Case Study: Fubo transitions to IP infrastructure from Zixi for 4K live video delivery

The broadcast industry is witnessing a significant shift towards IP-based infrastructures, facilitating a more flexible, agile, and economically viable approach to live video content delivery over the internet.

Fubo (formerly branded as fuboTV) has been an early adopter of this technology, positioning itself as a technology-driven entertainment platform with unique sports content. The company’s strategy emphasizes IP networks for content distribution, distinguishing it from conventional broadcast workflows.

Fubo’s commitment to broadcast-quality live streaming in 4K has led it to partner with Zixi.

Zixi’s Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP) serves as a Universal Video Gateway, enabling Fubo to acquire live linear content across various networks, including fiber and satellite, and normalize this content for digital distribution.

Initially, Fubo utilized third-party technologies for encoding, transcoding, and distributing content. However, it has transitioned its transcoding operations to the cloud over the past year.

The Zixi Broadcaster software now plays a critical role in this process, receiving content via MPEG TS – UDP, transmitting it through the firewall over the public internet using the Zixi Protocol into the Google Cloud Platform for transcoding. The processed content is then distributed to origin storage and CDN for delivery to various endpoints, such as Smart TVs, mobile devices, desktop computers, and set-top box applications.

The interoperability of the SDVP, supported by its compatibility with 17 industry protocols, including Zixi, NDI, RIST, SRT, and WebRTC, among others, marks a significant advantage. This versatility ensures seamless integration within Fubo’s software ecosystem and its extensive network of partners. Zixi’s technology ensures high reliability and stream quality over mixed IP networks by utilizing patented sequenced hitless and bonded hitless failover techniques.

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“For Fubo, the quality and reliability of live streams is of the utmost importance” said Geir Magnusson Jr., CMO, Fubo.

“Zixi’s interoperability in terms of its protocol acceptance and robust partner network meant that we could easily virtualize our content supply chain and leverage a tested and cost-effective solution that would allow us the flexibility to easily adapt to any future streaming needs.”

As Fubo continues to expand its offerings, the recent increase in its Zixi deployment underscores the platform’s commitment to delivering a broad range of content at the highest quality. This strategic partnership positions Fubo to maintain its competitive edge in the OTT space, offering a compelling alternative to traditional payTV services by providing a wide array of live and on-demand content accessible over the internet.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital broadcasting, Fubo’s collaboration with Zixi exemplifies how innovative use of IP technology can transform content delivery, meeting the demands of modern viewers for high-quality, reliable live streaming services.