Orange Teams Up With LiveU

Leading connectivity provider Orange has teamed up with LiveU to deliver high-quality live coverage of the International Belgian Judo Open competition, "Open de Visé ", a key tournament on the European judo circuit.

This was achieved using a remote cloud production PoC (proof-of-concept) promoting the latest 5G standalone (5G SA) connectivity and cost-efficient reliable workflows.

The PoC was initiated and managed by local production company Atmosfair, in partnership with ID2Move, a center of excellence based in Belgium dedicated to autonomous systems, drones, AI and 5G. They brought together Orange and LiveU with Dreamwall, a virtual design and production specialist, ensuring the successful integration of 5G connectivity, streaming and cloud production, and AR technology in this ambitious project. Broadcast-quality video feeds were streamed live to social media channels, including the Belgian Judo Federation's own platforms.

The PoC represents the latest use case tested in the Orange 5G Lab in Liège as part of LiveU's ongoing collaboration with Orange Belgium. This time it demonstrated the benefits of 5G SA prioritisation using a dedicated network slice, providing guaranteed bandwidth for uninterrupted live transmission. LiveU's Lightweight Sports Production (LWSP) solution was used to provide a high-quality video production workflow, combining LiveU's portable 5G units including the LU800 5G multi-cam and compact LU300S, LU-Smart mobile app and the LiveU Studio cloud-native video production service. The production leveraged LiveU Studio's latest story-centric capabilities, such as instant replay, as well as remote guests and commentaries. Enhancing the visual experience were real-time AR (augmented reality) graphics from Dreamwall, which were integrated in the cloud remotely through the LiveU Studio interface.

Philippe Toussaint, Chief Technology Officer at Orange Belgium, stated: "Leveraging the benefits of 5G standalone technology allows Orange Belgium to expand the possibilities within the broadcasting sector while enhancing productivity, security, and sustainability. The implementation and continuous upgrade of our network have made this project possible."

The remote production involved three separate venues – the location where the competition was held with only the camera crew needed on-site to take the live shots with the field units, the central production studio and Dreamwall's own facilities. Using remote and cloud production tools, the set-up reduced travel and equipment costs for a sustainable live production.

Christophe Anciaux, Founder of Atmosfair Production, said: "This PoC was born from a vision: to demonstrate that with private 5G, streaming and cloud technology, and the right tools, we can produce high-quality sports content with a lightweight setup and a strong impact. But more importantly – and this is the essence of our approach – it’s about telling new sports stories, delivering fresh and immersive emotions to fans and an authentic narrative. It’s a new way of envisioning live sports. Thanks to LiveU’s unique solutions, Orange’s 5G network, and Dreamwall’s creativity in AR integration, together we have proven that this approach can transform sports event production, making live broadcasting more accessible, flexible, and immersive."

Dreamwall is a digital content and production company specialized in animation and visual effects, recognized for its expertise in virtual production and augmented reality (AR). It supports its clients in creating innovative content for sport, television, events, and entertainment.

Sylvain MENET, Technical & Innovation Manager, Media Solutions, Dreamwall, explained: "As part of our recent experiment, we tested the feasibility of remote augmented reality to produce virtual advertising content using a 5G connection. The objective of this Proof of Concept (PoC) was to retrieve the video feed and camera tracking data to integrate virtual advertising elements in real time. The test results were promising. This technological breakthrough opens up new possibilities for the future of virtual production and advertising, particularly for outdoor shoots or sports events requiring increased flexibility while requesting more visibility for sports organizer's partners."

Summing up, Philippe Gaudion, Regional Sales Manager, LiveU, said: "Working alongside our partners on this groundbreaking 5G PoC has been an incredible experience, showcasing the true potential of live sports production. The results highlight how this 5G remote production set-up can transform live event broadcasting with the ability to bring unmatched flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and creativity to sports productions across Europe, and beyond."

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