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BBC revolutionized UK Election Coverage ingesting 369 live feeds with an innovative TVU Cloud Production Workflow

The most ambitious and personalized election coverage, broadcasted in a way never before imagined. Discover how TVU innovative solutions made it possible.

The BBC, in partnership with TVU Networks, elevated their 2024 UK General Election coverage with an innovative, highly engaging, and environmentally conscious remote production. Utilising TVU’s cutting-edge cloud platform, the BBC remotely managed 369 live feeds from vote counting locations across the UK, all captured using the TVU Anywhere mobile app.

The feeds were streamed on BBC iPlayer, the BBC News website, and transmitted to a giant virtual mosaic screen at the BBC’s London studio headquarters London Broadcasting House, providing audiences across the UK and around the world with an unprecedented, immersive experience. The broadcast reached a peak audience of 4.6 million viewers in the UK.

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How it was made possible.

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A camera in every count.
 

A BBC custom created tripod and smartphone kit running the TVU Anywhere app for cellular bonded live transmissions was sent to every count, allowing BBC News to capture real-time video feeds regardless of local pressures on cellular networks.

The user-friendly remote production setup was easily configurable, even by staff without a technical background. The compact design of the kit assembled by BBC representatives already attending the count combined with the lack of reliance on broadcast vehicles allowed the corporation to generate more live content in an environmentally friendly way.

“This approach not only upheld the BBC’s highest quality standards but also pioneered a new method of election broadcasting that would have been near impossible using traditional methods. The TVU cloud platform allowed us to scale up a vast number of feeds and handle peak traffic seamlessly without investing in additional hardware", said BBC News’ Geraint Thomas, who led the project.

This was both an editorial and technological innovation that transformed the viewing experience, bringing the vote counting process closer to our audience, setting a new benchmark in election coverage

- Geraint Thomas,
BBC News.

The most personalized election coverage ever. 
 

Hundreds of live feeds, which would typically require extensive server setups, were ingested and recorded in real-time on the TVU Search cloud platform. Using TVU Partyline, these feeds were displayed in a mosaic view, enabling viewers to see all UK voting locations simultaneously and access custom mosaics for local regions. The BBC managed 21 regional workflows via TVU Partyline, delivering tailored coverage across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

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Viewers accessed live feeds through BBC News' website constituency pages, fostering a personal connection to the election. The BBC’s London studio showcased a large virtual LED wall linked to all feeds, accessible to national programs in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Live streams supported real-time updates and expert analysis via split-screen, creating interactive and engaging coverage. The TVU platform delivered IP output for OTT and SDI for TV and radio, seamlessly integrating with the existing broadcast infrastructure.

BBC election coverage workflow

We delivered the most personalized election coverage ever in live video. Across the UK, wherever you looked you could see democracy in action, live. The ability to choose from any one of 369 counts on the night meant we could always be where the story was. We could guarantee we’d be where audiences needed us, on digital platforms, TV and radio all night long 

- Jonny McGuigan,
BBC News’ Streaming Editor.

The results

    21 Million requests.
  8 Million viewing hours.
    Most personalized and successful project ever on iPlayer.
    Less costs, less carbon emissions, more content.

In a matter of weeks, we managed to achieve what we thought would take months to develop, and integrated the TVU cloud platform with our on-premise workflows in a cost-effective manner

- Geraint Thomas,
BBC News.

“It’s about innovating together and redefining the boundaries of broadcast technology,” says Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks, praising the BBC for leading the way in blending linear and digital broadcasting across their media supply chain to offer a wider variety of content. “This collaboration is a testament to what’s possible when we combine our strengths. The future of broadcast is now, offering an accessible, sustainable model that opens up endless possibilities for storytelling to audiences everywhere.”

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