MONTREAL—Grass Valley today announced that Sky Network Television, New Zealand’s largest pay-TV provider, has chosen Grass Valley’ AMPP to overhaul its playout operations.
Sky plans to implement Playout X across 10 HD channels, upgrading from Grass Valley Morpheus ICE, with full UHD support, to establish a flexible, cloud-ready environment capable of on-premises, hybrid and cloud-burst operation. This deployment leverages the open APIs made available with AMPP OS, to integrate seamlessly with Sky’s existing business management and traffic systems.
“AMPP delivers the agility and extensibility we need to meet today’s demanding broadcast requirements and to prepare for future growth,” said Justin Loza, Platform Owner – Broadcast & Network at Sky Network Television. “We particularly value the platform’s hybrid deployment options and the flexible commercial model, all of which align with our goal of rapid channel expansion and event-driven operations.”
By committing to a fully featured playout solution that can automatically scale resources in response to viewer demand such as major sporting events, Sky aims to achieve streamlined operations and accelerated channel launches, according to Grass Valley. The platform’s robust support for both HD and UHD workflows is designed to ensure audiences receive high-quality, uninterrupted content, while Sky plans to retain tight control over monetization through seamless ad insertion, the company said.
The partnership strengthens the company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific market, according to Evan Boyd, Senior Vice President of Sales, APAC at Grass Valley. “The successful transition of a tier-one broadcaster like Sky Network Television to AMPP OS highlights the strategic importance and agility of software defined infrastructure,” he said. “We’re proud to deliver a solution that empowers Sky to scale confidently and maintain its leadership in a rapidly evolving media landscape.”
