The cloud-based production and playout service brings all the functionality and quality of traditional on-premise broadcast workflows into a fully virtual environment, giving users complete remote control and management through any web browser and the public internet.

The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform supports live production, playout automation, asset management, signal processing and master switching, and allows technical teams to select – and pay – for these capabilities on an as-needed basis according to an event’s budget, resources, and production requirements.

By avoiding the expense and labor-intensive, hardware-based logistics of on-site operations, the platform is an attractive option for cost-effectively delivering a diverse mix of events – from the most widely watched, global sporting events to emerging entertainment areas like esports – to the broadest audiences possible. This flexibility presents additional potential revenue streams for advertisers and rights-holders by creating new customer experiences that previously would have been financially impossible.

“Remote production in the cloud has evolved from being simply a test case into a viable, efficient broadcast reality,” said Mark Strachan at Telstra Broadcast Services. “This platform was designed with the user’s individual needs in mind, based on complete scalability and the ability to spin up or spin down applications on-demand and only pay for the services used, even in traditionally costly and complex live production environments.”

The system has already proven effective for high-profile sporting events. The Telstra solution is powered by Grass Valley’s Agile Media Processing Platform (AMPP) and the combination of both technologies was recently chosen to enable cloud-based production and playout capability for an Australian streaming service’s premium, live and on-demand add-on sports package, and can deliver UHD coverage of premium live sports to their subscribers.

Now, the platform’s availability to a range of sports and entertainment events in the United States coincides with the growing global demand for immersive entertainment experiences on mobile devices and viewing platforms as an alternative to traditional linear TV broadcasts.