GlobeCast is providing satellite and fiber connectivity to at least 15 international broadcasters during the World Cup, including multiple unilateral feeds for clients such as ITV (UK) and TF1 (France).
Outside the international broadcast center, GlobeCast is offering a wide array of services to broadcasters from all over the world, including HD and SD SNG trucks and fly aways, international and domestic fiber links, studios, camera crews and playout for both domestic and international delivery via satellite and fiber. Some clients include SVT (UK), Sky Italia (Italy), Mediaset (Italy), RAI (Italy), Softbank (Japan), Korea Telecom (Korea), TV Asahi (Japan), Fox Australia and RCTI (Indonesia).
From the international broadcast center, GlobeCast is providing satellite uplink and downlinks, as well as fiber links, along both coasts of the African continent into the company’s Paris and London hubs for distribution to European broadcasters or further routing across the Atlantic or into Asia.
“A big advantage we have is that we have a longstanding presence in South Africa since 1994 and have become the market leader in distribution of broadcast signals in the region,” said Alan Hird, CEO of GlobeCast South Africa. “That fact coupled with the expertise of our business units around the globe are big advantages.”
GlobeCast has sold more than 300MHz of satellite capacity on the IS709, W7, W3A and Measat satellites and more than 1300MB of fully redundant, networked SDH fiber connectivity over the six-week period.
For contribution of feeds for both rights holders and non-rights holders, GlobeCast will deploy a fleet of 12 SD and HD SNG uplinks to stadiums, team hotels and training camps in every corner of South Africa. GlobeCast has also secured 11 live standup positions — including views of the stadiums in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, George, Durban and Pretoria as well as city views of Johannesburg and Cape Town — for use by worldwide non-rights holders throughout the tournament. GlobeCast is expecting to be providing feed points at as many as 50 of the 64 games. Hird said GlobeCast has fielded several enquiries about delivering a 3-D feed and is actively exploring the option with one client.
The company is also working with rights holders and non-rights holders to manage live standup positions outside the 10 stadium venues. “This is a massive logistical operation. We’ve received incredible interest for these feed points,” Hird said. “Rights holders lease uplink capacity for the duration of the tournament for 24/7 use. For non-rights holders, we lease capacity and they can book 10-minute windows to feed their material to air.”
