Milton Keynes, UK, 21 July 2016: Broadcast connectivity expert SIS LIVE is to provide Ultra High Definition fibre connectivity for Sky Sports Ultra HD coverage of the English Premier League.
Today’s announcement follows months of collaboration between SIS LIVE and Sky Sports to ensure viewers receive live coverage in the highest possible picture quality. It also reaffirms SIS LIVE’s vision of being the connectivity provider of choice for critical media content.
From the start of the 2016-17 Premier League football season on 13 August, SIS LIVE will utilise its Anylive fibre network to deliver Ultra HD pictures for 124 games covered by Sky Sports.
The managed fibre connection (up to 850 Mbit/s) will use SIS LIVE’s fibre infrastructure, connecting every Premier League ground to SIS LIVE’s network operation centres in MediaCityUK and Milton Keynes, in addition to Sky Sports studios.
HD reverse vision feeds will be delivered as part of the service, and SIS LIVE is providing Sky Sports with network control on match days by installing Net Insight’s Nimbra Touch and Switch technology at Sky Sports studios.
David Meynell, managing director, SIS LIVE, said: “Sky Sport’s decision to use SIS LIVE’s Anylive fibre network to deliver their new, high profile channel means that we are well on the way to being recognized as the critical connectivity provider of choice.
“Our satellite expertise remains, but we also boast fibre links between major broadcasters, network operators, and UK sports stadia, backed up by microwave links in some locations to give triple resilience. I believe our combined fibre and satellite infrastructure is unrivalled in the UK market.”
SIS LIVE’s highly skilled technical teams have collaborated with Sky Sports for several months, testing the technology to transmit high resolution 4K pictures (which quadruple the number of pixels in a full HD picture) via its extensive fibre network.
Meynell said, “John Cuggy, SIS LIVE’s head of Technical Sales Support, and Gordon Roxburgh, Sky Sports’ Technical manager, and their teams, have worked closely throughout a thorough testing process to achieve a proven and robust solution.
“We are very confident Sky Sports Ultra HD coverage will prove to be compelling viewing for Premier League fans looking for comprehensive match coverage with stunning picture quality.”
Keith Lane, director of Operations, Sky Sports said: “We are delighted to utilise the services of SIS LIVE to help deliver coverage in Ultra HD. We have a long relationship with SIS LIVE and know we can rely on them to work closely with our teams to deliver high standards.”
SIS LIVE can be found on Stand 1.C55 at IBC2016. The IBC exhibition runs 9 – 13 September 2016.
