BT Sport Selects LiveU for its First Cellular Newsgathering Fleet

BT Sport has worked with LiveU and Garland Partners to equip three Vauxhall Astras with the LU500 and Xtender remote antenna technology. Each LU500 backpack unit can be connected wirelessly (up to 1,000 ft/300 meters) or via Ethernet to the Xtender that sits on top of each vehicle. The combined power and signal robustness achieved, even in congested areas like sports stadiums, is unrivalled in the market and gives the broadcaster absolute confidence.

Andy Beale, Chief Engineer with BT Sport, said: “We now have a fleet-footed and effective way of allowing sports journalists to get the story back to us. We value the flexibility and speed of deployment of the LiveU solution.”

The units can be accessed and controlled remotely via LiveU Central, the company’s management platform that allows full control and monitoring of the LiveU units and content via any browser-supported computer or tablet, from anywhere around the world.

LiveU’s LU500 has taken the cellular bonding market by storm with its next-generation technical strength and outright performance in the field. Weighing around 1 kg (2.2 lbs), this small-sized unit is powered by LiveU’s new multi-processor video encoding engine and fourth-generation patented bonding algorithms providing previously unseen levels of signal robustness in an easy-to-carry unit.

The level of video quality and reliability delivered by LiveU’s technology has brought cellular uplinking into the mainstream of sports coverage, adopted by sports networks, organisations and teams worldwide, most notably in the US and Europe, for high-profile sports events.

Samuel Wasserman, LiveU’s CEO, said, “We’re very excited to be working with BT Sport on such an innovative and exciting project. From the outset, cellular bonding technology has been used across the sports broadcasting universe to create a far more rounded and dynamic viewer experience. CNGs are growing in popularity around the world because of the advantages our cellular bonding technology offers. LiveU’s LU500 was used extensively in this year’s FIFA World Cup™ and Sochi Winter Olympics, often combined with Xtender technology, to bring otherwise impossible live footage to viewers everywhere.”

LiveU owns the patent for cellular bonding for remote newsgathering in the US and other countries. All LiveU products are based on this fourth-generation patented technology.

About LiveU
LiveU is a leader in portable live video acquisition, contribution and management solutions. LiveU's award-winning technology enables live video transmission (HD and SD) from any location around the world.  With top-tier customers in 60+ countries, LiveU’s solutions are being used for breaking news and high-profile events, such as the FIFA World Cup™, Winter and Summer Olympic Games, US Presidential Campaign, Royal Baby, Hurricane Sandy, Super Bowls and US Collegiate Championships. From backpacks to smartphones, and satellite/cellular hybrid to external antenna solutions, LiveU offers a complete range of devices for live video coverage. LiveU’s solutions include multiple 4G LTE/3G, HSPA+, WiMAX and Wi-Fi cellular links, which are optimized for maximum video quality based on the available network conditions.