STOCKHOLM—Global video solutions provider, Accedo is reporting that it has been working with Deutsche Telekom to showcase an extended reality (XR) sports streaming application of its live sports streaming service.  

The application for live soccer uses Accedo Xtend, Accedo’s solution for advanced XR applications in media complemented with solutions from Ateme and HISPlayer. The XR solution integrates live streams and data feeds to showcase a next-gen interactive sports service for MagentaSport. 

The service will include a host of interactive features such as live statistics, multi-camera feeds, player cards, and 3D sponsored experiences, all embracing the immersive aspects of the Accedo Xtend platform.

By incorporating Magenta’s live streams into an XR experience, Deutsche Telekom and Accedo said that they are introducing fans to a viewing experience that is no longer constrained to the physical limitations of the TV screen. 

The application will blend fans’ physical and virtual worlds by displaying the match in the space around the fan, while also introducing a new layer of interaction where fans can access supplementary information such as team and player statistics and watch replays from different angles. 

It draws on solutions from Ateme and HISPlayer to ensure high quality video and experience with low latency and bandwidth, while enabling advanced features in new environments. Additionally, it enables sponsors to interact with fans in new ways to drive revenue, the companies said. 

“Accedo’s unrivaled experience and expertise within the XR, media and sports industries has enabled it to seamlessly build a high-quality XR live sports streaming experience,” explained Daniel Aslam, senior partner & business development manager, Deutsche Telekom. “The application will allow us to deliver a truly immersive and engaging vision of a next-generation MagentaSport experience.”

“As the sports industry evolves, we’re seeing a noticeable increase in activity and interest in XR applications,” added Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo. “The Accedo Xtend platform enables immersive applications to be launched in record time with a configurable set of features, allowing for experimentation as well as cost control. We’re thrilled about this collaboration with Deutsche Telekom, which we believe will showcase the immense potential of spatial interactive user engagement for live sports.”

DENVER & BONN, Germany—Comcast Technology Solutions has announced that its Cloud TV Suite is being deployed as the new back-end platform for Deutsche Telekom's Magenta TV in selected markets. 

Deployments began in Austria and will be phased in across other Deutsche Telekom markets throughout 2022.

Magenta TV combines conventional TV, media and video libraries, streaming services, and exclusive content for subscribers with advanced features like time shifted viewing, show restarts, replays, and more. 

Comcast Technology Solutions' Cloud TV Suite provides a unified platform and common architecture to power Magenta TV services across set-top boxes, connected TVs, computers, smartphones, and tablet, the companies said. 

"At Deutsche Telekom, we are committed to delivering the ultimate, world-class TV entertainment experience, which centers around the customer, through Magenta TV. This means deploying the most modern, flexible, and scalable back-end management system," said Pedro Bandeira, vice president of product and new business at Deutsche Telekom. "We selected Comcast Technology Solutions' Cloud TV Suite because of its ability to address our needs with market-proven reliability and efficiency. Moving to this advanced new platform will enable us to further harmonize our product roadmaps, accelerate new service delivery, and enable consistent and seamless experiences across devices and our markets."

Specifically, Deutsche Telekom will use the Cloud TV Suite to provide a comprehensive video management platform for centralized ingest of video assets; easy workflow management; multi-language metadata management; video processing; content protection; entitlements, availability windows, and rights enforcement; data analytics and insights; and publishing across devices. 

In addition, Comcast Technology Solutions is providing a 24x7 service level agreement (SLA) and dedicated support team committed to the success of Deutsche Telekom.

To learn more about the entire CTSuite, including the Cloud TV Suite, visit:  https://www.comcasttechnologysolutions.com/ctsuite. 

BONN, GERMANY—Sports production at its best can give viewers –if even for a fleeting moment—the feeling that they’re part of the game.

Deutsche Telekom and MediaKind extended that immersive feeling with the help of 6K tiled 360-degree video to viewers via the Magenta VR app on Dec. 9 when the Telekom Basket Bonn met EWE Baskets Oldenburg on the hardwood at the Telekom Dome in Bonn, Germany.

“Consumers are always seeking new ways to experience their favorite sports content. Through the rapid evolution of 360-degree technology, we have the potential to push boundaries and take the consumer to the heart of the game itself,” said Angel Ruiz, CEO of MediaKind.

[Read: Samsung, USA Basketball Team Up On VR]

The multi-camera, 360-degree live stream was delivered to Deutsche Telekom customers via the company’s Magenta VR service on a consumer app. Technical project management was handled by MediaKind, which worked with Deutsche Telekom, Magnum Film, Tiledmedia, Iconic Engine and INVR. Magnum Film shot and produced the event in 360-degree video.

The coverage was the latest milestone in a collaboration over the past year and half between MediaKind and Tiledmedia to demo 360-degree viewport adaptive ClearVR video and supplement traditional broadcast production, bringing viewers closer to the action. “The success of this world first live sport event using 6K 360-degree video with ClearVR tiled format is a major milestone for our team of engineers and our partners who turned this around in a short space of time,” said Ruiz.

MediaKind’s virtualized software encoding technology was deployed in the Google Cloud Platform. MediaKind’s software-based probes were used to monitor every point of data traffic flow and cloud processing operation. They also created customizable and detailed operational dashboards using common cloud visualization tools.

Deutsche Telekom’s T-Labs research team sponsored the event.

More information is available on the MediaKind website.