wTVision Participates in 2018 MENA Special Olympics, Facilitates Golf Channel Latin America Broadcast

wTVision was responsible for the graphics operation of The Middle East North Africa Special Olympics Regional Games and created the original graphic line, based on the competition’s official logo, in a successful partnership with Abu Dhabi Sports Channel. In addition, Golf Channel Latin America is now using wTVision’s ChannelMaker as its playout software, one of the most flexible solutions in the market, that fully adapts to each broadcaster’s specifications. Also, in one of the most successful Eurovision Song Contest editions ever, with 186 million viewers between May 8 and 12, wTVision was the official technical supplier of the event responsible for all the data and graphics operations.

wTVision Leaves its Mark on Adaptive Sports
The event, that combined 16 different Adaptive Sports, took place in Abu Dhabi, between March 14 and 23, and was held at the same venues that will be used during the 2019 World Games.

More than 1 200 athletes, from 33 countries competed in this year’s Regional Games and wTVision made sure all events run smoothly, with our graphics team covering a large variety of live competitions, such as Power Lifting, Swimming, Athletics, Football, Basketball, and Table Tennis, adjusting to the specifications of each sport perfectly.

This was MENA’s Regional Games ninth edition and once again it provided more excitement and inspiration than most sporting events, with the help of coaches, volunteers, families, and athletes from all over the world.

These Special Olympics were also a Test Event for the 2019 World Games, proving that each and every year the Regional Games are becoming an even more relevant competition in the region.

Golf Channel Latin America Playout
The new channel, the only one in Spanish with 24/7 golf coverage, began to broadcast from the Imagina US HG in Miami on April 2 and is being aired thanks to a partnership between Imagina US, Unitecnic, and wTVision.

Operating from Imagina US’s Playout Center, ChannelMaker had to overcome the natural obstacles of every Golf competition, especially the unpredictability of every commercial break and the flexibility required for such a complex live operation. Thanks to the software’s ease of customization and adaptability, the new channel is fully prepared to cover more than 100 tournaments every year, all around the world.

ChannelMaker controls a third-party video server, video matrix, and branding processor by Grass Valley, as well as a traffic controller by Phoenix 7.

wTVision’s ChannelMaker is now responsible for the playout of 18 channels in Imagina US Playout Center, including beIN Sports, Hola TV, DirecTV Latam, and Golf Channel Latin America, among others. The software is ready to continue expanding its range of integrated broadcast solutions.

Eurovision Song Contest 2018
The show took place in the Altice Arena, in Lisbon, and was broadcasted in the 43 participant countries — making it one of the biggest TV productions in the world

The project included a PCR solution that combines wTVision’s Studio CG and R3 Space Engine (real-time 3D graphics engine) as well as a team of six operators. The voting data was imported in real time, integrating with the official provider, and the graphics were implemented by wTVision’s broadcast design team.

To guarantee the maximum efficiency of the live show, wTVision also developed a project specifically for Eurovision Song Contest, called the Host Voting System. Thanks to a web technology setup, directors and hosts of the show were provided with the most valuable information, such as qualified countries, countries currently voting and, eventually, the confirmation that Israel was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.

The voting information was also provided to the commentators from the 43 participant countries, thanks to a system designed for that purpose, which allowed them to anticipate every scenario regarding the leaderboard.