Hyperconvergence Offers Sustainability for Live Sports Production

Technology helps minimize environmental impact in delivering an engaging experience

In the fast-paced world of sports production, where every moment counts, the demand for cutting-edge technology is relentless. Live sports productions, especially high-profile events like the recent Super Bowl, involve a complex combination of technologies and features to deliver a seamless and engaging viewing experience for audiences. Yet the intricate nature of these productions often translates into a large carbon footprint.

Finding a balance between delivering an engaging program and minimizing environmental impact has become a challenge for the media sector. Technology advances make it possible for productions to achieve both objectives.

Ross Video’s Chris Lennon: “if we can offer a hyperconverged solution, reducing the cost, we think it’s a good way to promote sustainability.”

Chris Lennon, director, standards strategy, Office of the CTO, Ross Video, suggests a couple of areas where productions can begin looking when thinking about a reduced carbon footprint. One notable way is remote production in the cloud, a paradigm shift that gained prominence during the pandemic. Remote cloud capabilities enable production teams to collaborate from different locations, eliminating the need for extensive travel. This not only saves time and resources but also contributes to a significant reduction in the overall carbon footprint associated with travel-related activities.

A complete remote cloud production is not always practical. Indeed, most productions require a blend of remote and on-premises solutions to deliver the desired viewing experience.

Another way to reduce the carbon impact is the literal reduction of the hardware’s footprint. Ross Video has been innovating to deliver hyperconvergence, an approach that combines computing, storage, and networking resources in a single, cohesive system.

“We designed the system with cost saving and sustainability in mind,” Lennon points out.

Ross’s strategy is to eliminate redundant hardware, reduce energy consumption, and enhance overall efficiency, with a 75% saving in energy consumption (according to Ross calculations). The significant power reduction also reduces the amount of energy required to cool the systems, simplifying HVAC distribution. In addition, the units are compact, reducing the physical space and weight of conventional solutions and contributing to a more environmentally friendly onsite setup.

Developing a sustainable product means thinking holistically, considering the entire product. Not all of Ross products are hyperconverged, but the principle is applied to various degrees in many product families, from the materials used to build the units to their packaging. Even ongoing maintenance is considered.

“While sustainability is top of mind at Ross,” says Lennon, “we know that it is not always our customers’ main reason to adopt a new technology. But, if we can offer a hyperconverged solution that cuts the hardware footprint required, thereby reducing the cost, we think it’s a good way to promote sustainability, too.”

And customers seem to be happy with the new technology. By adopting hyperconvergence, productions can deliver on a new standard for environmentally conscious practices while also delivering an amazing viewing experience in the dynamic world of live sports.

Note: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and/or interview subject and do not represent positions of SVG.