The Wave of the Future: Sony Tests Live 4K Streaming Waters

Leveraging NeuLion’s Digital Platform, Sony has successfully streamed the first 4K live North American soccer broadcast by Univision Deportes and plans to continue to test these streaming events throughout the summer.

CI Staff

Sony Electronics announced that it has participated in successful streaming trials of live 4K sporting events, including the first live North American soccer broadcast in 4K by Univision Deportes.

These events, streamed live in 4K by leveraging the NeuLion Digital Platform and delivered over-the-top (OTT) to Sony 4K HDR Ultra HD TVs that have integrated the NeuLion 4K Streaming SDK, were viewable to exclusive audiences at locations in Florida, New York and California.

Sony states these streaming events, which began in early 2016, will continue through the summer. The results may bode well for the prospects of future sports bar installation projects or other markets where live 4K events can have impact.

“These 4K live streaming tests reveal that the streaming and broadcast of live 4K sports is on its way to consumers in the near future. And Sony’s lineup of 4K HDR Ultra HD TVs are ready today,” says Sunil Nayyar, director of product marketing, TV and projectors, North America.

Univision Deportes, the multimedia sports division of Univision Communications Inc. that includes UDN, the Spanish-language sports network, produced the first live North American soccer event in 4K for a friendly match between Mexico and Senegal that took place at Marlins Park in Miami on February 10.

It was streamed live exclusively to Sony 4K HDR Ultra HD TVs with the NeuLion 4K Streaming SDK integrated. NeuLion, a technology product and service provider specializing in the OTT distribution and monetization of live and on-demand video to Internet-enabled devices, and NEP, a global leader in the remote television industry, partnered with Univision Deportes to deliver the 4K stream.

“What makes 4K so exciting is how it enhances the experience for our fans and how we can boost their passion for our sports in a truly immersive way,” says Olek Loewenstein, senior vice president of strategy and operations, Univision Deportes.

“Soccer matches are won and lost with lots of detail on the field of play, and with 4K, the fans are closer than ever to the insider experience. With the proliferation of 4K-capable devices and content, we are excited to take this first step to deliver a soccer match in 4K with NeuLion and Sony.”

More than 20 Sony 4K HDC-4300 cameras were used to capture the match. Univision Deportes has more 4K events on tap this year, including producing the final match of the Copa America Centerio in 4K.

“NeuLion is very excited to partner with Univision and Sony to create an end-to-end solution for the delivery, monetization and distribution of live 4K video on the world’s most popular devices,” adds Dr. Kanaan Jemili, CEO of NeuLion. “These events are proof that live 4K sports are the wave of the very near future.”

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