Pitch International worked with Globecast and Synamedia to introduce cloud-based distribution

FA Cup third round

FA Cup broadcasts have been delivered over IP for the first time.

Agency Pitch International worked with Globecast and Synamedia to move the competition to cloud-based distribution, using Globecast’s managed services and Synamedia’s Quortex Link cloud distribution platform. 

Pitch owns the broadcast rights across western Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and, through this new partnership, now offers broadcasters in these markets IP-based or satellite reception of matches, all through the Globecast Connect Live SRT platform platform. 

Alex Mehrer, head of live production & distribution at Pitch International, said: “The FA Cup has a magical quality, with incredible drama, such as non-league Macclesfield’s victory last month. Our new partnership with Synamedia and Globecast gives broadcast rights holders more choice with the option to receive FA Cup match streams over AWS cloud using Quortex Link or to continue with satellite. Interest in switching to the cloud-based stream has already exceeded our expectations.” 

Steve MacMurray, head of digital media development at Globecast, said: “The FA Cup brings together football heritage and global scale. Synamedia’s Quortex Link platform is a key enabler in allowing us to extend that heritage into a modern, IP-first distribution environment, without sacrificing reliability. The real success of this project is that the delivery was entirely predictable, despite the complexity.”

Edward Allfrey, EVP and general manager of video network, Synamedia, commented: “The world’s greatest domestic cup competition brings exceptional pressure on content distribution to perform at the highest levels and our collaboration with Pitch and Globecast shows how cloud-based services can meet those demands. Quortex Link brings the benefits of cloud-based distribution while working alongside traditional delivery methods, and the FA Cup joins a growing list of leagues and sports associations, including the organisers of a current winter sports event in Italy, who are realising the benefits of this approach.”