Channel 4 has employed Simplestream to build a new video platform and website for the broadcaster’s coverage of Parasport and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The new platform is provisioned to handle multiple live concurrent streams, on-demand video and includes adaptive bitrate encoding (ABR) for up to 10 profiles.
Key features include:
- Built using Simplestream’s Sport Video Platform, the platform handles up to 16 concurrent live streams and 10 ABR profiles, with live event scheduling and the management of news articles and video metadata
- The website built complies with WCAG 2.0 accessibility to ensure that the online experience can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible
- Through supporting responsive web design principles, the content is automatically optimised for each device type
- The website is integrated with Channel 4’s Freewheel and Adobe Analytics platforms
- DRM support includes FairPlay, Marlin, PlayReady and Widevine
- Simplestream provides a fully managed support team 24/7 throughout the live events including the Paralympics
“The time difference between some of the Parasport and Paralympic events in Tokyo 2020 and the UK means that our digital offering is more important than ever for our coverage,” said Pete Andrews, Channel 4 head of sport.
“Basing our Parasport online video offering on the tried and tested, low latency, accessible Simplestream Sport Video Platform solution meant that we could work with Simplestream to spend more time and energy on editorial features that make our offering better.
“The website is now live with VoD assets and we’re looking forward to Simplestream ensuring that our online video service thrills millions of viewers during the heat of the Paralympics action, starting with the World Para Swimming Championships on the 9th of September,” he added.
