CDN and the Qatar Championship: the connectivity championship

Learn more about how CDN (Content Delivery Network), or content delivered through the network, has created a new way to watch soccer games.

The Qatar Championship is already happening, and it promises to stand out not only for its unusual venue in the Middle East.  The technology levels present

on global broadcasts via CDN (Content Delivery Network) will revolutionize the content transmission industry.

If you subscribe to any of today’s applications to watch your favorite movies and series, you might have already noticed that it’s still possible to watch a few soccer games and other sports – both national and international.

This means sports via CDN – a trend which has increased around the world and is expected to continue growing.  To give you an idea, according to research there has been a 30% viewer increase in soccer games broadcast in this manner between 2020 and 2021. In fact, the tournament’s own organizer is already studying a platform to offer this service.

How does a CDN network work?

While in satellite transmissions communications occur between the source of information and its distribution, in network broadcasts this flow is optimized. After all, there is no need for a network of receiver antennas that process the satellite signal.

CDN takes the information from the source to the internet, bringing content closer to the final user.  The nodes to which information is replicated from the point of origin is accessed, generating less delay than in a satellite transmission. In that case, this information is comprised of the images coming from the stadium.

This form of transmission also prevents the user from losing part of the game in case of failures.  If there’s a connection problem in this node, the device accesses the following one, where content is located.

For the broadcaster, the resource used in streaming has high availability and is able to meet large peaks in demand, which can reach up to ten times the normal volume of traffic.

In general, the nodes are in data centers to offer the logical and physical security the service demands.  Low latency, critical for offering and consuming content through streaming, is always needed.  In fact, this should make an even greater difference as 5G advances in the country.

CDN Benefits

The broadcast of Qatar Championship via CDN brings several benefits to those consuming this content. Especially when compared to satellite, as its broadcast is subject to climate changes that influence the quality of the signal.

Furthermore, depending on the service hired by the broadcaster of the game, you can replay your favorite shot from a live game. After all, the content can be stored, depending on the type of broadcast hired. You only need to position the player’s bar on the right spot, as in any video available through streaming.

Soccer through streaming also makes it accessible from more devices.  Rather than watching the game only on TV, the viewer can watch it from the smartphone, computer or tablet. In other words, it’s useful for those using public transportation at the time of the games, for instance.

In Smart TVs, by the way, applications enable fans to watch their favorite sports with premium quality image. Today, Full HD is the top standard supported by free-TV broadcasters. On the other hand, applications can exhibit games in 4K – something only offered through more expensive Pay-TV plans.

Infrastructure is critical

With so many benefits from CDN, especially for the end user, those producing content need to count on a reliable partner to deliver all this information throughout the world.

Therefore, it’s important to verify if the company analyzed counts on a server in the IP backbone, in key-points of pairing; cutting-edge cache in ISPs, and threshold options to help ISPs manage large software download events more efficiently.

In addition, the partner must ensure a robust delivery capacity, as the one offered by more than 2400 cutting-edge servers, in 95 POPs, for a total delivery capacity of 170 Tbps. Besides, you must also count on a high-level team: at least 25 people to deliver quality content.

This is all to ensure that the time difference between the soccer ball entering the net in the stadium and viewer’s celebration is the minimum possible.

Author:

Eduardo Freitas
Senior Director of Connectivity, Media & IP
Cirion Brazil

With more than 30 years of experience in the TI and Telecom sector, he is part of Cirion’s team since 2004 and is responsible for developing new business in areas related to media and online content transmission. He has occupied several management positions in Strategic Marketing, Communications, Products, and Sales.  Eduardo Freitas has a degree in Electric Engineering from UFMG, an MBA from FVG Management, and a DGE from the Instituto Superior de Empresas – IESE.