Live events remain one of the most compelling reasons to watch television, whether it’s a major sports tournament, a live concert, an international awards show, or breaking news coverage. The anticipation, the immediacy, and the communal aspect of experiencing something as it happens are all qualities that make live TV unique. But as more people turn to streaming platforms for live content, we face the challenge of delivering these pivotal moments with the same reliability and quality that traditional broadcast offers.
Achieving this at scale, without compromising on the viewer experience, requires game-changing innovation. That’s where technologies like 5G, advanced content delivery networks (CDNs), and low latency streaming come into play. In this post, I’ll explore how these technologies are helping us overcome the existing barriers to high-quality live streaming and outline the breakthroughs that are paving the way for the future.
The Current State of Live Streaming: Opportunities and Constraints
Live streaming has come a long way, with many of today’s platforms capable of delivering a reliable experience for standard on-demand content. But when it comes to live events, the stakes are much higher. Imagine tuning in to watch the final minutes of a football match, only for your stream to buffer, lag, or even drop out completely. Or perhaps even worse, hear your neighbours cheer (or groan) before you’ve seen the action thanks to a latency lag. The frustration is immediate, and the damage to user satisfaction and brand reputation can be considerable.
These challenges are amplified during high-traffic events, where millions of concurrent viewers place immense strain on the infrastructure. Current constraints include latency, network congestion, and maintaining consistent video quality across different devices and geographies. These issues often come down to the limitations of our existing networks and the sheer complexity of delivering live content in real-time.
Enhancing Quality of Experience (QoE) for Live Video
Let’s first look at the “Quality of Experience (QoE)” which is what makes or breaks a live stream. Even a few seconds of buffering or a drop in resolution can frustrate viewers and cause them to tune out. This is often the reason why latency for online streaming remains higher than is technically possible in order to cater for variances in user broadband, device capabilities and to ultimately provide a buffer to protect the QoE. The good news is that we now have the tools to monitor and enhance QoE in real-time. AI-powered analytics, for instance, can detect and resolve issues before they become noticeable to viewers.
This proactive approach is key to maintaining high QoE during live events, where there’s no second chance to get it right. As the technology evolves, we can expect even more sophisticated methods for managing QoE, ensuring that live streaming continues to deliver the premium experience audiences expect.
Low Latency Streaming: The Push Towards ‘Negative Latency’
Optimising is one thing but what is being done to bring forward step changes in performance? As explained above, latency, or the delay between what’s happening live and what viewers see on their screens, is a perennial problem in live streaming. In traditional broadcasts, this delay is typically under five seconds, but for online streams, it can range anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds—or more. Reducing this lag is crucial, especially for sports and news, where real-time information is key.
We’re now seeing a push towards ultra-low latency streaming or as it was labelled during a presentation I saw at IBC: “negative latency”—a concept where advanced techniques across the delivery chain effectively eliminate perceptible delay. Innovations like edge computing, advanced codec and packaging are already making it possible to reduce latency to less than 2 seconds glass to glass, closing the gap between live streaming and traditional broadcast – hence the term ‘negative latency’ (it refers to being quicker than broadcast, not being ahead of the live action!)
Content Delivery Network (CDN) Optimisation for Live Streaming
One of the key areas across the delivery chain are the Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) which play a crucial role in live streaming, ensuring that content is delivered quickly and reliably to viewers around the world. However, traditional CDNs were not designed with live streaming in mind, which is why optimising CDNs for real-time delivery is so important.
Techniques such as adaptive bitrate streaming and edge caching can improve CDN performance, reducing buffering and latency. By distributing content closer to the end user, CDNs can handle the massive surge in demand that comes with large-scale live events, ensuring a smooth experience even when millions are watching.
How 5G is Transforming Live Streaming
When we look at live streaming to mobile devices, the arrival of 5G is a game changer. With its ultra-fast speeds, high capacity, and low latency, 5G is poised to support new levels of connectivity and reliability that were previously unattainable. It’s not just about faster downloads; it’s about enabling real-time data transmission that makes large-scale live streaming possible without the delays and drops we’re accustomed to.
However, for wider coverage and greater efficiency, broadcast is still king for large scale live events and the Paris Olympics was very much the 5G Broadcast Olympics with selected coverage areas across France delivering live public service content direct to mobile devices. With a roadmap to providing new commercialisation opportunities for broadcasters supported by advertising, this is a possibly the first credible deployment plan for mobile broadcast [Read my previous Blog on 5G and the Paris Olympics here]
On the production side 5G private networks can be used to capture content that previously wasn’t possible, we saw this technology in action during the recent Paris Olympics, where 5G networks were used to support high-definition live streaming from mobile handsets at events such as the opening ceremony and the sailing in Marseille. The result was incredible close-up footage providing an immersive experience for viewers that reached millions of people across different platforms and devices.
Delivering Seamless Coverage with 5G: Challenges and Solutions
While 5G’s potential is enormous, implementing it at scale is not without its challenges. For one, without 5G Broadcast, unicast 5G networks require a dense deployment of small cells to provide consistent coverage, which can be a logistical and costly challenge in urban environments. Additionally, while 5G’s speed and capacity are ideal for live streaming, it’s only as good as its weakest link—meaning that even with 5G, bottlenecks in the broader network can still impact performance.
Reaching New Audiences: Multi-Device, Multi-Platform Streaming
One of the most exciting aspects of next-gen live streaming technologies is the ability to reach audiences across multiple devices simultaneously. This means no more compromising on quality when you switch from your TV to your tablet, and then to your mobile phone. Standards like DVB-I aim to optimise performance on end user devices regardless of which technology is being used to deliver the content, enabling broadcasters to deliver multiple high-quality streams to a range of devices in real-time.
This capability not only enhances the viewing experience but also opens up new possibilities for engaging audiences who might not have tuned in via traditional TV. Younger generations, in particular, are more likely to consume content on mobile devices, and reaching them requires a level of flexibility and performance that only next-gen technologies can deliver.
Future of Live Streaming: From Large-Scale Events to Personalised Experiences
As live streaming technologies advance, the potential to deliver personalised live viewing experiences is becoming a reality. Imagine being able to choose your own camera angles during a football match or having real-time stats and commentary personalised to your interests. These innovations could transform live streaming from a passive experience to an interactive one, increasing engagement and satisfaction.
Conclusion: Scaling Live Streaming for the Future of TV
Scaling live streaming to meet future demands is a complex but achievable goal. With advancements in low latency streaming, 5G, and CDN optimisation, we’re closer than ever to making live streaming as reliable and high-quality as traditional broadcast. At DTG, we’re excited to continue working with our members and partners to push these innovations forward, ensuring that live events remain at the heart of the TV experience—no matter how people choose to watch.
