With no office drinks, secret Santa’s, or Christmas jumpers, Team Grabyo turned to the cloud for Christmas Party inspiration.

The Challenge: A global team, 70 employees, and zoom-fatigue. The solution: a one-hour live Grabyo Christmas special.

Looking for a high-quality and low-latency solution, so that the production team could enjoy the reactions and real-time feedback of our global audience, Grabyo turned to its own Producer product. Requiring just a laptop and a web-browser, our 4 co-hosts could join the broadcast from their homes using a URL. No upfront cost or additional hardware was required, enabling a quick and agile live production. The show was broadcast to the whole company around the world, using Amazon Interactive Video Service (IVS).

Using Grabyo Producer, the team created a one-hour live broadcast for all of Team Grabyo to enjoy from their homes. This included live segments, as well as VOD content played throughout the hour. Content featured talent shows, lip sync battles, and a poem from the CEO. All VOD content was created using Grabyo Editor. This was played alongside the live element of the show including a live raffle draw, a live DJ set, and guest commentary.

To set the festive scene, graphics and custom layouts were inserted into the broadcast whilst Christmas music was played in the background.

The broadcast was produced with the help of Grabyo Producer’s new multiviewer, allowing the director to view multiple inputs on a single screen. Simultaneously there was a watch party for all guests hosted on Google Hangouts.

The show was streamed using AWS IVS. The high-quality and low-latency service is simple to set up and manage. The team just needed to create an IVS channel, embed the HTML code to the microsite, then push the program out of Grabyo Producer directly to the IVS channel. The service is pay per use creating a low-cost and scalable broadcast.

As we move into 2021 with more virtual events on the horizon, this type of in-house testing will allow us to deploy these solutions for broadcasters, content owners and publishers across the globe.

Happy Holidays from Team Grabyo!

Here are Grabyo’s favorite content production ideas from around the sports and broadcast industry over the past weeks.

The US election has been dominating the news cycle and social media feeds for months, with a vast amount of global coverage. News outlets wanted to be the primary destination for viewers. CNN used a selection of informative videos and live election specials to engage with viewers during the months building up to election day. Sports are continuing to entertain people with the return of the Masters after a six month hiatus, the NFL continuing to provide jaw-dropping plays and the EA Madden NFL eSports competition. The Country Music Awards took place, using a combination of pre-recorded performances and a live award show on ABC and the streaming platform Hulu.

CNN election coverage

To keep people up-to-date with all things related to the election, CNN used a series of videos displayed on their website. One series included a comparison between the two candidate’s policies. Categorising each policy into sub-sections such as education, climate crisis and the economy, the short-form videos explored Biden and Trump’s stance on each matter as well as their plans for the future. CNN also provided recaps of debates that could be watched on demand for people to catch up on anything they missed.

The Masters

As the Masters returned after a six month delay, golf fans had plenty to be excited about. The autumnal colours provided a different view of the course and despite there being no patrons in attendance, this allowed for increased access to players. Players could be heard talking to each other and congratulating each other whilst playing the competition, taking fans as close to the action as possible. The real winner of the competition though was Jon Rahm’s hole in one during a practice round, which has now achieved nearly five million views.

His second in two days, Jon Rahm skips his way to a hole-in-one at No. 16 – on his birthday, no less. #themasters pic.twitter.com/rtefAN5XtH

— The Masters (@TheMasters) November 10, 2020

NFL watch-a-long

Fans are still watching NFL games from home, so the NFL took fans into the living room of Jerome Bettis as he watched his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. Showing the highs and lows of supporting your team, the video allows fans to connect with the league as they empathize with the frustrations and elations of Jerome Bettis.

.@JeromeBettis36 is everyone watching their favorite team play 😂 @steelers

📺: Catch #NFLTheGrind Wednesdays 9/8c on @EPIXHD pic.twitter.com/nwQeBDMjly

— NFL (@NFL) November 11, 2020

Country Music Awards

A few guests were in attendance for the 2020 Country Music Awards, which took place in Nashville. With presenters socially distanced, the format was slightly different for this year’s edition. Performances were pre-recorded in empty theatre halls and played during the ceremony. The show was available to watch live on ABC and also available afterwards on their streaming platform and Hulu.

We could keep watching this @DanAndShay and @JustinBieber performance on the #CMAawards for 10,000 hours…and 10,000 more. pic.twitter.com/R2edA9xoLy

— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) November 12, 2020

EA Madden NFL 21

EA kicked off their Club Championship on the new NFL Madden 21 game with entries open to anyone who has the game. Streaming the competition on Twitch, fans could watch players battle it out whilst representing their NFL team. The total prize pool is $750,000, with regional qualifiers leading into the final there is plenty of action for fans to engage with.

To learn more about Grabyo and how we are helping global broadcasters, rights holders and media companies overcome these challenges with our cloud-based video production and editing platform – get in touch today.

Read about the most interesting and unique content ideas from around the APAC sports and broadcast industry these past few weeks.

As world tours are postponed indefinitely, Korean Band BTS hosted two virtual concerts to connect with fans and introduce new songs from their recent album. As this shift online continues with concerts and broadcast, the impact is also being felt for ecommerce as The Double 11 Single’s Day sale set a new sales record. The NBA is continuing to engage with fans in China, by opening six entertainment and experience centres. Amazon Prime has announced its debut in India by acquiring New Zealand Cricket rights from 2021 to 2025/26, one of the country’s most popular sports. As fans are unable to attend this season’s IPL matches, Disney+ Hotstar introduced #WatchWithYaars which allowed fans to video call family and friends to watch matches together. To further support the virtual event space, Sport Singapore announced a $50 million grant to encourage sport event organisers to engage locals via ‘phygital’ hybrid events.

NBA entertainment and experience centres China

NBA will be opening six entertainment and experience centres in China, as part of their partnership with Harves Entertainment . The centres will be equipped with interactive gaming facilities, NBA-themed restaurants and other entertainment choices. The centres provide an opportunity for the league to enhance its connection with its Chinese followers and expand the global reach of the league.

Amazon Prime in India

Amazon Prime Video announced earlier this month its debut into live sports in India, acquiring the broadcast rights for one of the country’s most popular sports. The streaming platform will be airing New Zealand Cricket from 2021 to 2025/2026. The deal includes rights to stream all international cricket matches played in New Zealand for both men’s and women’s cricket, ODI, T20 and Tests formats starting late 2021 on Prime Video’s platform.

Streaming giant @PrimeVideoIN has purchased the exclusive rights to live stream New Zealand-based BLACKCAPS and @WHITE_FERNS matches into India for the next six years. https://t.co/ZYtDqqZKcg #CricketNation

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 10, 2020

#WatchWithYaars on Hotstar

The 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) took place over two months, from September to November, and attracted a record audience across television and digital platforms. 58 of the 60 IPL games showed a 24% increase from the 2019 edition and a cumulative of 383 billion minutes were watched.

As all games are held behind closed doors in United Arab Emirates this year, Disney+ Hotstar has introduced a “Watch with your friends” feature using #WatchWithYaars, that allowed users to video call family and friends while watching the IPL cricket matches on HotStar.

Double 11 sale breaks record

The double 11 singles day ecommerce sale broke another record, with 498.2 billion yuan ($74.1 billion) in sales revenue on Tmall.com and 271.5 billion yuan on JD.com. Brand owners are diversified ways of communicating with customers through live streaming platforms and invited influencers to endorse goods by publishing short-video advertisements.

BTS Virtual Concert: ‘Map of the Soul ON:E’

The pandemic has disrupted BTS’s World Tours but that hasn’t stopped them from connecting with their fans through two virtual concerts over a weekend in October. ‘Map of the Soul ON:E’ achieved a total of 756,000 viewers from 100 different countries to watch the online performance live. The virtual concert applied AR, XR and 4K/HD technology for a more immersive fan experience and provided fans with the option for “multi-view live streaming” with six different screens to choose from.

‘Phygital’ Hybrid events in Singapore

Sports Singapore has launched the “Blended” initiative which offers grants to sports event organisers, event management companies, private academies and clubs to engage locals via the ‘phygital’ hybrid event formats. ‘Phygital’ combines both physical and digital elements in sports to deliver a more interactive experience for participants.

To learn more about Grabyo and how we are helping global broadcasters, rights holders and media companies overcome these challenges with our cloud-based video production and editing platform – get in touch today.

Here are Grabyo’s favorite content production ideas from around the EMEA sports and broadcast industry over the past few weeks.

From football stars to Disney, there has been a variety of high-quality content produced over the past month. Two of Liverpool FC’s stars have launched their own series, Wingmen, giving fans an insight into life at Liverpool FC. The Masters took place after a six month delay, and the PGA Tour produced a series of videos to get fans in the mood for the occasion. Disney entered the race for the best Christmas advert and Three transported two of Chelsea FC’s season ticket holders to a virtual Stamford Bridge. As eSports continues to grow rapidly, La Liga has become the first competition to join the streaming platform with a series of highlights, match previews and eSports competitions.

The Wingmen

Liverpool FC’s two wingbacks, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, have launched a new digital-only series called Wingmen. As the players look to connect with fans during their absence from the stadium, the series follows them driving through Liverpool, carpool karaoke-style. Joined by guests along the way and stopping off at historic places throughout the city, the pair answer questions from fans and discuss their highlights from their victorious 19-20 season.

Golf fever

The Masters took place for the first time in November. To get golf fans in the mood, the PGA Tour created a selection of videos including highlights packages, informative videos, and tournament previews. The tour’s best players discuss their experiences and recommendations for any player competing in a Major. The preview videos look at the full tournament including the course, the players and the adjusted format following the 6 month delay to play.

Disney

For the first time, Disney launched a Christmas TV advert. Following on from their successful launch of the Disney+ streaming platform earlier in the year, the brand continues to build momentum with fans of all ages. With parks shut across Europe, Disney is looking for new ways to bring joy to fans over the festive season and engage with them until the park gates can reopen.

Introducing the 2020 Disney Christmas Advert. #FromOurFamilyToYours ✨ #DisneyChristmasAd2020 pic.twitter.com/IU7ihjP2xQ

— Disney UK (@Disney_UK) November 9, 2020

Back to The Bridge

Chelsea’s official club partner, Three, created an immersive fan experience. Taking two avid Chelsea fans, Three re-created Stamford Bridge using projectors, a tannoy announcer and TV screens for them to watch the game. The fans were sat in the middle of the warehouse, creating the feeling that they were in the stadium, surrounded by fans cheering on their beloved Blues.

La Liga on Twitch

La Liga has joined Twitch, the first major European sports competition to do so. Looking to increase its fan base, La Liga will be interacting with Twitch’s highly engaged audience. The league’s content includes warm-up footage from games, exclusive eSports tournaments and exclusive highlights packages. 

To learn more about Grabyo and how we are helping global broadcasters, rights holders and media companies overcome these challenges with our cloud-based video production and editing platform – get in touch today.

Read about the most interesting and unique content ideas from around the APAC sports and broadcast industry these past few weeks.

With fans staying at home, online viewership among multiple sports is on the rise with the IPL seeing record figures for their recent matches. Manchester United is also showing strong promise for its future with the opening of their first set of sports experience stores, firstly in Beijing, China. The eSports industry is also continuing to grow as more people increase their online presence, this was reflected with the takeover of DouYu by Huya to create a $10 billion juggernaut.

Theatre of Dreams

Manchester United has confirmed they will be opening several entertainment venues in partnership with Harves Entertainment, called The Theatre of Dreams. As fans seek fully immersive experiences across the globe, these venues will be a homage to the Old Trafford Stadium with interactive history sections, gaming and dining. The first venue will open in Beijing, China with other sites in Shanghai, Shenyang and Changsha set to follow.

.@ManUtd reveals name of entertainment centres, Theatre of Dreams, across China https://t.co/BY8W0SLcto pic.twitter.com/UkTbCwlun0

— Blooloop (@Blooloop) October 12, 2020

2020 National Chinese Championships

The National Chinese Championships took place in October with several high-profile players competing. Chinese provinces compete against each other to win the National Championships. The event was live-streamed on the ITTF YouTube and Facebook channels globally so fans can watch the matches from their homes.

IPL viewer records

Star India have recorded the largest ever reach and viewership for the recent IPL matches. As matches were set to start up, some of the world’s more high-profile cricketers have joined the IPL to compete over the winter months, bringing with them a global reach and audience. A total of 269 million viewers tuned in, with a total increase of 15% of viewing time over the first seven IPL matches.

All Blacks are back

The All Blacks returned to action with fans in the stadium for a match against Australia. Despite some fans being present, there were plenty of fans at home wanting to feel part of the action. SkySportsNZ have created a new feature called Player Cam. The clip across digital channels focuses on one player whilst showing the match being played out at the same time on a small video screen in the clip. It allows fans to watch the match as if they were there, focusing on an individual and the game as a whole.

🏃🏽📹 PLAYER CAM | Check out @ardiesavea like you’ve never seen him before through the @skysportnz player cam!

How about this match-saving turnover in overtime.

FULL VIDEO ➡️ https://t.co/wBZrl4CeF1 pic.twitter.com/BkprVytw0L

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) October 12, 2020

To learn more about Grabyo and how we are helping global broadcasters, rights holders and media companies overcome these challenges with our cloud-based video production and editing platform – get in touch today.