On March 22, 2024, the NHL made history by producing its first game entirely from the cloud using NDI-based Vizrt solutions—marking the first time a major U.S. professional sports league relied exclusively on cloud production. Leveraging AWS’s robust infrastructure and the low-latency power of NDI, the NHL not only streamlined its operations but also set a new benchmark for innovation in sports broadcasting.
Panel featuring NDI, NHL, AWS, Verizon, and Vizrt at IBC 2024.
Challenge
The NHL’s production team was confronted with the limitations of decades-old, hardware-bound broadcast trucks that stifled innovation and flexibility. With uncertainties surrounding regional sports networks and escalating production costs, the league needed a more agile, future-proof solution that could elevate fan engagement and operational efficiency.
We set out to really kick the tires on cloud broadcast. There were a lot of reasons, but some of them were the uncertainty surrounding regional sports networks in the United States and the desire to provide better content for our fans.
A further challenge was proving that high-quality, low-latency broadcast production could be achieved over mobile networks—a critical step in moving away from traditional, wired setups.
What we were doing was proving that you can do all of this with a mobile network. So all of the things that you would traditionally do over dedicated broadband, wired connections; we’re proving out that you could actually do this over the air.
Solution
In partnership with Vizrt and AWS—and with key support from Verizon—the NHL embraced an NDI-based cloud production model that reimagined live sports broadcasting.
Central to this solution was NDI’s ability to provide reliable, low-latency signal transport across both fixed and mobile networks, enabling production teams to operate from virtually anywhere and unlocking production switching in the cloud with minimum latency.
Key components included:
- NDI-Powered Signal Transport: NDI’s robust protocol allowed for the transmission of multiple high-definition video feeds inside the cloud, ensuring seamless collaboration across distributed teams.
- Cloud-First Infrastructure: By migrating to AWS, the NHL replaced aging broadcast trucks with a scalable, flexible, and cost-effective cloud environment capable of handling the rigors of live game production.
- Live Production Switching: The team managed all aspects of multi-camera switching and mixing through TriCaster Vectar, a software-based low latency live production solution designed to excel in virtualized cloud environments.
- Cloud-based graphics insertion: Leveraging Vizrt Trio/Engine, the NHL team was able to insert graphics and stats without disrupting the live flow.
- Replay System: For instant replays and highlight creation, the production employed the Evertz DreamCatcher™ Production Suite, a collection of scalable and flexible tools for live production, including capture, replay, playout, live editing, storage, logging, and content management.
- Mobile Network Integration: Verizon’s innovative use of mobile networks demonstrated that high-quality production isn’t confined to wired setups.
Mobile networks are ubiquitous in our buildings and also in other places that are not in our buildings. Being able to flex that same muscle on special events becomes really powerful.
A further challenge was proving that high-quality, low-latency broadcast production could be achieved over mobile networks—a critical step in moving away from traditional, wired setups.
Cloud workflow diagram courtesy of AWS. Learn more here.
Outcome
By transitioning to an NDI-based cloud production environment, the NHL has set a new standard in live sports broadcasting. The results include:
- Enhanced Viewer Experience: Seamless, high-quality streams enriched with dynamic graphics and real-time data ensure that fans never miss a moment.
- Operational Agility: Reduced dependency on aging hardware and significant cost savings through a scalable, cloud-first infrastructure.
- Empowered Innovation: With the flexibility of NDI and mobile network capabilities, creative production teams can now focus on delivering innovative, engaging content without traditional technical constraints.
This success story not only highlights the transformative impact of NDI but also illustrates how forward-thinking partnerships and state-of-the-art technology can revolutionize sports broadcasting for a new era.
The most important thing is evangelizing this to the actual production community—that this is not going to cause you problems; this is going to help you. You’re not going to complain anymore about not having enough replay channels in your trucks or needing more cross-converters. Now, you have the opportunity to be innovative.
