BT Sport – a different big data issue

The common feature about all types of cloud service delivery is that, no matter how large or small the amount of data currently being moved, the future will see that volume grow exponentially, almost month by month. What the data provides is, of course, the most important aspect for every user, but that can end up ignoring one small but rather important element – moving the data from point to point in the first place.

In a world where big data analytics are fast becoming a business essential rather than a luxury for the few, or where IoT (the Internet of Things) and IPv6 dramatically increases the number of devices that can be – and must be – communicated with, the volume of data that is not just generated but then needs to be somewhere else `now’ is set to be growing faster than most human minds can comprehend.

And this is not even touching the issue of streaming live TV over the Internet, which is likely to end up moving as much data as all the other applications put together. It is also an application where moving it is fast and reliably is THE key issue.

Take the marketplace place fight that is now kicking off between BT and Sky over the delivery of coverage of UK Premier League soccer matches as an example. As an opening marketing gambit, BT is offering the service for free, but that will count for nothing if the delivery stream dries up for any reason. It simply has to work.

So the technology behind that has a fair degree of responsibility being placed on its shoulders. BT Sport has partnered with Timeline Television for the delivery of a complete end-to-end managed service, and Timeline has in turn partnered with Aspera Inc. to provide the underlying technology needed to make it happen.

The solution Aspera has provided is based on its faspTM high-speed file transfer technology coupled with Orchestrator workflow automation.  This combination delivers extreme scalability and control in high-volume workflow automation. It enables secure, practical ingest, transformation and delivery of file-based media and the successful execution of all workflows across the production process from end to end.

By integrating Orchestrator with the IPDirector production asset management suites from broadcast production company,  EVS, Aspera seamlessly integrates high-speed data replication between BT’s new studio facility and BT Tower, enabling essential disaster recovery and full redundancy.

“This project needed to be completed within a very tight timescale and the new infrastructure needed to provide BT with the most advanced tools on the market. It made sense for us to select proven, reliable and leading technologies such as Aspera fasp and Aspera Orchestrator to ensure the project was completed on time and workflow productivity was fully optimised. Aspera has delivered on all these fronts,” commented Charlie Tear, technical director at Timeline Television.

The channels, which include BT Sport 1, BT Sport2 and ESPN, are based in iCITY, London’s new digital quarter in the former International Broadcast Centre (IBC) at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The service went live on 1 August 2013.