Blackbird plc, the technology licensor, developer, and seller of the market-leading cloud-native video editing platform Blackbird, today announced that Eurovision Sport is working with Blackbird to increase the efficiency of cloud-native video production for its members under a multi-year agreement.
Eurovision Sport uses Blackbird for professional, collaborative, and scalable cloud-based video editing and publishing of sports content. Blackbird has been deployed to enable Eurovision Sport to complement its digital services and provide cloud-native editing tools for its members to use within their media supply chains.
Eurovision Sport – a division of the European Broadcasting Union (“EBU”) – manages media rights for 17 sports on behalf of its public service media members and delivers up to 30,000 hours of sport per year through agreements with international sports federations.
Blackbird allows Eurovision sports editors and EBU members to instantly access multiple live streams from anywhere in the world through its browser-based editor, seconds after the live broadcast. Users can not only edit quickly and collaboratively in Blackbird but also take advantage of a multi-track, non-linear editor with professional tools to create high-quality content that would not be possible with any other video editing technology. Content can be quickly published to media partners and multiple digital endpoints, including social networks, web, and OTT platforms, for viewers to enjoy.
Blackbird enables remote production, eliminating the need to travel to a facility or event, and also eliminating the need to transport materials to and from multiple local storage locations. Blackbird is proven to reduce carbon emissions by up to 91% compared to traditional video editing workflows, playing an active role in supporting Eurovision Sport’s sustainability goals. Blackbird also reduces infrastructure costs by up to 75% due to its cloud-native architecture.
“In this time of Digital Transformation where not only EBU members but also all our Federations’ partners are aiming at publishing more content on their various platforms, having the possibility to quickly turn around content and enrich it through the Blackbird solution is really effective for us. We are now able to reach more fans in a more effective way and are aiming at developing our ecosystem further within the coming months. Last but not least for the EBU community, we are aiming at being more sustainable within our workflow and Blackbird is definitely a great partner in this journey.” said the Eurovision Sport Head of Content & services, Franck Choquard.
Blackbird plc CEO, Ian McDonough, added: “As part of the European Broadcast Union, with Members in over 50 countries, Eurovision Sport is a giant in sports broadcasting. In its role in helping stakeholders navigate technological innovation in sports production, Blackbird is delighted to be playing a part as a central hub for cloud-native video editing. We are really excited to add Eurovision to our growing roster of large global OEM partners and to be directly enabling their members in efficient cloud migration.”
Blackbird increases brand awareness, monetization, and efficiency across sports, news, entertainment, and enterprise. Clients include Univision, Tata Communications, EVS, IMG, Deltatre, Sky News Arabia, A+E Networks, BT, NHL, Eleven Sports, Cheddar News, Riot Games, the U.S. Department of State, and 75 local U.S. news stations with TownNews.
