Encompass Targets Live Sports with Cloud-Native Master Control Service
Encompass Digital Media announced a new fully managed, cloud-native Master Control service in partnership with Techex and Densitron, part of a strategic focus on live sports and cloud workflows. The service, called Altitude Events, uses Encompass's Altitude Media Cloud platform and Techex's tx darwin technology to enable broadcasters to deploy temporary workflows for live events. The company also highlighted its use of AI for workflow automation, such as scheduling and content discovery in archives.
Key Takeaways
- The new Altitude Events service integrates Encompass's Altitude Media Cloud, Techex's tx darwin technology, and a Densitron UI for cloud-based master control.
- The strategy targets live sports to counter the commoditization of traditional linear origination and playout services, which CEO Marc Bruce noted are low-cost and often offshored.
- Encompass's Riga MCR facility already handles over 1,500 hours of live sports content per month and manages 277 channels for 22 customers.
- The company is using AI to automate 95% of scheduling tasks based on historical data and to monetize archives through improved content discovery.
- Demand for sports services is strongest in North America, Europe, and Latin America, with Encompass seeing a lag in the APAC region.
Why It Matters
The launch of Altitude Events offers a technical solution for the 'pop-up' operational needs of temporary sports coverage, allowing broadcasters to manage live events without significant CAPEX. This directly addresses the shorter planning horizons—now 18-36 months—that CEO Marc Bruce sees in the industry. This move exemplifies a larger pivot by media service providers away from commoditized linear playout towards specialized, high-margin live services. The partnership model with Techex and Densitron suggests a focus on integrated solutions over monolithic platforms. What to watch: Adoption rates among tier-two and tier-three rights holders, which the article notes are increasingly acquiring sports to drive engagement.
Read full article at svgeurope.org