OLYMPIC Broadcasting Services (OBS) and Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, announced over the weekend the launch of OBS Cloud, an innovative broadcasting solution that operates entirely on the cloud, to help transform the media industry for the digital era. Set to be in place for Tokyo 2020, the OBS Cloud aims to offer all the necessary cloud components, in specialized configurations, that can support the extremely demanding content production and delivery workflows of the broadcasting of the Olympic Games.

Tokyo 2020 will be a game-changer for broadcasters as it showcases new possibilities for the industry by presenting solutions on the cloud. The use of cloud technologies has been gradually adopted for content creation and distribution purposes in broadcasting, however the extremely demanding requirements for volume, speed and latency that are inherent in live sports broadcasting of major events have kept the use of the cloud at a very low level, despite its multiple advantages. Apart from providing inherent flexibility and scalability, the use of the cloud may also help with the limited time frame that broadcasters have to set up, test and commission their on-premises systems. Traditionally, broadcasters of the Olympics have only been able to implement and test their equipment upon arrival at the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in the host city, and the physical space dedicated to broadcasters on site has always been in high demand.

As the host broadcaster, OBS can now provide most of the visual and audio assets of the Olympic Games to all Rights Holding Broadcasters (RHBs) through the new cloud platform efficiently, effectively and securely. Broadcasters can also set up their own content creation, management and distribution systems on OBS Cloud, a solution that has been optimized to address the particular needs of the most demanding live multi-sport workflows.

The proprietary OBS Cloud leverages Alibaba Cloud’s services featuring best-in-class technology infrastructure to create an optimal media broadcasting environment for all RHBs of the Olympics. The OBS Cloud, which will run on the most advanced Intel® Xeon® scalable processors, offers a suite of solutions including super computing capabilities, high-speed connectivity directly from the IBC, easily accessible cloud storage considering the demanding Olympic requirements, real-time monitoring, live video and audio broadcasting services and media processing. — SG