This approach not only upheld the BBC’s highest quality standards but also pioneered a new method of election broadcasting that would have been near impossible using traditional methods.
“The TVU cloud platform allowed us to scale up a vast number of feeds and handle peak traffic seamlessly without investing in additional hardware. This was both an editorial and technological innovation that transformed the viewing experience, bringing the vote counting process closer to our audience, setting a new benchmark in election coverage.”
Tailored coverage was provided for different areas of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the BBC managing 21 regional workflows via TVU Partyline. “We delivered the most personalised election coverage ever in live video. Across the UK, wherever you looked you could see democracy in action, live” said Jonny McGuigan, BBC News’ streaming editor. “The ability to choose from any one of 369 counts on the night meant we could always be where the story was. When augmented with our traditional broadcast live SNG and bonded connectivity, we could guarantee we’d be where audiences needed us, on digital platforms, TV and radio all night long”.
The BBC’s London studio featured a virtual LED wall connected to all feeds, with national programmes across the country also able to access the live content. The TVU platform was able to output IP for OTT, as well as SDI, integrating into the existing broadcast infrastructure.
Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks, said, “This collaboration is a testament to what’s possible when we combine our strengths. The future of broadcast is now, offering an accessible, sustainable model that opens up endless possibilities for storytelling to audiences everywhere.”
