CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks is reporting that Big Ten Network (BTN) has deployed the TVU Remote Production System (RPS) platform to bring super slow-motion replay to a broader range of collegiate sports—extending the capability beyond football and basketball to events like baseball, soccer, and volleyball.

BTN has also expanded the role of TVU RPS Link encoders in its field production trucks, using them as a hot backup to fiber-based workflows and as an early access network that provides connectivity before venue fiber is even activated.

"The primary hurdle for moving our super slo-mo workflows to a remote model has always been the synchronization drift over the open internet," said Nick Smith, VP of Engineering, Big Ten Network. "TVU has allowed us to take super slo-mo replay where it wasn't previously possible."

BTN's football and basketball productions already rely on established, high-end replay workflows. But fans increasingly expect the same caliber of 3x, 4x, and 6x super slo-mo replays from a collegiate wrestling match or soccer game. Until now, the synchronization demands of high-speed replay cameras made that impractical for events without dedicated fiber infrastructure, or having replay hardware on site, which isn't practical for all events. The TVU RPS platform now gives BTN a new option to extend super slo-mo to more sports and more venues—complementing its existing production model rather than replacing it.

TVU RPS units at each venue encode multiple super slo-mo camera feeds and transport them over standard internet, 5G, or Starlink connections to BTN's central production hub, where they arrive perfectly synchronized with zero drift. The hub's Evertz DreamCatcher replay servers then create the super slo-mo content viewers see on air. TVU's synchronization has proven stable over multi-day continuous operation—a level of precision that competing transport solutions have been unable to match, often drifting or requiring manual resets that disrupt live coverage.

For these additional sports, the system also gives BTN full remote control of cameras in the field. From the central studio, operators can adjust cameras, manage tally and intercom, and produce shows across different venues without anyone traveling—allowing BTN to extend its production quality to more events without scaling up on-site crews.

Separately, BTN has also integrated TVU RPS Link units into its regional field trucks as a hot backup for its existing fiber-based productions at major events. If the primary fiber connection fails, the TVU system seamlessly takes over, maintaining the synchronized super slo-mo feeds. The units also run TVU Router, which provides immediate high-speed connectivity to production trucks before venue fiber is activated—giving crews operational access from the moment they arrive on site.

"Big Ten Network's implementation is a brilliant example of total network orchestration," said Matt McEwen, VP of Product Management, TVU Networks. "They saw an opportunity to use TVU RPS to bring super slo-mo to more sports and more venues, while also adding resilience and flexibility to their existing fiber-based productions. It's a smart, layered approach, and we're proud to support their vision for expanding what's possible in collegiate sports production."

To learn more download the white paper: Super Slo-Mo Anywhere: The Democratization of Elite Sports Production via TVU's Bonded RPS REMI Ecosystem.

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES—Fox has finally announced a launch data and pricing for Fox One, with the direct-to-consumer streaming service set to launch Aug. 21 for $19.99 per month or $199.99 a year.

As previously reported, Fox One will bring all of Fox's news, sports and entertainment branded content together in one streaming platform, including the Fox broadcast network, Fox-owned television stations and Fox News Channel.

Fox One for the first time will provide cord-cutters and cord-nevers with full streaming and on-demand access to the company’s full brand portfolio, including Fox News, Fox Business Network, Fox Weather, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes, Big Ten Network, its local TV stations and the over-the-air Fox network.

Subscription streaming services Fox Nation and Big Ten+ will also be available on Fox One. Subscribers can bundle Fox One and Fox Nation for $24.99 per month or the equivalent of $19.99 per month when purchasing the annual plan at launch, the company said.

“We’re eager to launch Fox One in just a few weeks and super-serve our viewers with the best in live news, sports and entertainment content all in one place,” Fox CEO, Direct to Consumer Pete Distad said. “In bringing together the full power of the Fox content portfolio in one service, we have created a great value proposition and user experience that will appeal to the cord-cutter and cord-never fans currently not served by conventional pay TV packages.”

Fox also said the streaming service will feature advanced, AI-powered personalization technologies that seamlessly integrate live and video-on-demand content in a cohesive experience.

More information is available at www.FoxOne.com.

Fox Corp. is planning to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service sometime later this year, Executive Chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch told analysts on an earnings call Wednesday.

Details of the Fox DTC service, which would target cord-cutters and cord-nevers, remain sparse.

The news comes in the wake of the collapse of the Venu sports streaming service, which Fox had been planning to launch in partnership with The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery.

“We'll announce more … in the … future, but we would see that package as a package that's holistic of all of our content of sports and news,” Murdoch said when asked if the DTC service would include the cable-distributed Fox News Channel or subscription streamer Fox Nation, as well as the company’s other brands. Those brands include pay TV-distributed sports channels such as FS1 and Big Ten Network.

In discussing the service, Murdoch noted that it is part of a larger strategy to ensure “maximum distribution of our content, whether that be traditional, digital streaming or our own D2C offering in the near future.”

“By really driving our engagement with consumer viewers across traditional linear platforms, across cable distribution, across the digital MVPDs and across our own D2C services targeting these cord- cutters and cord-nevers, that will put us in absolutely the best position with the broadest reach,” Murdoch said.

With regard to distribution, Murdoch noted that Fox has also been capitalizing on a trend towards skinny bundles. “Three distributors have announced new skinny packages in recent months, and we expect this trend to continue,” he said. “We see this as a positive initiative by both our distribution partners and other content owners. The inclusion of our suite of channels, sports and news in each of these offerings is a real economic benefit to us, even more so than the sports-specific Venu, and so gives us greater confidence for Fox over the long term.”

In terms of strategy, Murdoch stressed: “We see the traditional cable bundle as still the most value for our consumers, and frankly, the most value for the company. So we're huge supporters of the traditional cable bundle and we will always be. But having said that, we do want to reach consumers wherever they are. And there's a large population, obviously, that are now outside of the traditional cable bundle, either cord-cutters or cord-nevers.”

As a result, Fox is “designing an offering to really target those cord-cutters and cord-nevers that are not traditionally in the cable bundle,” Murdoch said. “We don't want and we have no intention of churning a traditional distribution customer into our D2C customer. And so our subscriber expectations will be modest, and we're going to price the service accordingly. And it's also important to note with those modest expectations, we do not expect any exclusive rights costs or additional incremental rights costs.”

“This service will be a package of our existing content on our existing brands targeted to consumers that are not currently in the bundle,” he added. “So the incremental cost will be relatively low, certainly relative to what our peers have spent in this space. And we’re excited to be able to talk about it more in the coming weeks months. In terms of timing and launch, we're certainly targeting a launch by the end of this calendar year.”

Gravity Media has announced a new deal with NBC Sports to provide mobile units for its coverage of Big Ten football and basketball.  

Gravity Media’s newest mobile unit, Aspen, will be deployed on the assignment along with its flagship mobile unit, Columbus. Another new S-Class unit with the same specifications as Aspen also being built and will join the fleet to support NBC Sports’ coverage from 2024.  

The assignment begins with the start of this year’s College Football season with a game at The Big House, Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. 

Last year, NBC Universal and the Big Ten Conference announced a major seven-year agreement for NBC and Peacock to become the exclusive home of Big Ten Saturday Night football, beginning in 2023. 

Peacock will also serve as the exclusive home for eight additional Big Ten football games each season as well as dozens of college basketball games. 

Over the course of the agreement, Gravity Media, and NBC Sports engineers will work together with NBC Sports’ producers and directors will employ new technologies and workflows for the coverage. Those include traditional full-production on site as well as remote-connected techniques at NBC Sports’ state-of-the-art facility in Stamford, Conn.  

The production techniques were designed and perfected by NBC Sports’ and Gravity Media’s Broadcast Engineers in test case college events last season.  

“We are excited NBC Sports is expanding its technical facilities partnership with Gravity Media as part of a multi-year agreement, in which they will provide mobile units for our upcoming Big Ten coverage,” explained Ken Goss, NBC Sports’ executive vice president of studio and remote production. 

“Gravity Media’s HD mobile units offer the very latest in technology and we are excited to begin a substantive partnership with NBC Sports,” added Sean Seamer, Gravity Media’s president in the USA. “We provided facilities for the Peacock Classic basketball game between Baylor and Gonzaga last December, but this Big Ten agreement opens a new, deeper chapter in our relationship. Gravity Media has been capturing college sports action across the U.S. for more than 10 years, supporting thousands of high-profile sporting events including bowl games. We are looking forward to building on this experience with NBC Sports.” 

CHICAGO—The Big Ten Network will be offering fans a brand new perspective for the Saturday, Nov. 12, football game between the University of Minnesota and University of Nebraska, as the sports network will produce a live virtual reality experience for the game. The production will be a result of a partnership with virtual reality provider Voke.

Voke’s TrueVR platform will employ four 180-degree HD cameras during the production. Augmented graphics and a live audio stream will also be provided throughout the broadcast. To access the VR experience, fans need to download Voke’s GearVR app from the Oculus Store and use a Gear VR headset and Samsung mobile phone. The game will be available on the BTN channel app in the GearVR app, which will also show live highlights of the game in near real-time, per BTN’s press release.

Voke has also announced it plans to have multiple headsets in the press box for the game so the media to sample the experience.

BTN will have its normal broadcast of the game available, as well as offering it as a live stream via the web, smartphones, tablets and other connected devices. Minnesota will take on Nebraska at 7:30 p.m. ET from Lincoln, Neb.