Cloud-based technology will power the live broadcast and graphics for FOX Sports GO and the FOX Sports App.
Burbank, Calif.—June 21, 2018
For the 2018 U.S. Open Golf Championship, FOX Sports has teamed up with cloud-based video platform Grabyo and live graphics platform Singular.Live to deliver an entire web-based production and digital viewing experience for golf fans watching through the FOX Sports Go and the FOX Sports App.
Controlled via a web-browser, the FOX Sports digital team will make use of both products to deliver ‘Featured Tees’a live broadcast to FOX Sports GO and the FOX Sports App from five holes across the course. The broadcast will feature live graphics and scores from the Championship and will incorporate live data and stats. The combined platform will automate the on-screen graphics and will be delivered by Grabyo’s live product, Grabyo Producer to viewers on the FOX Sports OTT platform.
With an increased need to offer audiences more flexibility and choice for live sports, FOX Sports’ digital team are using its OTT platform to extend the broadcast experience to fans across digital and mobile devices – providing choice and viewing options not available on linear TV. Viewers on FOX Sports GO and the FOX Sports App will have complete control over which hole and players they can view throughout the Championships, which will be held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club from June 14th to 17th.
By collaborating with Grabyo and Singular.Live, FOX Sports can create a digital broadcast that is independent of the linear TV stream, significantly reducing the reliance on traditional broadcast infrastructure. The demand for more content and enhanced experiences for fans is driving the growth in cloud-based production, giving the FOX Sports digital team more flexibility to produce content for it’s OTT products.
FOX Sports will also make use of Grabyo’s live clipping product, Grabyo Studio, to bring audiences key moments, highlights, storylines and reaction across multiple platforms throughout the Championships. With mobile video consumption continuing to rise, engaging fans on social and digital platforms in real-time is vital to meet the needs of modern golf fans.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with both Grabyo and Singular.Live to deliver ‘Featured Tees.’ Providing our viewers with a flexible way to view the Championships online is something that is very important to FOX Sports” says Clark Pierce, SVP, TV Everywhere at FOX Sports“Using Grabyo and Singular.Live to simplify our production and distribution enables us to create a true, digital-first experience for fans across all screens.”
“Golf fans, like all sports audiences, now expect a flexible approach to the way they consume and watch content, especially on mobile devices and OTT platforms” Adds Mike Kelley, President, Americas at Grabyo “The combination of Grabyo and Singular.Live provides FOX Sports with a powerful tool to create a digital broadcast that is optimized for mobile consumption, something we are very excited to be a part of.”
Singular.Live, a browser-based live graphics authoring platform, has developed a bespoke control application for the US Open, making it easy for the FOX Sports digital teams to incorporate live, data-driven graphics on the broadcast. The custom graphics are designed to be viewed on mobile – following the trend of maximizing viewing space on smaller screens, allowing for playlisting, player graphics, headshots and sponsor idents.
By creating a separate viewing experience for fans online FOX Sports is hoping to activate both new and existing golf fans by providing fans with the flexibility to choose when, how and where they watch the 2018 U.S. Open Championship.
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