QD Broadcast Technology – Cloud and AI’s impact on Sports Broadcast
Zhu Jianping, CEO, QD Broadcast Technology
In recent years, with the rapid development of AI and cloud technology, my company and I have faced the impact of new technologies on the sports broadcasting industry, tried to apply cloud and AI to our business, and achieved good results. I will now share our practical experience in utilizing AI and cloud tech to enhance production efficiency and operational capabilities.
QD’s core products and services include event broadcasting and operations services, offering a one-stop solution for event copyright owners and rights-holding broadcasters, including live production on-site, centralized production services, and SaaS-based smart broadcasting platforms with AI and cloud technology. We offer event operation services to copyright owners and organizers, including HB services and smart venue operations, and provide interactive, personalized, high-quality audio-video and data services for spectators. Our key application technologies include video/audio processing, transmission, encoding and transcoding, ultra-high definition, VR/AR, AI, and cloud technology.
The heart of the sports broadcasting industry has always been radio and television technology, including analog to digital, from HD to UHD, and from stereo to 3D sound. With the swift advancement of new technologies like AI and cloud, industry professionals are pressed to update their knowledge, master new techniques. The route of QD is same. Beginning with radio and television, integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and cloud, swiftly translating them into practical applications, and delivering cost-effective services to its clients.
QD developed a production center designed for sports events, located in Beijing, with 24-hour operation, producing six world feeds remotely. The transmission has end-to-end processing capabilities, equipped with MCR and PQC, to meet the needs of world feeds scheduling and monitoring. The core system follows the broadcasting standards and provides services for different types of RHBs such as TV stations and new medias. At the sports event site, TVLB, a company controlled by QD, has multiple UHD OB Vans built for sports event production, with experience in Tokyo Summer Olympics and Beijing Winter Olympics. It has become China’s earliest technology team to adopt 4K HDR UHD production.
QD’s service covers major sports events such as the Olympic Games and the National Games, as well as major league events such as the NBA, MLB, BWF, ATP, CSL, and CBA. The number of events exceeds 5,500 per year.
Facing the challenge of competition, QD has developed a “Smart Broadcast Platform” aimed at providing high-quality products, services, and overall solutions for industry customers. The platform is targeted at customers related to sports event broadcasting, giving them the ability to use smart broadcast technology for sports events, explore the value of event copyrights, and enhance the ability to operate content. Service forms include smart broadcast services for large-scale sports events, cloud production services, and remote production services.
Here, through several cases, I will share QD’s application practices in AI and cloud technology. The 2023 ITTF Mixed Team World Cup was held for the first time in Chengdu, China. QD provided high-quality and comprehensive services for this event. For example, the table one’s world feed needs to be embedded with English commentary. Because the commentators could not be present on site, QD’s cloud service successfully solved this problem. This remote commentary product controls the delay between commentary audio and Clean feed video within 1 second through low-latency transmission protocols, reducing the pressure on the production system to handle delays. Commentators in Singapore watch the Clean Feed and provide real-time commentary. Commentators in different locations can access the cloud commentary seat through a browser using a PC. The commentator audio is transmitted back to the production center or OB Van through a very low-latency transmission method. The production system embeds the commentator audio with clean feed signals and distributes them.
In the recently concluded 2024 Macao ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup, QD served as the HB, providing English commentary services for the RHBs. Each match was jointly completed by two English commentators. Four English commentators were located in the EdgeMedia studio in Singapore. This reduces the travel and accommodation expenses of commentators. In addition, QD also provides world feeds distribution services by cloud.
Using its AI application, QD integrates its expertise in sports event broadcasting into Sports venues for public fitness activities, fulfilling low-cost automation and intelligence. Cameras are set up in the playground to stream live to the smart broadcasting platform.
The AI processing service can identify events such as goals, attacks, and shots and provide the events data associated with their occurrence. Using this event data, the platform integrates with the live production system to automate the production of short video-clips without manual work. Users can access multi-camera live feeds and short video clips via apps. QD’s smart broadcast service has been successfully implemented at Changsha Football park, offering services such as multi-angle live camera feeds, replays, short clips, and event data.
Through the integration of cloud and AI technology, QD has experienced an average annual growth of over 35% in broadcast services. With business growth, QD has effectively managed its operating costs. The annual operating expenses have decreased by 40%, and operational efficiency has improved by 19%. Cloud & AI technology is the driver for cost reduction and operational enhancement.
We look forward to discussing with our RHBs, developers, event operators and other colleagues ways to explore the driving force of innovative technology on the sports event broadcasting industry and work together to create new commercial applications.
Thank you.
