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Broadband television will dominate Olympics tv coverage, BBC Head of Sports predicts
17 Jun 2010 | 14.28 Europe/London
While the World Cup will dominate this summer’s sporting activity across the globe, for BBC Sport's Head of Interactivity, Ben Gallop, it is a ‘stepping stone’ to the main event on the corporation’s calendar; the London 2012 Olympic Games.
This is not just due to the BBC will be the host broadcaster but also because, in the BBC’s opinion, it will be the first mass sporting event that will be dominated by broadband television.
Already the frailties of web-based video streaming have been brought in to sharp focus by ITV Live’s UK online service breaking down during the opening game of the World Cup. By 2012, though, Gallop believes the world market for IPTV television sets, which can tune in to online video feeds will be coming of age and the average connection speed will have improved.
“We’re starting to see the first internet television models coming in to shops now but by 2012 we believe there will be a lot more in living rooms in the UK, and across the world,” he says.
“This will be the perfect means for us to cover the Olympics because as the host broadcaster it’s our responsibility to ensure that nobody misses any of the action. That means you have to cover every part of every event and the only way you can do that, at the moment, is interactive television as well as extra action on the web. We think this will all come together for 2012 and we’ll be able to offer scores of feeds to television and people will be able to pick the event they want.”
Broadband television and social media
At the same time, Gallop reveals, the Facebook and Twitter feeds that have started to accompany broadcasters’ coverage of sporting events will be feed in to coverage on the television.
“Once the World Cup is over we’ll be looking back at our summer of sport, which will have also included Wimbledon, and we’ll see how we progress,” he says.
“At the moment it seems clear that internet connected televisions are going to provide a major opportunity for us to cover all the action. However, we’re also dedicated to getting grass roots opinion in to our coverage, so I think we’ll almost certainly be giving viewers the chance to see Twitter and Facebook feeds surrounding the event and allow them to have their own discussion around the action, as well as catch up with what our reporters are saying.”
2012, a testing year
The year 2012 will be an interesting time for broadband video because the coalition Government has repeated the minimal 2Mbp/s Universal Service Commitment as a target for the year and BT has vowed to get fibre to nearly nine in ten London homes before the year starts. Then, during 2012 it claims it will have rolled out fibre to 40% of UK homes (two thirds of UK homes by 2015).
So, not only will internet television have started to gain momentum but also connections for nearly half the country will be fast enough, in theory, to cope with multiple full screen (perhaps even HD?) action.
This is not just due to the BBC will be the host broadcaster but also because, in the BBC’s opinion, it will be the first mass sporting event that will be dominated by broadband television.
Already the frailties of web-based video streaming have been brought in to sharp focus by ITV Live’s UK online service breaking down during the opening game of the World Cup. By 2012, though, Gallop believes the world market for IPTV television sets, which can tune in to online video feeds will be coming of age and the average connection speed will have improved.
“We’re starting to see the first internet television models coming in to shops now but by 2012 we believe there will be a lot more in living rooms in the UK, and across the world,” he says.
“This will be the perfect means for us to cover the Olympics because as the host broadcaster it’s our responsibility to ensure that nobody misses any of the action. That means you have to cover every part of every event and the only way you can do that, at the moment, is interactive television as well as extra action on the web. We think this will all come together for 2012 and we’ll be able to offer scores of feeds to television and people will be able to pick the event they want.”
Broadband television and social media
At the same time, Gallop reveals, the Facebook and Twitter feeds that have started to accompany broadcasters’ coverage of sporting events will be feed in to coverage on the television.
“Once the World Cup is over we’ll be looking back at our summer of sport, which will have also included Wimbledon, and we’ll see how we progress,” he says.
“At the moment it seems clear that internet connected televisions are going to provide a major opportunity for us to cover all the action. However, we’re also dedicated to getting grass roots opinion in to our coverage, so I think we’ll almost certainly be giving viewers the chance to see Twitter and Facebook feeds surrounding the event and allow them to have their own discussion around the action, as well as catch up with what our reporters are saying.”
2012, a testing year
The year 2012 will be an interesting time for broadband video because the coalition Government has repeated the minimal 2Mbp/s Universal Service Commitment as a target for the year and BT has vowed to get fibre to nearly nine in ten London homes before the year starts. Then, during 2012 it claims it will have rolled out fibre to 40% of UK homes (two thirds of UK homes by 2015).
So, not only will internet television have started to gain momentum but also connections for nearly half the country will be fast enough, in theory, to cope with multiple full screen (perhaps even HD?) action.