Harmonic, Google, and 3SS Partner on Next-Gen Sports Platform

With live sports an important draw for both pay TV services and over-the-top (OTT) competitors, Harmonic saw the need for a next-generation system that could deliver to both. Today, Harmonic announced it has partnered with Google and 3SS (which creates Android TV solutions) to make a live sports workflow for Android TV that combines OTT and broadcast live streaming. It aims to keep fans tuned in with a variety of cutting-edge personalization options including picture-in-picture viewing, multi-views, and personalized mosaics. Not surprisingly, the three partners promise low latency streaming, although so far they haven't put a number to it.

News 2 The partnership draws on Harmonic's VOS cloud live video platform and 3SS's 3Ready custom launcher application. Rights holders will use Harmonic's VOS platform (run on Google Cloud) to prepare content for delivery to broadcast or OTT sources.

"Personalized experiences are common in OTT sports environments, and it's time to bridge the gap between the OTT and broadcast worlds," says Shahar Bar, senior vice president for video business at Harmonic. "This tailored live sports OTT and linear experience on Android TV is a breakthrough in our industry, made possible thanks to a unique cloud-native live video platform provided by Harmonic, a powerful UHD STB powered by Android TV, and an intuitive user experience enabled by 3SS."