As live sports continue pushing the boundaries of entertainment, the technology driving these broadcasts evolves rapidly. PSSI Global Services has always sought to be a pioneer in live event transmission, we have embraced this evolution and it has helped us transform the production workflows of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) events. Through its collaboration with Appear and the deployment of the Appear X Platform, PSSI has raised the bar for high-quality, real-time remote productions, and delivered seamless broadcasts to UFC fans worldwide.

The Challenge Of Global UFC Broadcasting

The UFC’s rise as a global sports powerhouse has brought unparalleled opportunities - and challenges. With events like the “Road to UFC” series spanning continents, PSSI faced several hurdles. Producing live events of this magnitude requires not only precision but also the ability to adapt to the fast-paced nature of the sport. We needed a solution to handle high-density encoding and decoding, reduce equipment overhead, and ensure ultra-reliable low-latency transmission.

The demands were clear: manage complex multi-camera workflows, including super slow-motion replays, while reducing logistical burdens and maintaining seamless, real-time quality. Traditional bulky equipment was no longer feasible for these international productions.

Appear’s X Platform: A Transformative Collaboration

After extensive global testing, PSSI identified Appear’s X Platform as the ideal solution to address these challenges. The platform’s ultra-low latency capabilities, high-density media transport, and energy-efficient design proved to be the perfect fit for UFC’s demanding production workflows.

The Appear X Platform has revolutionized our Remote Integration workflows. Its flexibility and ease of configuration allow us to scale effortlessly and meet the growing demands of UFC broadcasts. The X Platform is the backbone for transmitting live events to the PSSI managed, UFC Network Operations Center (NOC) in Las Vegas, ensuring exceptional quality and efficiency.

Key Innovations In UFC Productions

The integration of Appear’s X Platform brought several critical advancements to PSSI’s workflows, including:

• Lightweight, Rugged Flypacks: The platform has streamlined operations and reduced shipping costs by reducing equipment volume by 80 %—from 20 RU to just 4 RU—and saving over 250 pounds per deployment.
• Energy Efficiency: The X Platform significantly reduces power consumption, requiring fewer circuits and aligning with sustainability goals.
• Rapid Deployment: Single-case wired setups enable faster event readiness, a critical advantage in the fast-paced world of live sports.

We’re now able to deploy our systems with unprecedented speed and reliability. This technology ensures we deliver the best possible experience for UFC fans worldwide.

Delivering Exceptional Experiences To Fans

The Appear X Platform’s advanced capabilities have created new possibilities for sports broadcasting. By converting up to 24 HD camera signals and eight return feeds into high-quality HEVC transport signals, PSSI ensures ultra-low latency performance. This is the difference-maker, every punch, every takedown, and every slow-motion replay comes through with superb clarity and reliability.

The platform’s robust architecture ensures uninterrupted broadcasts, even in the most challenging network conditions. Our ability to operate seamlessly across managed and unmanaged networks has been a game-changer.

Expanding The Scope Of REMI Productions

PSSI Global Services has significantly expanded the scope and distance of its Remote Integration (REMI) productions, first exemplified by the 2023 “Road to UFC 2” event in Shanghai, China. This event was produced live from Las Vegas, utilizing 24 camera feeds acquired via remote integration through PSSI’s transmission services.

The scale and distance of this production represent a substantial advancement in the REMI model for PSSI, demonstrating our capability to support clients in expanding globally without compromising production quality and reliability while reducing their production footprint, eliminating the need to travel overseas with an entire production team.

We deployed our newly acquired Appear media processing and delivery equipment and two senior engineers to Shanghai to facilitate the broadcast. The Appear X Platform enabled high-density HEVC encoding and decoding for the event, converting 24 HD camera signals and eight return feeds into high-quality, low-latency transport signals.

Additionally, we collaborated with Telstra to provide one gigabyte of data for the event via their Special Events Network and engaged Nextologies to design multiple payload data tunnels for communications, scoring, and camera tallies between the Shanghai Media Group facility and UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Garrett Hunt, who leads PSSI’s project management team, highlighted the significance of this achievement: “A college football game as a 10-channel REMI is now part of the weekly repertoire in the US, but we are pushing the boundaries with scale and distance. UFC was the perfect partner for that initial venture because its global reach is so expansive. Our work in Shanghai and Vegas showed there’s no corner of the world we can’t reach to produce a world-class show with fewer boots on the ground than ever before.”

Tracy Michaels, Director of Project Engineering at PSSI, emphasized the versatility of this approach: “What we were able to accomplish in Shanghai could be tailored to any company with an interest in efficient international REMI productions. What sets this REMI apart is the rapid-deploy set/shoot/strike model that can be scaled up or down for any event worldwide.”

A Vision For The Future

As UFC continues to expand its global footprint, the collaboration between PSSI and Appear is paving the way for the future of live sports broadcasting. The X Platform’s scalability, energy efficiency, and high-performance capabilities align perfectly with modern remote production demands.

“This partnership sets a benchmark for excellence in live sports broadcasting,” said Ed McGivern, General Manager for North America at Appear. “The X Platform enhances production efficiency and transforms the viewer experience.”

Through innovation and strategic collaboration, PSSI and Appear ensure that UFC fans experience every moment of the action in stunning detail—no matter where the fight unfolds. With its cutting-edge technology and visionary approach, this partnership is helping transform the landscape of sports broadcasting.