Being granted coverage rights for the Olympics brings an array of benefits to a channel. The guaranteed interest from audiences, combined with the expanded possibilities with video content, provide an opportunity to create audience loyalty. Not to mention, it means little to no competition: In most countries, a couple of broadcasters are given the rights, in some only one.

For Paris 2024, the channels that shared the rights in Brazil were a surprising choice and yielded surprising results. TV Globo, the mega-conglomerate and leader in audience retention for the past 60 years, covered the Olympics through its SporTV channels—and so did CazéTV, created by streamer Casimiro Miguel with LiveMode in 2022.

It's no secret that Brazil is a leader in the creator economy. In fact, Brazil holds a 45% percent share of the near-$1 billion generated in the Latin American and Caribbean influencer-marketing market last year. Exemplified by the growth of CazéTV, gone are the days where we associated YouTuber tech with a simple digital vlogging camera. Now, it’s more like a TV channel itself but without network restrictions.

How To Account for CazéTV’s Rapid Success?
What the hosts of CazéTV propose to audiences is entirely different in tone than traditional broadcasters. While Brazilians are generally well-humored, informality and comedy are embedded into the CazéTV universe—similar in tone to “The Daily Show,” but a step further in informality. Presenters and guests dress in jeans and a T-shirt, with international correspondents wearing affable CazéTV branded merch.

The choice of guests and correspondents proves that for CazéTV, charisma comes first. From comedians to ex-professional sportsmen to a recognized journalist with an impressive background working for Globo, a variety of Brazilian personalities drive the live entertainment for the channel.

CazéTV is also, to some degree, growing in accessibility. According to UNESCO, the percentage of Brazilian households with access to the internet increased from 40% in 2020 to over 70% in 2022. It’s also important to note that the streamer’s content, which now holds over 16 million subscribers on YouTube, isn’t held behind a paywall.

Essentially, if you have an internet connection and you’re in Brazil, you can watch CazéTV in your preferred device.

Personability Is Profitable, But Also Brings Uncertainty
Human stories bring life to sports and emotions are central to the fan experience. This is what is captivating about CazéTV: Its coverage is humorous, its celebrations expansive.

However, putting humor at the forefront brings its own set of challenges. Trusting that all guests and correspondents will know how to read the room when trying to make a joke is always a bet, and a slip-up can have negative repercussions for the channel. We know that’s part of the reason why media groups like Globo bring seriousness to their coverage: not just to convey respectability, but also because trying to be funny can bring the wrong kind of attention.

While creators make bets in their choices for tone, the visual presentation is non-negotiable. With the technology possibilities of today, viewers of all ages expect quality when watching a program—whether they’re tuning in from their phone, tablet, computer or TV.

A professional studio, sound and image quality, lighting and professional switching are all treated as a “given,” and this is where CazéTV resembles a regular television program the most. You can see the incredible job the production team does on every live stream and the care put into the studio, as well as video and audio quality.

Without taking themselves too seriously, the CazéTV team means serious business.

Leveraging the Digital Connection
By now, it’s well-known that digital platforms are incredibly effective in reaching younger audiences. According to LiveMode, 82% of CazéTV’s audience is under 44 years old, and its engagement with its audience goes beyond just watching the content.

During the live streams, Casimiro encouraged his audience to follow the Brazilian athletes they were discussing on social media, sharing their account names and celebrating follower growth milestones. Notably, judo gold medal winner Bia Souza went from 13,000 followers to now just over 3 million—expanding the athlete’s reach not only brings attention to the sport, but is undoubtedly valuable currency for the athlete to score sponsorship deals. It’s a massive influence in bringing diversified value to the sports market.

Although, while I’m comparing CazéTV and TV Globo because both shared access to Olympic coverage in Brazil, it’s not realistic to think of them as direct competitors. That would be silly: CazéTV had half a million viewers tune in for the Olympics opening ceremony, while Globo had 36.4 million viewers. When it comes to raw audience numbers, there is no competition.

But that doesn’t mean the power of content creators can be ignored, either.

What Is the Future of Live TV?
The answer is everything. Viewers with an internet connection are spoiled for choice. The space on the internet is also endless, whereas with television there are specific slots, with some being primetime and others predictably less busy.

This “space” means there is a place for all kinds of content to flourish. We’re seeing young content creators break the mold in some respects and uphold tradition in others. While CazéTV finds a home for humor in tone and attitude, it also still invests heavily in the quality of its production.

In the end, regardless of the size of the broadcast, quality and authenticity wins.

OSLO, Norway—Vivaro Media has selected Appear to support live contribution of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, July 26-Aug. 11, for broadcasters and service providers across Latin America.

The company will rely on Appear’s X20 platform to deliver signals using SMPTE ST 2022-7, SMPTE ST 2110 and NMOS. The X20 platform will replace Vivaro Media’s existing SDI equipment, Appear said.

The deployment builds on a long relationship between the two companies. Most recently, Appear provided live encoding and multiplexing services for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, it said.

“Live sporting events are enjoyed by billions of fans globally every year, who expect perfect broadcast coverage. Our positive experience with the Appear X20 and X10 platform, gives us the confidence to further use it in more applications within our network and to deploy it in services for our customers in premium live events worldwide,” said Carlos Jurado, senior director of sales engineering and operations at Vivaro Media.

“The X20’s ability to adapt to our evolving requirements, its compact design, and its flexibility to manage most protocols and interfaces, were key factors in our decision. We are confident that our continued partnership with Appear will enhance our broadcast operations’ efficiency and sustainability, setting new standards for live event coverage.”

The X20 platform offers broadcasters and service providers the ability to facilitate live contribution with advanced remote production and distribution workflows globally. Integration with industry standards, such as HEVC/AVC, ST-2110, JPEG XS, NMOS and high-capacity SRT, combined with a diverse array of processing functionalities, Network Address Translation (NAT), and firewall features, ensures a comprehensive and efficient solution for content delivery, the company said.

More information is available on the Appear website.

HACKENSACK, N.J.—With the nations of the world set to arrive in Rio de Janeiro this August for the 2016 Summer Olympics, LiveU has announced that it will be on hand to provide IP-based live video technology for broadcasters and online streaming customers.

During the games, LiveU says it will deploy its full portfolio of uplink systems, including backpack and camera-mount IP-bonding devices. Among these will be the LU500, LU200, LU-Smart mobile app, Xtender external antenna and LiveU’s cloud-based MultiPoint distribution service.

LiveU also intends to offer multiple Wi-Fi hotspots and an integrated KA-Band satellite system that includes a VSAT terminal, VSAT antenna with universal mount, Wi-Fi router, and cables and connectors.

LiveU say that its support team and its local partner UCAN Digital Transmission will be on hand to offer 24-hour support.

LONDON—The Rio 2016 Olympic Games are to be covered in 8K, with footage also captured for Virtual Reality (VR) users.

Parts of the Games will be covered in 8K for Japan, whilst 4K versions will be created for testing and comparison purposes.

Beamed from Brazil to Japan, the 8k versions will include what has been described by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) as “3D 22.2 channel audio surround sound”.

In total, around 130 hours of 8K footage will be viewed in Japan, which will include live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies.

Coverage of 2012 Olympics in London

For the first time, VR footage will be captured at the Olympics. Using a compatible headset, viewers will be “virtually transported to the heart of the Olympic action with VR coverage including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and one key event per day,” stated the broadcaster.

The content will also be downloadable as VoD material, allowing VR highlights to be viewable without the need for VR headsets.

OBS, which hopes to conduct experiments with Wider Colour Gamut ad High Dynamic Range technologies at the Games, will also capture footage events in 4K, which will be down-converted from the 8K signals. It is, however, unlikely that the 4K signals will be shown to consumers.

This story first appeared on Advanced Television. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.—TVU Networks might not win any gold medals at this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but it will be on-site to provide customer support and equipment rental for broadcasters. With its newly established office in Brazil, TVU will provide 3G/4G LTE wireless uplink equipment as well as deliver Wi-Fi/Microwave Mesh bandwidth from locations throughout Rio de Janerio.

The company will offer several rental program packages through its Global Rental Program. In addition to uplink equipment and bandwidth services, TVU will also use its TVU Grid infrastructure to send live HD video of the events. Packages may be reserved through June.

TVU has previously provided similar services during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. TVU will also support September’s Paralympics, also in Rio de Janeiro.

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will take place from Aug. 5-21.