Brazilian broadcast network SBT has turned to Pebble’s automation platform to launch 24-hour network SBT News and enable future enhancements, including that country’s TV 2.5 standard, interactivity and dynamic ad insertion.
SBT (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão) is Brazil’s third-largest television broadcaster. Headquartered in Osasco, northwest of São Paulo, the network’s owned-and-operated stations and regional affiliates deliver national and local programming.
Pebble, which already serves as the foundation of SBT’s national channel automation, is supporting the broadcaster’s continued modernization of playout.
The project began when SBT’s legacy automation system was approaching the end of its life, limiting its ability to expand operations and improve efficiency. SBT evaluated playout automation solutions from vendors around the world against an extensive set of technical and operational requirements.
Working with its local distributor and systems integration partner Videodata, Pebble developed a comprehensive proof-of-concept demonstration to validate the proposed integrations, workflows and operational efficiencies. SBT said the successful demonstration gave it confidence the new platform could integrate with its existing infrastructure while providing the flexibility required for future development.
Pebble Automation provides precise, real-time control of graphics systems, servers, redundant routing and master control switching across SBT’s channels. It also integrates closely with the broadcaster’s traffic, scheduling and advertising systems.
The platform provides the media management layer, including movement, preparation, validation and approval of content for transmission. Its architecture delivers full redundancy for SBT’s national channels, supporting on-air reliability, operational resilience and continuity.
Pebble Remote provides secure, web-based access for authorized users to monitor and control the playout environment from any location, further increasing operational flexibility. Local and remote users can also access high-resolution content previews directly from their desktops without affecting critical transmission resources, Pebble said.
“First, Pebble Automation provides a much more advanced and user-friendly interface than our previous technology,” said Levy Kroiss Neto, director of TV technology and operations at SBT. “Even more importantly, it brings modern software that makes us much more agile.
“With this project, we are ready for a new generation of TV, including greater interactivity and dynamic ad insertion,” Neto continued. “This is the first stage of a major program to renew our complete delivery infrastructure, and Pebble Automation is the foundation for everything to come.”
The addition of SBT News is an example of that flexibility. The news channel was integrated into the existing Pebble playout environment rapidly and with an excellent cost-benefit ratio, allowing SBT to expand its channel portfolio without requiring a fundamental redesign of its infrastructure.
The wider SBT modernization program is designed to support SBT as television in Brazil moves from TV 2.5 into a new generation, alongside evolving requirements around interactivity, new services and advanced advertising models.
By combining automation, media management, integrated channel control, redundancy and secure remote access, Pebble provides SBT with a flexible foundation that can evolve alongside its delivery requirements.
The Pebble Automation platform at SBT Network Origination first went live at the end of 2025.
More information is available on Pebble’s website.
