Motorcycle racing fans around the world will soon be able to enjoy the thrills and spills of their favourite sport up close and personal wherever they are – and at the exactly the same time as events unfold.
India’s Tata Communications has been selected by Dorna Sports, the Spanish commercial rights holder for MotoGP, as the exclusive video distribution partner for the FIM MotoGP World Championship and Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK).
Tata Communications (Tata Com) will distribute the action from five continents to over 80 media partners, reaching more than 200 million households, using its global superfast fibre and satellite network.
MotoGP 2017 kicks off in Qatar at the Losail Circuit on March 26, which also hosts the final race of the World SBK season on November 4.
A raft of technological advancements such as 360° all-round onboard camera feeds are being developed to enhance viewers’ experiences, the company said, getting fans into the saddle of their favourite riders to feel the thrill of racing motorbikes at 300kph.
As part of the new partnership, Tata Com and Dorna will collaborate on projects involving technologies that will allow Dorna to manage and distribute MotoGP and WorldSBK video feeds from any location to any device in perfect synchronicity.
“By eliminating the common lag with OTT content delivery, the Ecosystem ensures a truly real-time and interactive race experience for fans, whether they are watching the action on TV or a mobile device,” Tata Com said.
To ensure a seamless viewing experience regardless of location, and bring fans high-quality racing content across different platforms, Tata Com will connect each of the 18 MotoGP locations using its global superfast network, the world’s largest subsea fibre network of its kind, and double the network capacity currently available to Dorna. This bandwidth boost should ensure the reliable distribution of live video feeds, consisting of footage from the track and 360° on-board cameras as well as commentary, on a global scale. It will also enable Dorna to handle many of its broadcast operations remotely from a newly-built media hub in Barcelona, Spain.
“There is a huge opportunity for sports to bring fans closer to the action through technologies such as UHD and live OTT video,” said Brian Morris, the vice president and general manager, for global media and entertainment services at Tata Communications.
“Yet, all these innovations rely on global superfast connectivity over fibre. We look forward to working with Dorna to bring the excitement of each race of the 2017 season to people around the world, and exploring together new services to quench fans’ thirst for more immersive racing experiences in the future.”
chnelson@thenational.ae
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