Australia's largest-scale cycling event achieved a comprehensive high-definition live broadcast, bringing exciting live coverage to thousands of sports fans.
Australian aerial filming company Flying Features has utilized LiveU's HD live video transmission and remote production solutions for the third consecutive year to broadcast the Santos Tour Down Under cycling race. The live video captured by Flying Features is streamed directly in real-time to Gravity Media, a leading global production company and the main broadcaster of the event. The workflow employed provides significant flexibility for the entire event's live coverage, including a backup path during the refueling of the helicopter receiving high-frequency signals from the air.
Due to entry and exit restrictions during the pandemic, last year's event was completed in Sydney using LiveU's remote broadcasting solution. This year's event coverage adopted a dual-track production workflow; a local OB company in Adelaide streamed live to Sydney, which was then sent back to Adelaide. The LiveU LU600 mobile encoder was used on the helicopter, while an aerospace-certified external static antenna was securely installed on the outside of the helicopter. These aerial shots were used to supplement Gravity's ground coverage of the nearly 1,000-kilometer racecourse.
Adam Huddlestone, co-owner of Flying Features, reflected, “The video quality from LiveU is outstanding. Thanks to LiveU's solid reliability, we were able to capture clear footage even in the most remote locations. LiveU's equipment does not require line of sight; we can go as low as we want, and LiveU provides incredibly creative flexibility for shooting anywhere. We used LiveU throughout the entire event, following all the cyclists in the air for four hours each day. We are very satisfied with the filming over the week, with altitudes ranging from 0 feet to 500 feet and only a brief one-second delay.”
Chris Dredge, Sales Manager for the Pacific Region at LiveU, said, “Flying Features is a long-term partner of LiveU. With a strong spirit of innovation, Flying Features utilizes LiveU's products to unleash creativity and aerial filming technology, creating stunning live aerial footage for their clients. Through innovative applications of LiveU technology, they have covered numerous sports events over the past few years, providing audiences with a more thrilling and vibrant viewing experience. The coverage of cycling races and sailing events has provided important case studies for the reliability and flexibility of LiveU technology, showcasing the achievable results.”
For ordering LiveU services, please feel free to contact us for inquiries.