ESPN Star Sports and TSL Build New Transmission Facility

TSL has announced a major transmission contract with Asia's leading sports broadcaster, ESPN Star Sports (ESS), to add to the "Home Run" project first announced at IBC2006, which saw TSL replace ESS' existing tape-based sports and news production systems with a file-based facility.

The new transmission infrastructure will allow the sports broadcaster to add another 10 channels to its existing portfolio, further expanding its existing 17-channel distribution capability. The relationship between TSL and ESS began three years ago when TSL first revamped the broadcaster's playout facility.

The new transmission system was pre-built at TSL in Maidenhead, England, and is based around Omneon's MediaGrid content storage system and the core infrastructure includes a Quartz QMC master control switcher, Miranda Multi Viewers and Crystal Vision modular interface equipment. The system will go on air for the first time in January.

"TSL has been instrumental in replacing ESS's playout, post-production and transmission systems. As a result, we have built a strong relationship based on experience and trust that allows the facility to continue to expand, further improving workflow and flexibility whilst providing more viewers with tailored content to suit geographical regions", commented Tom McVeigh, senior vice president for operations at technology at ESPN Star Sports in Singapore.