Sports Broadcasters Scale Back on 4K Streaming
Image Credit: Vienna Reyes
The demand for 4K display capabilities in live events may be stagnating, or even winding down. According to a new report by the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), key sporting events, including the EURO 2024 tournament and the Champion's League final, will not be broadcasting the event in 4K, opting for 1080p instead. This is potentially indicative of a slowdown between consumer demand and technological innovation, when it comes to live streaming.
The reasons behind the pivot are logistically-driven, both technologically and from a business standpoint. From a technological standpoint, broadcasting a 4K resolution stream is possible through select implementation methods, but the resources and attention required to maintain consistent fidelity poses a major challenge. To compound this concern, streaming infrastructure would require a massive overhaul, retrofitting existing infrastructure to accommodate the streaming resolution. While display technology advances quickly, the necessary logistics and exorbitant expense represent a bridge too far for broadcasters.
The Paris 2024 Oympics will be streamed in 4K as a result of demand. Image Credit: Paris 2024/Ian Hanning
Broadcasters and rights holders are reluctant to invest in the upgrades due to the high associated costs. Consumer interest has also reflected this sentiment; as consumers already chafe at price increases for streaming services, that negative response is exacerbated when the added cost of a 4K streaming subscription is factored in. Consumers also need the infrastructure required to stream 4K, including 4K-capable displays and an internet bandwidth that is capable of streaming 4K consistently. This extra cost hurdle, plus the ever-increasing popularity of streaming content on mobile devices, have slowed down the interest in broadcast fidelity.
As interest wanes in resolution, sports broadcasters are looking at another way to enhance the viewing experience through High Frame Rate (HFR) streaming. Sports broadcasting in particular benefits from a higher frame rate, producing a smoother picture that captures split-second moments viewers enjoy. HFR also faces technical hurdles, as most consumer-grade TVs only support up to 60Hz frame rates, but the demand potential has been proven by the end result.
Community building specialist, with 10+ years of experience in technology! Love meeting new people, learning more about them, cultivating insightful discussions, and helping however I can. Passionate about video games, cars, and swordfighting!
Please sign in
If you are a registered user on AVIXA Xchange, please sign in
It’s incredible how difficult and challenging is to live stream 4K after many years since it appeared, what we experienced for the first time at some show like CES, Cedia or Infocomm, takes several years to become a standard and make it available for all. Next time I visit a show I will remember this, the launch of new technologies requires many resources surround the product to become a reality, in some cases it just become new paradigm but not a direct benefit to implement in the near future, ¿how long is this near future?
Anyway I´ll be happy to watch the Olympic games on 4K if my internet provided let me do it ☹
Yeah, and that's a really great point, and broadcasters were hesitant on it, rightfully so. Higher and higher fidelity from a resolution standpoint is nice, but without the infrastructure around it, doesn't make as much sense. That being said, I definitely think HFR streaming will be a great path to look forward to, as I don't see it being anywhere near as much of a challenge as it is to get 4K fully adopted!