EE set for ‘world first’ 5G live sports broadcast

EE has announced it intends to use a 5G-enabled production workflow for the coverage of the EE Wembley Cup on 25th November.

The event is due to be broadcast on YouTube and EE says it is the world’s first live sporting event to be broadcast over 5G using remote production.

EE and BT Sport say then plan to collaborate on increasing the coverage available to viewers with more matches and faster highlights.

Jamie Hindhaugh, chief operating officer, BT Sport, said: “BT Sport has a rich history of the latest broadcast innovations, whether it’s ultra-high-definition with Dolby Atmos or 360-degree Virtual Reality. 5G will next season enable BT Sport to deploy the most advanced remote production of any broadcaster. It will allow us to cover more live matches from more leagues and competitions, and to bring fans highlights action closer to the final whistle than has ever been done before in the UK.”

 

 

For broadcasters, EE will deploy 5G network slicing technology to create a broadcast grade network providing guaranteed latency, bandwidth and quality required for live broadcast.

5G will enable broadcasters to send match footage back to base within minutes, opening up more coverage possibilities and reducing costs by reducing the number of technicians required at each game. By adding 5G to EE’s 4G network, the teclo said it is creating a more reliable data connection even in the biggest crowds.

EE said it will continue the rollout of 5G at Wembley Stadium throughout 2019.

EE recently announced it is launching 5G in 16 UK cities in 2019, including London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester.