THE PANEL
Ophir Zardok Head of sports strategy and business development, LiveU
Alex Redfern Chief technology officer, EVS
WHEN THE STAKES ARE GLOBAL AND FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION, WHAT CAN'T BE COMPROMISED WHILE PLANNING A BROADCAST AT AN OLYMPIC SCALE?
ALEX REDFERN: A defined level of redundancy. Redundancy in technology is a broad concept: it may take the form of N+1 or N+N configurations, but determining the appropriate level is essential. There are cost implications and financial constraints even for large-scale events. Simply duplicating everything is not always viable, and adding a single backup is often insufficient at scale. As complexity increases, so does the risk that the required recording or signal path is not the one protected. Redundancy, therefore, is not a simple arithmetic exercise such as one-plus-one or N+1; it is a philosophy. It requires a mindset focused on prioritisation – identifying the most critical elements that must be made redundant across the entire chain – from acquisition to processing to contribution. At this level, failure is not an option. Requirements differ between operational domains as well. In real-time environments, where signals pass through processing devices, the loss of even a single video frame may be unacceptable. By contrast, the recording domain often allows for additional safeguards, such as backups stored in the cloud, on cameras or in separate locations.
As such, the level of redundancy must be determined by the criticality of each stage within the chain, including considerations such as critical and diverse paths. People must also be thought of as potential points of failure. Productions often only fully understand this through experience, when individuals become unavailable due to illness, communication failure or other unforeseen circumstances. Then, significant dependence on individuals becomes clear. As a result, resilience is not solely a function of technology, but also the processes and people surrounding it. When failures do occur, outcomes are determined as much by human response as by the technology itself. Ensuring the right people are in the right roles is therefore a non-negotiable for successful event delivery. Preparation is equally critical and cannot be compromised. This includes planning, testing and defining the workflow to the fullest extent possible. Every effort should be made to minimise uncertainty through thorough preparation. This extends to early engagement with rightsholders and stakeholders to define expectations, desired outcomes and the means of achieving them consistently.
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