Alibaba Cloud partners ABU Sports Network to deliver internet-based broadcast solution

By Digital News Asia September 3, 2018

Cloud-based solution resolves ABU Sports’ storage capacity limit at Jakarta’s IBC
Transmit live video and audio to rights-holding broadcasters as far afield as Mongolia, Fiji

Alibaba Cloud partners ABU Sports Network to deliver internet-based broadcast solution

ALIBABA Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, announced that it has delivered a turnkey, Internet-based broadcast solution to the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Sports Network (ABU Sports Network) and, in turn, empowered it to offer the Asian Games, currently being held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, to under-served viewers in the region through its members.

With this solution offered by Alibaba Cloud, for the first time ABU Sports is able to transmit live video and audio of the Asian Games to rights-holding broadcasters as far afield as Mongolia and Fiji.

The cloud-based solution resolved the storage capacity limit at ABU Sports’ space in the Jakarta International Broadcast Center (IBC), allowing ABU Sports Network to enjoy unlimited high-definition records at Alibaba Cloud’s platform on demand.

Joey Tan, general manager of Global Strategic Accounts and Sports Business Unit, Alibaba Cloud, said: “In the past, images and sounds of the games were transmitted via satellite, which meant only households equipped with a satellite TV could view the games.

“With this best-in-class technology that Alibaba Cloud is offering to ABU Sports, we are bringing an inclusive viewing experience to millions of people in the region.”

Cai Yanjiang, director of ABU Sports Network Department, said: “For the first time in the history of the ABU Sports Network, we are successfully delivering feeds to remote territories such as Fiji, Cambodia and Mongolia. Despite not being configured optimally, these feeds have proven to be viable as an alternative to satellite feeds.

“With this successful deployment, ABU and Alibaba Cloud will be able to initiate a more feasible digital solution, for both transmission and direct broadcast. Millions of users will benefit from it during the next Asian Games, and even at many sports events taking place before that.”

“At Alibaba Cloud, we are fully committed to using our technologies and innovations to transform sports in the digital era. We have now successfully implemented the solution during the Asian Games and will continue to work with ABU Sports Network at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as at the next Asia Games, which will be held in our home city of Hangzhou in 2022. We want the world to see ‘The Greatness of Small’, by providing a level playing field for all players and including everyone in the game,” added Tan.

In January last year, Alibaba Group and the International Olympic Committee signed a long-term strategic agreement to transform the Olympic Games for the digital era.

Alibaba is now serving as the official ‘Cloud Services’ and ‘E-Commerce Platform Services’ partner.

Alibaba Cloud’s solution will feed images and sounds from the IBC in Jakarta to the headquarters of ABU Sports Network’s members.

With the company’s data center and local capabilities, the videos are processed on and transmitted through its powerful cloud platform to broadcasters in the region.