Digital Rapids Adaptive Streaming Encoders and Automation Drive Massive Multi-Screen Sports Media Success for PERFORM

PASSFIELD, England, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Rapids announced today that sports media specialist PERFORM has deployed over 150 StreamZ Live™ encoders and the Digital Rapids Broadcast Manager® multi-encoder automation software to power live streaming of thousands of premium sports events to viewers on an expanding range of devices and platforms.

The StreamZ Live encoders are distributed across PERFORM facilities in the UK, Singapore, Australia, Korea, Abu Dhabi, Sweden, Doha and Italy. Each encoder generates 25 output profiles per input source for target viewing platforms including Apple® iOS devices, Android®-based devices and desktops. Streams are delivered across Akamai's Intelligent Platform and Mirror Image Internet's Dynamic Delivery Network. HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and Adobe® HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS) technologies are used for adaptive bit rate HD and mobile delivery, along with the RTMP protocol for low-latency streaming with Adobe Flash®. The enterprise-class Broadcast Manager software is critical to PERFORM's operations, enabling them to efficiently manage and automate the large-scale deployment.

"The combination of Digital Rapids' StreamZ Live encoders and the Broadcast Manager software have led to significant savings in our operational costs," said PERFORM's Chief Operating Officer Andy Measham. "We schedule 25,000 live events per year, with Broadcast Manager remotely and automatically managing all of the encoders. Digital Rapids provides the very best automation and every encoder endures being pushed to its absolute limit 24/7. The low latency of the StreamZ Live encoders is also crucial for the delivery of live sports content on the Web." 

PERFORM is a world leader in managing, delivering and commercialising sports content across Internet-enabled digital platforms. PERFORM's digital sports rights portfolio includes contracts covering more than 200 sports and their associated leagues, tournaments and events. PERFORM produces and distributes content directly to sports fans and business partners, including football clubs, sports federations, broadcasters, bookmakers, publishers, mobile operators and telcos.

"Our business has grown significantly in the past five years, and our aim is to continually grow and develop our platform to support the ever-increasing demands on it," said Howard Kitto, Chief Technical Officer of PERFORM. "The massive growth in the proliferation of devices such as smartphones and tablets, along with the 'connected' capabilities of almost every new television set, open up tremendous new opportunities for premium live streaming content. Digital Rapids technologies are important in our ability to address these opportunities. The universal, multi-format encoding capabilities of StreamZ Live enable us to efficiently produce adaptive streams for all applications from mobile to connected TV."

"PERFORM are visionaries in commercialising sports content across the ever-expanding range of network-enabled digital platforms. We're proud to be providing them with the powerful and efficient solutions they need to continue their successful growth as the multi-screen landscape evolves," said Clive Vickery, Managing Director, EMEA and Asia at Digital Rapids. "The scale and geographic breadth of PERFORM's operations requires their technology infrastructure to be efficient, automated and reliable, and StreamZ Live and Broadcast Manager are the ideal combination for fulfilling these needs."

StreamZ Live encoders provide superior quality, outstanding reliability and flexible, multi-screen output format support for audience-expanding live streaming applications. Powering services from online and mobile video to over-the-top (OTT) services and IPTV, StreamZ Live's rich output capabilities and adaptive streaming support are ideal for capitalising on today's lucrative multi-screen content distribution opportunities, allowing content and rights owners to reach viewers on devices from tablets and mobile phones to game consoles, PCs and 'smart' TVs. The Digital Rapids Broadcast Manager software streamlines multi-channel operations and bolsters reliability with enterprise-class management, automation, scheduling, remote monitoring and fault tolerance.

The complete range of Digital Rapids solutions will be showcased in booth number SL5624 at the 2012 NAB Show, April 16-19 in Las Vegas. For more information about Digital Rapids, please visit www.digitalrapids.com.

About PERFORM Group PLC – PERFORM is a market leader in the commercialisation of multimedia sports content across internet-enabled digital platforms. Through production, technical and commercial solutions, PERFORM powers digital channels that distribute content in a number of forms – video, editorial, audio and data – across multiple platforms, to millions of sport fans around the world. In April 2011, PERFORM floated on the London Stock Exchange. www.performgroup.com

About Digital Rapids Corporation– Digital Rapids provides market-leading content transformation and workflow solutions that empower the world's leading media organizations to reach wider audiences more efficiently, more effectively and more profitably. Recipients of more than two dozen prestigious awards for company and product excellence, Digital Rapids combines innovative technology with proven expertise and visionary insight to help our customers expand their audiences, increase their revenues, and reduce their costs. Digital Rapids Corporation (www.digitalrapids.com) is headquartered in Ontario, Canada with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia and Argentina.

Copyright 2012 Digital Rapids Corporation. All rights reserved.  Digital Rapids, StreamZ Live, Digital Rapids Broadcast Manager and the Digital Rapids logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Rapids Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

SOURCE Digital Rapids Corporation