Pop-Up Network Used for FOX Sports Broadcasts

The information in “Pop-Up Network Used for FOX Sports Broadcasts” was provided by Cradlepoint. RTech Solutions did not particiapte in this specfiic deployment, however, we can help to apply this technology in similar applications.

Fox Sports delivers weekly live broadcasts to millions of viewers, often away from their home studio. Broadcasting professional and collegiate games live requires tons of manpower, equipment, and most importantly, a reliable internet connection. Weather conditions and location both play a factor in the type of solutions that will work, so FOX knew they needed something more capable than an everyday device. Pop-Up Networks are a great solution due to their mobility, ease of use, and reliability. Pair these devices with Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Manager, and you have a game-changing solution.

Challenge

FOX Sports has the ability to reach over 100 million viewers each weekend when you combine their network of channels like FS1, FS2, the Big Ten Network, numerous local affiliates, and many more that are only accessible through the FOX Sports website or mobile app. With such a large viewership, productions such as halftime, pregame, and postgame shows must be professional, error-free, and most of all, entertaining. Such complicated shows require a dedicated IT team to travel with the broadcast crew to set up a replica network akin to the one used on the main set in Los Angeles. The most important things the crew needs to run a successful show are laptops for staff, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), and immediate access to stats. Unfortunately for the IT team, locations are often chosen due to their background and appearance, not infrastructure. This leaves them to work with whatever local network is available at the filming location, which is often not fast enough or prepared to handle a data-heavy broadcast, leaving one other option: to contact local ISP’s. The latter is not cost-effective, especially considering the number of live shows put on by FOX Sports every year. Plus, this requires even more planning and communication to have the right technicians sent out to a location, causing massive backlogs for everyone involved. FOX Sports needed a solution that could support a hard-wired connection or a cellular-based connection dependent upon the local network available at each broadcast location. 

Solution

To solve their connectivity needs, FOX decided to implement ruggedized “networks-in-a-box.” These devices were bundled with a subscription to Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Manager and featured WAN (Wide Area Networks) link termination, traffic management, firewall support, and the ability to configure and troubleshoot devices remotely from the cloud. These functions were delivered by routers that used embedded LTE functionality to provide a dependable cellular connection. Cellular connectivity is paramount when setting up national broadcasts due to time constraints and the high pricing of renting out other local networks that may or may not work correctly. According to Ramirez, the team had previously been quoted at “$7,500 per day for a 10mbps wired connection at a hotel.”  The turnkey nature of the devices, minimal setup time and low costs made Cradlepoint’s Pop-Up Networks the perfect addition to FOX Sports’ gameday assets. A quickly expanding company such as FOX Sports will need an increasing number of mobile solutions as time goes on, making Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Management service even more effective by allowing the IT professionals to monitor multiple devices remotely.

Lowered production costs, increased location setup efficiency, and reduced person-hours needed have all been benefits observed by FOX Sports after implementing Cradlepoint’s mobile network solutions. 

Why rtech?

RTech Solutions was created with the idea of helping customers without forcing them to jump through hoops to get the solution they need. We pride ourselves on serving our customers by providing dependable options that are both cost-effective and practical. If you are looking for reliable and mobile connectivity solutions, or just need to chat about your options, visit our website to schedule a consultation.