ESPN STAR Sports taps TRSL for new playout facility

By Kevin Hilton

Asian sports broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) is to extend its
play-out facilities to carry 10 new channels in addition to its
current 17 channel output. British systems integrator TSL is to build
the new transmission facilities, a contract that will run alongside the
Home Run project, under which the company is installing a file-based
infrastructure at ESS’s headquarters in Singapore.

The
transmission system has been built at TSL’s factory in Maidenhead,
Berkshire and it will be transported to Asia ready to go live during
January next year. Play-out equipment for the project includes Omneon
MediaGrid storage, a Quartz QMC master control switcher and Crystal
Vision modular interfaces, with Miranda Multi Viewers.

ESS is
owned jointly by Disney and News Corp, broadcasting international and
local sport on both pay and free-to-air platforms. Its existing 17
networks transmit to 24 countries, including China, Taiwan, Malaysia,
the Philippines and Singapore, with a total of 310 million viewers
across Asia. Among the major sporting events carried are English
Premier League and UEFA Champions League football, Formula 1 motor
racing, Wimbledon tennis, International Cricket Council tournaments,
the NBA and the Asian Football Confederation.

Commenting on the
transmission contract Tom McVeigh, senior vice president of operations
and technology for ESS, said, “TSL has been instrumental in replacing
ESS’s play-out, post-production and transmission systems. As a result
we have built a strong relationship based on experience and trust that
allows the facility to continue to expand, further improving workflow
and flexibility whilst providing more viewers with tailored content to
suit geographical regions.”